- New York Red Bulls are the in-form side with three wins, one draw and one defeat from their last five matches.
- Charlotte are coming together nicely with two wins, one draw and two defeats from their last five games.
In-form sides will make this a competitive clash
New York Red Bulls are the slight favourites at 61/50 for Saturday's MLS 2026 clash at Sports Illustrated Stadium, USA, with Charlotte available at 89/50 and the draw at 57/20.
Both teams are in decent form and should make this an exciting game in which we expect both sides to register, so the markets that look to be in play are Over 2.5 at 1/2 and BTTS - Yes at 11/25. However, we're going to go the other way here and take BTTS-No at 8/5 because a cagey game could still be in the cards and the underdog could sneak a win.
New York Red Bulls have been the in-form team in recent weeks with three wins, a draw and a defeat from their last five, while Charlotte have had a similar recent run with two victories, one draw and only two losses.
New York Red Bulls’ press will test Charlotte
Ibrahim Sekagya has the Red Bulls playing with their usual Red Bull intensity, but they have been better controlled in the build-up this season and can shape-shift in a variety of ways that will trouble Charlotte.
Dean Smith is getting the best out of the Charlotte players at his disposal and has them well-organised and pragmatic. They are a disciplined side that doesn't give opponents too much to work with, but they do have a forward to rely on in the shape of Pep Biel. The Spaniard has seven goals in 15 MLS games and could be the difference between the two teams on Saturday if they are involved in a close game.
Idan Toklomati has scored two of Charlotte's six goals in their last five matches, so could provide the spark that his side need if they need to find a winner in the final stages.
Red Bulls have the edge
We still think New York Red Bulls should have the quality to edge this one, but Charlotte's recent upturn in results suggests they could make this a close affair. A New York win and both teams to score looks the sharpest side bet if the game opens up, but we're still going for a 2-1 correct score play as Charlotte's defence isn't as solid as we would like it to be.
Charlotte's two most recent games have been very clean, with a 3-1 home win over Toronto FC followed by a 1-0 success against New England Revolution, so they could be confident of getting something from this clash. But New York Red Bulls' high-tempo press should eventually break the visitors down, especially if they use their wide players to get behind the overlapping full-backs that Charlotte often use to good effect.
