Two Eastern Conference sides with contrasting form assemble at Subaru Park in what may prove a comfortable 90 minutes for the hosts. Philadelphia Union’s recent results may be mixed but DC United are in a poor run so will this fixture go with the form book (7.30pm ET Saturday)?
The moneyline bet is weighted in favor of Union but, at the very least, there will be some value from the props.
Philadelphia Union vs DC United Moneyline Odds
Philadelphia Union are short favorites for this match with the major American oddsmakers. The moneyline see odds of around -155 attached to Jim Curtin’s side. The draw is the next option on the list at +290 while a win for the away-team DC United is longer at +460.
The form guide shows that Philadelphia have lost just once in their last five matches and have recorded three wins and a draw in that time. Over the same period, DC United have three draws but they have failed to record a victory, losing 2-1 at home to New England Revolution on Wednesday.
It could be an obvious call but, before we commit to our Philadelphia Union vs DC United predictions, USAbetting will take a look at the props and, in particular, the players who could decide the destiny of this match.
DOOP vs DCU Prop Bets
Sportsbooks have been a little slow to react to Wednesday night’s results and we are waiting for some individual player props to come in. When the goalscorer betting opens, there may be some interest in Philadelphia’s Polish centre forward Kacper Przybylko who found the net first in his side’s 1-0 win over the Red Bulls last time out. He has not enjoyed an extended run in the starting XI since arriving from Kaiserslautern in 2018 but Przybylko averages more than a goal a game when he does take to the pitch.
For DC United, goals have been hard to come by with Ben Olsen’s side finding the net just four times in their last five outings. Norwegian international Ola Kamara scored from the penalty spot in that defeat to New England and he may be the most likely source of goals once again.
DC United’s scoring record means that few punters will take the ‘both teams to score’ bet with any great confidence. They have recorded those four goals and needed a penalty to find the net against 10-man New England but BTTS remains quite short at around -145 with Bovada online sportsbook. Philadelphia have conceded just three times in their last two and have recorded three shutouts in that time but trends are meant to be broken and BTTS will attract some interest.
Overs and unders betting reveals that taking the relatively modest option to back over 2.5 goals will return similar prices at that -150 mark. To get over the +100 line, we have to push that bet to over 3.5 goals but is that too optimistic considering how poorly DC United have performed in recent times?
The last of our regular props relates to the correct score betting and, if you are looking at a comfortable home win, you may want to consider backing a 3-1 scoreline in favor of Union at odds that start from +1000. Alternatively, if you think that there could be an upset at Subaru Park, a 1-1 draw is available at +700.
There will be more prop bets coming in as kick off approaches as the bookies react to Wednesday’s results but let’s take a closer look at what we already have on the table.
Our Preview’s Philadelphia Union vs DC United Predictions & Betting Picks Verdict
While there are no surprises in the moneyline betting lines, the odds are largely based on DC United’s poor form rather than Philadelphia’s recent results. Union have been solid in reaching the semi-finals of the MLS Is Back Tournament but they have not exactly been sweeping teams aside.
For that reason, there could be some value in the draw although we will need to see a big improvement from the home side for this to happen. That option certainly can’t be ruled out: DC have traditionally been one of the stronger sides in the MLS and, while they are not at their best right now, they have a strong squad that can quickly respond to those poor displays.
As witnessed in other leagues across the world, it takes some teams longer to come back to form after soccer’s unscheduled break. It is unlikely that DC United will be picking up silverware this season but for this game the value lies in the draw.
As for the props, we will take over 3.5 goals but, when the player betting opens, look for Kacper Przybylko to continue his run and open the scoring in this fixture.
So these are the Philadelphia Union vs DC United Predictions and picks for this MLS game preview:
Matt Harris is a golf and soccer expert for USA Betting. His other area of specialist knowledge is cricket. He is well known in sports journalism and contributes articles to a plethora of big-name websites and media outlets. Titles that he writes or has written for include: Betfair, BetVictor, Unibet & Just Bookies.