Atlanta & New York Red Bulls Enter MLS Playoffs as Co-Favorites

• New York Red Bulls and Atlanta United are the top two teams in MLS and have equal odds of lifting MLS Cup 
• Can the Supporters’ Shield-winning Red Bulls win their first ever MLS Cup?
• Or will Atlanta United lift the trophy in only their second season?

When the dust settled on Decision Day, no team holding an MLS Cup Playoffs spot going into the day fell out of the top six of either conference.

However, the New York Red Bulls did rip away Supporters’ Shield honors from Atlanta United.

The two clubs now enter the playoffs as co-favorites, each with average odds of +320.

Average 2018 MLS Cup Odds

Follow the odds for each team throughout the MLS Cup Playoffs with our MLS Odds Tracker.

Odds To Win 2018 MLS Cup

Record-Breaking Red Bulls Claim Supporters’ Shield

New York has finished the regular season with the best overall record now three times in the past six seasons. They are tied for second-most Shield titles in league history.

This year they did it in dramatic fashion, entering the final day of regular season play on 68 points, one behind Atlanta.

With United falling 4-1 on the road to Toronto and the Red Bulls’ 1-0 home win over Orlando, the Red Bulls leapfrogged United and set a record along the way. New York’s 71 points on the season eclipsed Toronto’s high-mark of 69 from 2017.

What a ride.

Here's how @NewYorkRedBulls secured the 2018 Supporters' Shield. // #DecisionDay by @ATT https://t.co/GqmG0ZSA7e

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) October 29, 2018

For as good as the Red Bulls have been this season and years past, what has continued to elude them is playoff success. MLS Cup is the grand prize and it’s the prize that New York has never won.

Last year saw them go down in the Semi-Finals to the eventual MLS Cup champs, Toronto FC. The Red Bulls were also Semi-Final losers in 2016, falling to Montreal and lost in the Conference Finals in 2015 to Columbus.

Most Points ✅
Most Wins ✅
Most Home Points ✅
Most Home Wins ✅

📰➡️ https://t.co/ADc4tAU46m#RBNY

— New York Red Bulls (@NewYorkRedBulls) October 29, 2018

As Shield winners, the path to MLS Cup will run through Harrison, New Jersey, should New York make it to the final. Home field will be key as they won 14 of 17 at Red Bull Arena.

New York is likely the league’s most balanced team as their league-leading plus-29 goal differential was accomplished with the league’s fifth highest-scoring offense and league-best defense with only 33 goals conceded. In fact the Red Bulls have only allowed one goal over their last five games.

New York vs Atlanta Season Stats

Is Atlanta Cooling Off at the Wrong Time?

For much of the season Atlanta led the way in the Eastern Conference standings.

They only lost once in their opening nine games and had another stretch where they lost once over 14. However, losing to New York on September 30, coupled with Sunday’s defeat, allowed the Red Bulls to make up ground.

The Five Stripes finished the regular season with the most goals overall at 70, and owned the second-best goal differential of plus-26. They also had the league’s best road record with ten wins.

☑️ Hat-Trick King
☑️ Goal King
☑️ King of All Kings @JosefMartinez17 wins 2018 @MLS Golden Boot in historic fashion: https://t.co/0tPczteFdZ pic.twitter.com/FOYGhuRicN

— Atlanta United FC (@ATLUTD) October 29, 2018

They also have the league’s top scorer in Josef Martínez. Martínez won the league’s Golden Boot trophy while setting a new league record with 31 goals, ten of the game-winning variety.

But all is not well in the ATL.

Martínez has cooled off, scoring once in the past five games.

https://twitter.com/MLS/status/1048800118537932800

Arguably their most influential player, midfielder Miguel Almirón may also not be ready for the playoffs due to a hamstring injury.

Finally, the recent news of the departure of popular manager Gerardo “Tata” Martino at season’s end may be cause for distraction.

Red Bulls Primed for MLS Cup Glory

Their odds are short, but the arrow is clearly pointing up in New York.

They haven’t lost a game since September 1, and have won 12 of their past 17 games. They’ve already beat Atlanta twice this season by a combined score of 5-1 and will own home field should they make the final.

It looks like this could be the year it all comes together for the Red Bulls.

Asked Bradley Wright-Phillips about scoreboard watching during the Red Bulls’ Supporters’ Shield-winning victory on Sunday and he gave this hilarious gem complete w/a Kaku impression that’ll have you rolling: #RBNY #MLS pic.twitter.com/Pte2trQp4n

— Ives Galarcep (@SoccerByIves) October 29, 2018

If +300 isn’t enough to get you excited, how about looking west. The Seattle Sounders, finalists and champions the past two years, are still being offered at +1400.

The Sounders have won 14 of 16 games and their historic back-half of the season saw them rise to second in the West.

How big was the turnaround? I’ll let the graphic below do the talking. They’re that green line that flatlined in 12th earlier in the year and then exploded upwards after Week 22.

Best Bet: New York Red Bulls +300

Longshot: Seattle Sounders +1400

One last look at the final standings in the Western Conference after #DecisionDay by @ATT. pic.twitter.com/tOaq2JL3bt

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) October 29, 2018