New York Red Bulls vs Atlanta United Odds & Preview – MLS Nov 3

• The seventh-place New York Red Bulls host the sixth-place Atlanta United ion Wednesday, November 3rd
• Either team can clinch a playoff spot with a win on Wednesday night
• Read on for betting odds, a full preview and the best bet for this crucial Eastern Conference game

It’s crunch time for both the New York Red Bulls and Atlanta United. A win for either side on Wednesday, November 3rd, will be enough for either to clinch a playoff spot when they meet at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, NJ, with just a point separating seventh-placed New York from sixth-place Atlanta.

And Atlanta could still get in with a draw, provided that CF Montreal either loses or draws at home to the Houston Dynamo the same night.

New York Red Bulls vs Atlanta United Odds

Odds as of November 3rd at DraftKings

Can Red Bulls Keep Rolling?

With their streak of 11 straight playoff appearances on the line, the Red Bulls chose the right time to morph into one of the hottest teams in MLS. Gerhard Struber’s squad has lost just one match in its past 10, posting six shutouts in that span, which is the most in the league over those games.

Matchweek 34 in the books.

Wednesday's #RBNYvATL clash is even bigger now. pic.twitter.com/ghxFsw6Gj8

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) November 2, 2021

While New York has been in good form everywhere, they’ve been particularly on song at home in New Jersey. Currently riding a six-match unbeaten streak at Red Bull Arena, New York has got better in the last couple of weeks, winning its last three matches there without conceding a goal.

Defense-first Philosophy

Those clean sheets are certainly no coincidence, as defense is very much the bread and butter of Struber’s soccer philosophy. The 32 goals the team has conceded is tied for the best defensive record in MLS, alongside Seattle and Nashville.

Again, the team has turned up the defensive heat in the friendly confines of its home arena, allowing just 11 goals against there, which is the second-lowest total in MLS this year and the third-best mark in franchise history.

Atlanta Faces Weight of History

There’s no other way to put it – Atlanta’s record against New York since the team came into the league in 2017 just isn’t very good. United have an all-time record of 1-7-3 against their northern rival in the past five seasons and have never beaten the Red Bulls outside of Georgia. On top of that, in four visits to Red Bull Arena, Atlanta has so far failed to score a single goal.

However, the team’s sole victory in the series came at the perfect time, when it beat New York at home in the 2018 Eastern Conference final on its way to winning the MLS Cup that year, so it can’t be said that Atlanta doesn’t have a sense of occasion.

United Battle Tested

With just two losses in their past 10 games, United enter this game in a resilient mood. The team is unbeaten in its last four games, and striker Luis Araujo has had a big part to play in that.

Certified baller 🇧🇷 pic.twitter.com/MsAJj2gLVE

— Atlanta United FC (@ATLUTD) November 1, 2021

The Brazilian has registered a goal or an assist in five consecutive matches and finished up the month of October by scoring his fourth of the year against Toronto in last Saturday’s 1-1 draw, making it three goals and three assists in five games last month.

New York Red Bulls vs Atlanta United 2021 Stats

Late Winning Ways

The Red Bulls have shown a knack for scoring crucial goals in the waning moments of matches of late. While Sean Nealis’s 87th-minute winner at Columbus Crew was certainly in that category, it was firmly put in the shade by Fabio’s 91st-minute goal at home against Montreal last weekend that handed New York the three points.

STRONG ISLAND 💪

Sean Nealis puts us up late in Ohio!!!@Audi | #RBNY pic.twitter.com/BvUnlTauz7

— New York Red Bulls (@NewYorkRedBulls) October 23, 2021

If June’s 0-0 draw in the only other time the Red Bulls and United locked horns this season is any guide, goals will also be at a premium in this game too, so another late goal could be all it takes to wrap up the full three points – and a playoff spot – for either side.

Best bet: New York Red Bulls (-115)