Atlanta United vs FC Cincinnati Odds: Cincinnati Almost Impossible to Stop This Season

• Atlanta United thrashed Nashville SC 4-0 in the last match and are currently sixth in the Eastern Conference
• FC Cincinnati ended their losing streak with a comfortable 3-0 victory against New York City FC in the last game
• When the two sides met in the league last season, both games ended in draws

Atlanta United vs FC Cincinnati Odds

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Atlanta United vs FC Cincinnati Pick

• Our Pick: Draw

Atlanta United vs FC Cincinnati Predictions

Before heading into the 2023 Leagues Cup, Atlanta United suffered a double setback in the MLS as they suffered back-to-back defeats against New England Revolution and Orlando City. Their Leagues Cup voyage was quite short as they were hammered 4-0 by Inter Miami in the first group stage game before Liga MX side Cruz Azul beat them on penalties. 

After a three-week hiatus, Atlanta United resumed their MLS campaign and have been in prolific form since then. The club has beaten two strong teams – Seattle Sounders and Nashville SC in the last two games.

FC Cincinnati have been a force to reckon with this season. However, the club may have been impacted psychologically after their exits from the Leagues Cup and the US Open Cup in quick succession. In between those two games, the MLS season resumed with a shocking 3-0 loss against Columbus Crew. The Eastern Conference leaders did bounce back with a comfortable victory and clean sheet against New York City FC this past weekend and will be looking to build on that result.

This match features two strong sides that are favorites to be tough competitors in the playoffs this season. Considering all aspects, it is a tough one to call, but it seems that both teams have the ability to cancel each other out and clinch a valuable point when the dust settles.

Previous Meetings

Atlanta United dominated the head-to-head record between these two sides. In ten previous matches against FC Cincinnati, the 2018 MLS champions have won five. Four games have ended in draws, while FC Cincinnati have clinched just one victory in this fixture.

The last and only win for FC Cincinnati against Atlanta United came in the MLS Is Back tournament in 2020 when the club defeated a nine-man Atlanta United at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex Field.

Frankie Amaya scored the only goal of that match in the 76th minute. Jake Mulraney and JJ Williams were the two Atlanta United players who were sent off. The former was dismissed in the first half, and the latter was shown a straight red deep into second-half stoppage time.

Since then, the two clubs have met six times. Atlanta United have won three of those matches, and the rest have ended in draws. Two of those draws came in the league phase last season. At the Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the game ended without goals, and at the TQL Stadium, it ended 2-2. 

Atlanta United’s Fiery Form Could Intimidate Opponents

This season, FC Cincinnati have been almost impossible to stop. Only a few teams have managed to hold them to a draw, and just three have managed to pip the league leaders for three points.

Performing consistently with such prolific form hands the club a psychological advantage, but that will not be the case against Atlanta United. The hosts have performed exceptionally well in the last two games and are ready to register a third successive win in the next game.

Atlanta United also have a historical advantage against the visitors, as FC Cincinnati have not beaten the hosts in any of the last six matches. Atlanta United have never lost against FC Cincinnati at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

New Signings off to a Flyer 

Atlanta United were desperate to upgrade both flanks before the MLS season resumed after the break. At the start of August, the club completed two pivotal deals. Xande Silva was signed on loan from French club Dijon, and Saba Lobzhanidze was signed from Turkish club Hatayspor.

Silva made his debut against Seattle Sounders but could not make a direct contribution. In his second match, the Portuguese scored and assisted. Lobzhanidze made his debut with a substitute appearance in the last game and got on the scoresheet.

Linchpin Firing on All Cylinders 

The flanks look strong for Atlanta United, and they will be supplying balls consistently to Georgios Giakoumakis in the box. The striker has netted 12 goals in 19 appearances this season. He scored both goals against the Seattle Sounders.

In addition, the club’s ever-reliable player, Thiago Almada, has 21 goal contributions in 23 league games. The Argentine has scored nine and assisted 12 goals this season and will be happy to see a strengthened side after the break. 

FC Cincinnati Must Build on Away Record  

Only three teams in the MLS this season have halted FC Cincinnati and taken full points off them, and all three of those defeats have come on the road for the Eastern Conference leaders. They have lost against St. Louis City SC, DC United, and Columbus Crew.

Despite the losses, FC Cincinnati have the third-best away record in the league and will hope to improve that when they visit the Mercedes-Benz stadium next. It will be crucial to build momentum because their next away game will be against Philadelphia Union.

Fortunately for the visitors, the 3-0 win against New York City came at the right time to end a dismal losing streak. That win was the boost FC Cincinnati required to bounce back. Another positive result will give the club enough momentum to maintain their decent lead at the summit.

A New Source for Goals for the Visitors 

Just like their opponents, FC Cincinnati also wanted to bolster the attacking prowess down the flank. In June this year, the club roped in Aaron Salem Boupendza from Al Shadab in Saudi Arabia for a fee of £5.6 million.

15 minutes into his debut against Nashville SC in July, the winger scored the third and final goal of the match after coming on as a substitute. In his third appearance for FC Cincinnati in the previous game, Boupendza was on the scoresheet again.

Striker in Scintillating Form

Despite receiving constant support from his attacking allies, FC Cincinnati striker Luciano Acosta has taken the sole responsibility to score and set up goals for the Eastern Conference league leaders this season.

As things stand, the Argentine has scored 12 goals and pocketed eight assists in 24 appearances this season. The 29-year-old is just one goal behind the competition’s leading goal-scorer, Hany Mukhtar, and will be looking to take the lead in the MLS Golden Boot race this season.

How to Watch Atlanta United vs FC Cincinnati

• Teams: Atlanta United vs FC Cincinnati
• Location: Mercedes-Benz Stadium
• Time: Wednesday, August 30 at 7:30 pm ET
• How to Watch: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV, FS1, and Fox Deportes