Inter Miami vs New York Red Bulls Preview, Odds, Predictions (May 31)
Initial Thoughts
Two underperforming sides badly in need of a win will aim to lift themselves from the bottom reaches of the eastern conference standings, as Inter Miami play host to New York Red Bulls tonight.
Phil Neville’s recent outburst have left him in the hot seat, while Red Bulls head coach Troy Lesesne will hope to rally his troops after suffering the first loss of his tenure last weekend.
The Narrative
Like a plane desperately trying to take off in heavy winds, Inter Miami has been bouncing up and down on the runway without getting anywhere all season.
After a perfect start that saw the Heron’s rack up consecutive 2-0 wins against CF Montreal and Philadelphia Union, Phil Neville’s side crashed down to SIX straight losses on the bounce.
To cut Miami some slack, four of those were tight 1-0 defeats and another - against Chicago Fire - could have ended in a draw were it not for Kei Kamara’s 92nd minute winner.
But after seeming to turn things around with a run of three straight wins against Columbus Crew, Atlanta FC, and New England Revolution, Neville and co have bottomed out again.
Inter Miami’s 1-0 loss to Montreal at the Saputo Stadium last weekend was their third defeat in a row, and falling 3-1 at home to Orlando City and 2-1 away to Nashville.
And that run now leaves Neville’s side rooted to the bottom of the Eastern Conference and just three points off the bottom in the overall MLS standings.
New York Red Bulls’ story of underachievement has followed a slightly different storyline but amounts to the same thing.
The club parted company with Gerhard Struber early last month after the head coach oversaw just a single win in the opening 11 matches of the campaign.
New boss Troy Lesesne went unbeaten in his first three games in charge, overseeing wins against cross town rivals New York City FC and CF Montreal, and sharing the points in a goalless draw against TFC at BMO field.
But last time out the familiar cracks appeared once more, as the Red Bulls lost 1-0 to Seattle Sounders despite having an extra man on the field for the last 15 minutes.
The Red Bulls are now 13th in the Eastern Conference, one spot higher than TFC on goal difference and one point ahead of bottom club Inter Miami having played one fewer games.
Nuts & Bolts
New York Red Bulls have so far failed to pick up a single win on the road this season, having lost four and drawn four on their travels in 2023.
That’s good news for Phil Neville, as Inter Miami’s home record has been solid. The Heron’s have two wins in their last three matches at the DRV PNK Stadium.
But the head-to-head record is 6-2 in the Red Bulls favour, and Miami were on the losing end the last time these sides met in a 3-1 New York victory at the end of last season.
Homestand Picks
All odds courtesy of Northstar Bets
Factoring in the Heron’s recent form and New York’s struggles on the road, we see the points being shared in this bottom of the table matchup.
Although the Red Bulls are the lowest scoring side in the eastern conference, Miami have failed to keep a clean sheet in any of their last five outings.
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