Chicago Fire (5-11-7) travel to face off against FC Cincinnati (15-5-3) on Wednesday, July 17th. This match will be played at TQL Stadium in Cincinnati, OH. Chicago Fire is coming off a draw while FC Cincinnati is coming off a loss. The match is scheduled for 7:30 PM ET.

Chicago Fire vs FC Cincinnati

Chicago Fire Is Coming Off A Draw

The Chicago Fire will be looking to get back in the win column after playing to a 0-0 draw in their last match. This match was played at home and despite not getting the win, they had a money line payout of +128 and were the slight favorite. The over/under line for the match was 2.5 goals.

Chicago’s offense didn’t have a lot of chances in the draw, taking just one shot on goal and 11 shots overall. They finished the match with six corner kicks but didn’t have an assist on their only shot on goal.

Defensively, the Chicago Fire put together a clean sheet, despite New York City FC taking eight total shots. Chicago’s defense blocked two shots and intercepted 13 passes. New York City FC finished with four corner kicks.

In their last three matches, the Chicago Fire have gone 1-1-1. They are currently 14th in the Eastern Conference, tied with St. Louis City SC and the New England Revolution with 22 points. On the road this season, the Fire have just one win, going 1-6-4. Following this match, they will take on Inter Miami CF on July 20th.

FC Cincinnati Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

FC Cincinnati will be looking to bounce back from a 3-1 loss to Charlotte FC. This match took place on their home pitch, and even though they lost, they had a significant advantage in shots, taking 21 compared to just 13 for Charlotte FC.

The over/under line heading into the match was 3.5 goals, which was just a half goal below the actual four combined goals scored. This line matched up with the money line payout for a Cincinnati win, which was -155.

On offense, the only player to find the net was Luciano Acosta, who took a total of three shots and two shots on goal. Yamil Asad picked up the assist for Acosta’s score. overall, seven of Cincinnati’s 21 shots were on target.

Defensively, Cincinnati allowed three goals on Charlotte’s six total shots on goal. Roman Celentano finished with three saves on the six shots. The club’s defenders had a total of five blocks, with the rest of Charlotte’s shots (2) going for scores.

In their last six matches, FC Cincinnati has gone 4-2, including a loss to Charlotte FC on July 13th. Overall, they are 15-5-3, which has them in first place in the Eastern Conference. Their road record of 9-1-1 is the best in the conference. After this match, they will head on the road to take on the New York Red Bulls on July 20th. Currently, they have 48 points, one ahead of Inter Miami CF.

Chicago Fire Offense Breakdown

The Chicago Fire have struggled to generate offense this season, ranking 24th in the league in goals scored. Hugo Cuypers has been their top scorer, finding the net nine times, which is 21st in MLS. He also leads the team in shots on goal, ranking 17th in the league. Fabian Herbers is the team’s leader in assists, ranking 41st in MLS. He has also scored two goals this season. Overall, Chicago is 18th in the league in corners and 21st in shots on goal.

FC Cincinnati Offense Breakdown

Luciano Acosta is the top scorer for FC Cincinnati this season, with 11 goals, which is also 15th in MLS. He also leads the team in shots on goal, with 23, which is 21st in the league. This season, FC Cincinnati is 6th in the league in goals per match, averaging 1.9, and 4th in shots on goal per match, with 5.5. They are 15th in the league in corner kicks, averaging 5.0 per match, and have had fewer corners than their opponent in 43.5% of their matches. Their passing percentage of 83.4% is 16th in MLS.

Chicago Fire Defense Breakdown

Heading into their match against FC Cincinnati, the Chicago Fire’s defense is 21st in MLS, allowing 1.7 goals per match. However, they have been better of late, allowing just 1.5 goals per match over their last four matches. They have also faced some tough offenses during that stretch, including the 10th-ranked Philadelphia Union, who scored three goals against them. Christopher Brady is 23rd in MLS with three clean sheets this season.

FC Cincinnati Defense Breakdown

FC Cincinnati’s defense has been up and down as of late, but they are coming off a match where they gave up three goals to the 26th ranked scoring offense in the league. For the season, they are 7th in goals allowed, giving up 1.3 goals per match. They are also 17th in blocked shots and 15th in interceptions. Keeper Roman Celentano is 7th in clean sheets this season with six, and he is 22nd in saves.

Chicago Fire vs FC Cincinnati Prediction

Coming into this match, FC Cincinnati has been the better offensive team, and our projections have this one ending in a 1-1 draw. This season, FC Cincinnati is 6th in goals scored and 4th in shots on goal. Look for Luciano Acosta to have the best chance to score for FC Cincinnati. As for Chicago, Xherdan Shaqiri has the best chance to score. Our projections are giving him three shots overall, with FC Cincinnati and Chicago each finishing with two shots on goal.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.