Regular Season - 23 · 21 October 2026, 23:00 UTC

FC Cincinnati vs DC United Major League Soccer prediction

TQL Stadium, Cincinnati
Referee: T. Ford

Our model says: FC Cincinnati 2–1 DC United

The model makes it 52% FC Cincinnati, 22% draw, 26% DC United — fair odds of 1.92, 4.55 and 3.85. Fair odds are simply 100 ÷ the probability; they are the model's own number, not a bookmaker's price.

Most likely scoreline: 2-1 (9%).

Expected goals: FC Cincinnati 2.38, DC United 1.54.

Both teams to score: 72%. Over 2.5 goals: 75%, under 2.5: 25%.

Model confidence: High.

Evenly matched: once home advantage is counted, neither side has a clear edge. In past matches rated this way the favourite won 41%, 28% were drawn and the underdog won 31%.

Published · updated

Key facts

  • FC Cincinnati are 9th on 36 points from 27 games; DC United are 12th on 30 points from 27 games — Major League Soccer, Eastern Conference.
  • FC Cincinnati have won 1 of their last 5 games, most recently a 3-1 win away to Atlanta United FC.
  • DC United are without a win in 4 games, most recently a 0-4 defeat away to Inter Miami.
  • Last 6 meetings: FC Cincinnati 3 wins to 2, 1 draw; the most recent, 31 May 2025, ended FC Cincinnati 1–2 DC United.

More MLS predictions

Live win probability

From kick-off

From kick-off, the split above updates here every few seconds as the model re-reads the score, the clock and any red cards.

Model insights: FC Cincinnati vs DC United

72%
Both teams to score
75%
Over 2.5 goals
25%
Under 2.5 goals

Most likely scorelines

FC Cincinnati win Draw DC United win
  1. 2–19%
  2. 1–18%
  3. 3–17%
  4. 2–27%
  5. 2–06%
  6. 1–26%
  7. 3–25%

Scores read FC Cincinnati first. Each bar is the model's probability of that exact result, drawn against the likeliest one; the other scorelines it considered share the remaining 53%.

Has the model earned this number?

It puts FC Cincinnati at 52% here. Across 3,660 settled matches (as of 14 October 2026), 872 forecasts have landed in the 50–65% band; those outcomes actually happened 55.5% of the time, against an average forecast of 55.5%. In this range the two line up, so the figure above can be read literally.

Every settled prediction on this site is scored against an uninformed baseline, band by band, and published whether or not it flatters the model — see the full record.

Form going into FC Cincinnati vs DC United

FC Cincinnati

  • W3-1away to Atlanta United FC10 October 2026
  • L1-3away to CF Montreal26 September 2026
  • D2-2away to Houston Dynamo20 September 2026
  • D3-3Charlotte12 September 2026
  • L0-5away to Philadelphia Union9 September 2026

DC United

  • L0-4away to Inter Miami10 October 2026
  • D3-3away to Vancouver Whitecaps27 September 2026
  • L1-2Charlotte19 September 2026
  • D0-0Atlanta United FC12 September 2026
  • W2-1Columbus Crew9 September 2026

What these results say

Up to 5 matches before kick-off, most recent first. The model rates each side on its goals over this season and last, adjusted for the opposition, rather than on these results alone, so read them as context — how the ratings are built.

Major League Soccer table

#TeamPWDLGFGAGDPts
9FC Cincinnati279995865-736
12DC United2761293446-1230

Where the two sides stand. Full table

What's at stake

FC Cincinnati

Chance to finish in the bottom three · 2% today

Win <1%
Draw 2%
Defeat 5%

DC United

Chance to finish in the bottom three · 42% today

Win 25%
Draw 39%
Defeat 51%

From our Major League Soccer season simulation: the rest of the season played out 10,000 times by the same model as the prediction above. Each figure is that side's chance once this match ends in a win, a draw or a defeat for it, with every other match still left to the model. Positions in the table, not competition rules: what a place is worth differs from league to league.

Head-to-head: FC Cincinnati vs DC United

  • 31 May 2025FC Cincinnati 1–2 DC UnitedMajor League Soccer
  • 12 April 2025DC United 0–1 FC CincinnatiMajor League Soccer
  • 3 July 2024DC United 2–3 FC CincinnatiMajor League Soccer
  • 10 March 2024FC Cincinnati 0–0 DC UnitedMajor League Soccer
  • 24 June 2023DC United 3–0 FC CincinnatiMajor League Soccer
  • 6 May 2023FC Cincinnati 2–1 DC UnitedMajor League Soccer

Leading scorers: FC Cincinnati and DC United

FC Cincinnati

GoalsAssists

  • K. Denkey163

DC United

GoalsAssists

  • T. Baribo140

Top 3 by league goals this season. Player availability is not part of the model — injuries and suspensions are a planned improvement.

Two sides the ratings cannot separate

FC Cincinnati carry a model rating of 6.49 against 6.37 for DC United. The scale is anchored so that an average side in one of Europe's big five leagues sits at 6.85, and it is adjusted for the strength of each team's league, so the two numbers are comparable even across borders.

A gap that small is inside the noise of the rating itself — treat the two as level.

The model expects goals

Under the hood the model expects 2.38 goals for FC Cincinnati and 1.54 for DC United. Those two numbers, not the scoreline, are what the model actually estimates; everything else is derived from them.

FC Cincinnati rate 0.86 in attack and 1.85 in defence, where 1 is league average and a lower defensive number is better; DC United rate 0.57 and 1.51.

How this was produced

Publicly tracked record so far: 1,774 correct results out of 3,712 settled predictions (48%), with 376 exact scorelines (10%). That log is updated automatically after every match and is never edited.

Full method: how the model works.

From the first whistle this page keeps going: the win probabilities at the top are recalculated as the match plays out, reading the score, the clock and any sendings-off. The same model, asked how many goals are left rather than how many there will be.

Statistical estimate, not betting advice This prediction is generated from a statistical model for entertainment and informational purposes only. It does not guarantee any outcome and should not be used as the basis for placing a bet.

Team comparison

Bars show each side's share of the two-team total, based on the model's attack/defence ratings and expected goals for this fixture.

Why the model favours this side

The model gives FC Cincinnati the highest probability at 52%, based on each side's rolling attack and defence ratings estimated from recent match data. The model projects 2.38 expected goals for FC Cincinnati against 1.54 for DC United. FC Cincinnati's attack/defence rating is 0.86/1.85 versus the league average (1.00 = average), compared with 0.57/1.51 for DC United.

Season stats

FC CincinnatiDC United
26Matches26
8W 9D 9LRecord6W 12D 8L
55 2.1 per gameGoals scored34 1.3 per game
64 2.5 per gameGoals conceded42 1.6 per game
2 of 26Clean sheets6 of 26
4 of 26Failed to score8 of 26
6 of 6Penalties scored4 of 4
55 2.1 per gameYellow cards53 2.0 per game
7Red cards1
3-5-2 9×Usual shape4-4-2 21×

FC Cincinnati at home · DC United away

12Played12
7W 3D 2LRecord2W 7D 3L
34–24Goals for – against16–17
2 of 12Clean sheets3 of 12

League matches only, Major League Soccer, this season. Rates are per game, since the two sides have not always played the same number; the tinted figure is the better one, where better is not a matter of taste. Source: API-Football season statistics, refreshed after each league match.

Goals scored and conceded, by minute

All Major League Soccer matches this season: FC Cincinnati 26, DC United 26.

FC Cincinnati scored 56138620
DC United conceded 17951011

FC Cincinnati score most often in the 76–90 minute window (20 goals); DC United have let in 11 there.

DC United scored 2736411
FC Cincinnati conceded 4121215613

DC United score most often in the 76–90 minute window (11 goals); FC Cincinnati have let in 13 there.

Each cell counts the league goals that went in during that 15-minute window. Each side's goals sit above the goals its opponent has let in over the same minutes; the darker the cell, the more goals in that window. Stoppage time counts in the last window of its half. Source: API-Football season statistics, refreshed after each league match; own goals are not always counted on the same side as in the table, so a row can be a goal off it. Context, not a prediction.

The next 3 matches, by difficulty

FC Cincinnati

Each side's next matches on our board after this one. The colour is how strong the opponent is, from easier to harder as on the scale above: its model rating ranked among the teams of that competition, in fifths, so bright red is the top fifth whoever is playing it. The win figure is this side's own chance in that match, which is where venue and its own level come in. A match already on our board links to its own prediction; the rest follow as their week comes up.