Regular Season - 19 · 16 August 2026, 22:00 UTC

New York City FC vs Philadelphia Union Major League Soccer prediction

Yankee Stadium, New York

The model makes it 36% New York City FC, 25% draw, 39% Philadelphia Union — fair odds of 2.78, 4.00 and 2.56. Fair odds are simply 100 ÷ the probability; they are the model's own number, not a bookmaker's price.

Most likely scoreline: 1-2.

Expected goals: New York City FC 1.47, Philadelphia Union 1.56.

Both teams to score: 61%. Over 2.5 goals: 58%, under 2.5: 42%.

Model confidence: Low.

Model insights

61%
Both teams to score
58%
Over 2.5 goals
42%
Under 2.5 goals
Most likely scorelines1-1 12%1-2 9%2-1 8%

Leading scorers

New York City FC

  • N. Fernández Mercau13 goals3 assists

Philadelphia Union

No league goals recorded yet.

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

The two sides

New York City FC carry a model rating of 6.55 against 6.73 for Philadelphia Union. 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.

Recent form (most recent last): New York City FC D-L-W-W-D; Philadelphia Union D-L-W-W-W.

What the model expects

Under the hood the model expects 1.47 goals for New York City FC and 1.56 for Philadelphia Union. Those two numbers, not the scoreline, are what the model actually estimates; everything else is derived from them.

New York City FC rate 0.70 in attack and 1.28 in defence, where 1 is league average and a lower defensive number is better; Philadelphia Union rate 0.87 and 1.11.

That points to 58% for over two and a half goals and 61% for both teams to score.

The three most likely scorelines are 1-1 (12%), 1-2 (9%), 2-1 (8%).

How this was produced

Publicly tracked record so far: 288 correct results out of 598 settled predictions (48%), with 58 exact scorelines (10%). That log is updated automatically after every match and is never edited.

Full method: how the model works.

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 Philadelphia Union the highest probability at 39%, based on each side's rolling attack and defence ratings estimated from recent match data. The model projects 1.47 expected goals for New York City FC against 1.56 for Philadelphia Union. New York City FC's attack/defence rating is 0.7/1.28 versus the league average (1.00 = average), compared with 0.87/1.11 for Philadelphia Union.