Regular Season - 21 · 22 August 2026, 23:30 UTC

New York Red Bulls vs Chicago Fire Major League Soccer prediction

Sports Illustrated Stadium, Harrison

The model makes it 55% New York Red Bulls, 21% draw, 24% Chicago Fire — fair odds of 1.82, 4.76 and 4.17. 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: New York Red Bulls 2.27, Chicago Fire 1.48.

Both teams to score: 70%. Over 2.5 goals: 72%, under 2.5: 28%.

Model confidence: High.

Model insights

70%
Both teams to score
72%
Over 2.5 goals
28%
Under 2.5 goals
Most likely scorelines2-1 9%1-1 8%3-1 7%

Leading scorers

New York Red Bulls

No league goals recorded yet.

Chicago Fire

  • H. Cuypers13 goals

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

New York Red Bulls carry a model rating of 6.67 against 6.58 for Chicago Fire. 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.

Recent form (most recent last): New York Red Bulls D-W-L-L-W; Chicago Fire W-W-L-L-W.

The model expects goals

Under the hood the model expects 2.27 goals for New York Red Bulls and 1.48 for Chicago Fire. Those two numbers, not the scoreline, are what the model actually estimates; everything else is derived from them.

New York Red Bulls rate 1.02 in attack and 1.55 in defence, where 1 is league average and a lower defensive number is better; Chicago Fire rate 0.68 and 1.18.

That points to 72% for over two and a half goals and 70% for both teams to score.

The three most likely scorelines are 2-1 (9%), 1-1 (8%), 3-1 (7%).

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 New York Red Bulls the highest probability at 55%, based on each side's rolling attack and defence ratings estimated from recent match data. The model projects 2.27 expected goals for New York Red Bulls against 1.48 for Chicago Fire. New York Red Bulls's attack/defence rating is 1.02/1.55 versus the league average (1.00 = average), compared with 0.68/1.18 for Chicago Fire.