New England hosts Austin on Saturday night in New England as the run-up to the MLS Playoffs continues at a rate of knots.Â
Jack Collins here from The Game Day to look at a match that’s crucial to both sides’ postseason hopes in different ways, on Matchday 30 in Major League Soccer, happening on Saturday, Sept. 2.Â
New England Revolution vs Austin FC Odds
New England Revolution vs Austin FC betting lines are current as of Thursday, Aug. 31, at 10 a.m. ET at bet365 Sportsbook.
- 3-Way Moneyline: New England (-143) • Tie (+275) • Austin (+333)
- Total Goals: Over 2.5 (-175) • Under 2.5 (+135)
- Both Teams To Score: Yes (-175) • No (+125)
New England Revolution vs Austin FC Match Prediction
New England Revolution 1:0 Austin FC
Austin is firmly on the slide.
After a tough Leagues Cup campaign that saw them exit in the group stages at the hands of Mazatlán and Juárez, losing both matches at home, they have returned to MLS with three defeats on the spin - losing 6-3 in St. Louis, 1-0 at home in the derby against Dallas, and 2-1 to the Sounders in Seattle.
It’s a series of results that has seen Austin slide out of the playoff picture for now, dropping down to 10th in the Western Conference, a point below state rivals Dallas having played a game more. Put simply, it’s now sink-or-swim for Austin with just eight games remaining in the regular season.
In recent weeks, the prognosis has been very much that Austin has sunk. Losing away at Western Conference leaders St. Louis is not the end of the world, but the way that their backline was shredded at will by their opposition felt like a harbinger of doom for weeks to come.
Then, in stoppage time in a playoff six-pointer, Nkosi Tafari dropped a Dallas dagger in Austin FC’s heart, deflating any sense of a decent performance. A Driussi equalizer in Seattle felt like it had arrested the backward momentum before Albert Rúsnak fired home in the 90th minute to condemn Austin to yet another loss on the bounce.
The defense looks porous, the ideas and creativity are lacking, and confidence feels at an all-time low. They are desperate to turn this ship around.
This is by no means an easy task to be given when you’re looking for a break, though. The Revs might have sold Djordje Petrovic to Chelsea, and there’s no doubt they’re a weaker side for that absence and the loss of Brandon Bye to injury.
However, in Tomáš VaclÃk, they have signed a goalkeeper of sufficient caliber to at least see them through to the end of the season without too much upheaval.
VaclÃk might not be the force he was at Sevilla, where he helped the club to the 2020 UEFA Europa League title, but he’s still a more than competent shot-stopper. Between him and Earl Edwards Jr., the Revs should have more than enough to hold the fort down in Petrovic’s absence.
Despite that, it’s clear that things aren’t perfect in New England, despite their soaring league position. The Revs’ preferred center-back pairing hasn’t played together for months, and with Bye’s injury compounded by one to DeJuan Jones, the club is down to the bare bones in terms of full-back depth. It’s not really what you want whilst trying to bed in a new keeper.
Bruce Arena’s continued absence and the furor around it continues to cast a cloud over the club, whilst an unknown return date for starting striker Gustavo Bou is not ideal either. And yet, there is hope.
In Carles Gil, the Revs have a player who is capable of winning matches on his own, and his goalscoring step-up this season has been a major reason as to why the club finds itself in the position it is in.
And in light of Giacomo Vrioni’s form, Bou's absence doesn’t seem quite as bad. Fresh off a hat trick in the Leagues Cup, Vrioni has started both MLS games since the league returned, scoring the winner against the Red Bulls in midweek.
The Revs have not lost at Gillette Stadium this season, restricting opponents to 10 goals in 13 games while scoring 30 themselves. In light of Austin’s form of late, they should have enough to get the job done again on home turf.
New England Revolution vs Austin FC Best Bets
Total Goals: Under 2.5 (+135) • bet365 Sportsbook
Austin lost 1-0 to Dallas last time they were on the road, while the Revolution locked up a 1-0 win at home against the Red Bulls last time out in New England.
Revs games haven’t been the most enthralling encounters of late. New England should have enough to win here, and it may well be another battle of attrition.
Giacomo Vrioni: Anytime Goalscorer (+120) • bet365 Sportsbook
With Bou’s continued absence expected, Vrioni will lead the line. His form has improved as the season has gone on, and he could be the difference-maker again in this one.
