The Florida Derby features second-place Orlando City against last-place Inter Miami CF, as they get ready for their second meeting this season. The Lions hope to keep pressure on top of the table New England while Miami is looking to climb out of the basement. Kickoff at Exploria Stadium in Orlando is set for 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday and will be streamed on ESPN+.
Orlando City is the big favorite at -150, while Inter Miami is +380. Back in June, the Lions won in Miami 2-1 on an 80th-minute goal from Nani. They lead the series 3-2 in the two years that Miami has played in MLS. None of the games have been a shutout, and each has been decided by one goal.
Miami Finally Gets A Win
The Herons ended a seven-match winless run with a 2-1 victory over CF Montreal on Saturday. Their down month saw them lose six times with one draw as they fell into last place in the East. Gonzalo Higuain was the hero last week with two goals, and he leads the team with seven.
Phil Neville and David Beckham have been busy during the summer transfer window. Joining Miami over the last month are goalkeeper Nick Marsman from Feyenoord, defender Kieran Gibbs from West Brom, defender Ventura Alvarado from Atletico de San Luis, and winger Indiana Vassilev on loan from Aston Villa.
Marsman and Gibbs have joined the starting lineup and brought stability to the back four. Vassilev got a cameo in the win over Montreal, replacing Higuain with five minutes to go.
Injuries have been an issue for Miami, with Higuain, Robbie Robinson, and Blaise Matuidi missing time. Miami is again full strength after the Gold Cup, and they are looking for their second-ever MLS win streak.
Orlando City Bounced Back on Friday
After a humiliating 5-0 loss at NYCFC a week ago Sunday, the Lions bounced back at home to beat Atlanta United 3-2 on Friday. Orlando City trailed 1-0 and 2-1 before tying the game in the 79th minute and winning it through Nani in the 87th. Silvester van der Water came off the bench to score the game-tying goal and then assisted on Nani’s winner.
Nani has been the hero against Miami in two of the Lions’ three wins. He scored the game-winner back in June and also in group play at the 2020 MLS is Back Tournament. He leads Orlando City this season with eight goals and five assists in 12 starts.
Daryl Dike is back from the Gold Cup success, and it will be interesting to see how many minutes he gets on Wednesday, if at all. He wasn’t featured in the Gold Cup Final but did start four of the six games and scored two goals in 310 minutes. In MLS action this season, he has two goals in four games.
Betting Analysis
- Orlando City -150 Moneyline. -0.5 goals (-190)
- Inter Miami +380 Moneyline. +0.5 goals (+115)
- Draw: +330
- Total Goals: 2.5. Over -150, Under +120
- First Goal: Orlando City -215. New York +100. No Goals +950
There should be goals in this game as both teams have been on target of late, through their superstars. Nani is among the league leaders in goals and assists, while Higuain has scored or assisted nine of Miami’s 13 goals this season and each of their last six. If you can find a prop for either to score on Wednesday, it is worth a look.
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