Philadelphia Union vs Orlando City SC predictions

One impact player can turn a team from one of the worst in the league into one of the best, and Nani has done exactly that for Orlando City. Now 34, the former Portugal and Manchester United star has improved throughout his three-year tenure in MLS, and his team has done the same. Nani’s Orlando City came in second-to-last in the Eastern Conference his first season stateside, but after a brief adjustment period he’s come alive in the last year, leading the Lions to a playoff berth in 2020 and playing even better this year as Orlando looks to reclaim second place in the East with a win over Philadelphia.

The Union are nearly unbeatable at home, but they’re much more vulnerable on the road. Philadelphia has gone four straight road matches without a win, conceding twice against Atlanta United and three times in Chicago. Given Orlando’s tendency to dominate at home (on multiple occasions this season they’ve won a home match by a margin of at least three goals), it’s hard to imagine a scenario in which they can’t score at least once over the course of 90 minutes. Nani, who leads the team by a long shot with seven goals this season, is both their most electric playmaker and their go-to option for penalties, which is how he scored his equalizer in Toronto last weekend. Bet on Nani finding the back of the net to more than double your money.