Football Bet of the Day: Fire forwards to put on sparking display in Chicago

I've picked out 7/5 and 15/8 winners in my last two Football Bet of the Day articles, first backing Sevilla to beat Real Sociedad on Monday before coming up clutch with a Joshua King goal in Al Khaleej's defeat to Al Hilal on Tuesday.

My Football Bet of the Day for Saturday, 9 May, takes us to the USA, where I've picked out two Chicago Fire stars to impress against the New York Red Bulls at Soldier Field (19:30 BST, Apple TV).

Chicago Fire have started the season on, well, fire, collecting 17 points from their first 10 games to sit fourth in the Eastern Conference heading into the weekend.

Gregg Berhalter's side lost 3-2 at home to Cincinnati last weekend, but that was their first league defeat since 15 March, and they've scored at least twice in their last three Major League Soccer games.

The New York Red Bulls, on the other hand, have picked up just 12 points from their first 11 matches and are winless in their last five (D2, L3), losing their most recent two.

Across the Eastern and Western Conference, only Orlando City (32) have shipped more goals than the Red Bulls (27), who have conceded 22 times across their last seven MLS games.

Chicago Fire vs New York Red Bulls Odds

That doesn't bode well for Saturday's contest against the Fire, who hit Sporting Kansas City for five without reply at Solider Field last month.

Key to their strong early-season form has been Belgian striker Hugo Cuypers, who sits joint-top of the MLS Golden Boot charts alongside FC Dallas star Petar Musa.

While Musa's record of 10 goals in as many games is impressive, Cuypers has scored the same amount in three fewer appearances, remarkably netting in all seven league outings so far this season.

Cuypers has struck six times in four home matches, bagging a brace in his last two at Soldier Field against Sporting Kansas City and Cincinnati.

The 29-year-old, who scored 10 goals in 31 MLS appearances in 2024 before hitting 19 in 36 last year, is in the form of his life.

Cuypers has been ably assisted by former Watford and Nottingham Forest winger Philip Zinckernagel, who laid on 13 league goals for teammates last season, with only Inter Miami duo Lionel Messi (23) and Jordi Alba (14), as well as San Diego FC's Andreas Dreyer (17) and Cincinnati's Evander (14), registering more MLS assists in 2025.

The 31-year-old failed to assist in his first seven league appearances this season, but he's recorded one in each of his last three, all of them for Cuypers.

Zinckernagel has also assisted in US Open Cup games against Detroit and St. Louis City, meaning he has laid on a goal in his last five appearances across all competitions (six assists).

Cuypers scored the only goal of the game in last season's reverse fixture as the Fire won 1-0 in July 2025, and it wouldn't be a surprise to see him on the scoresheet again this weekend, assisted by Zinckernagel, with that combination proving so deadly in recent weeks.

Cuypers to score anytime and Zinckernagel to assist is my Football Bet of the Day for Saturday, 9 May.

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