While there are odds to win everything from the first half of the first match all the way to the whole tournament, no one really knows how the MLS Is Back Tournament is going to play out after the COVID-19 break.
But one thing is for sure: there are going to be a lot of MLS teams that think they can take advantage of this format to win a trophy in 2020.
The Philadelphia Union are certainly one of those teams.
The Union will kick off their quest for silverware Thursday morning at 9 a.m. in Group A play against NYCFC which comes into the tournament as joint third favorite (+1100) to win. Philadelphia (+1700) has come close in the last six years to winning a trophy. The Union made the U.S. Open Cup finals in 2014, 2015, and 2018, but lost all three times; once in extra time, once in penalties, and once outclassed by a better team.
This contest Thursday is a tough one to call, especially in the first match of pool play. An open game could lead to a negative goal difference when that could prove costly at the end of the group, but a win could ultimately prove to be the deciding factor for which team moves on into the knockout stages.
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USA MLS IS BACK TOURNAMENT
(THURSDAY, GROUP A)
NYCFC (+130) vs. Philadelphia Union (+185), draw (+265), 9 a.m. EDT (ESPN)
THE PICK:
Union +0.25 (-122)