Professional soccer clubs in Chicago are hopeful for better seasons in 2023.

In 2022, the Chicago Fire, a team in Major League Soccer, ended the season 12th in the Eastern Conference out of 14 teams. They were nine points behind the seventh place, which was the final playoff position.

Last year, the Chicago Red Stars from the National Women’s Soccer League performed slightly better. They secured the sixth position in the 12-team league and were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs.

Both Chicago teams start the 2023 season in March.

This implies that sportsbooks in Illinois are prepared and eager to accept bets on matches involving both clubs.

Since these matches are not as popular among regular bettors compared to other contests, they can provide excellent soccer betting opportunities for winning if you’re ready to devote the necessary time and effort to handicap them. This is a fascinating aspect of “the beautiful game.”

Fire/Red Stars player props and futures

You have the option to place bets on any Fire or Red Stars match during their respective seasons, but your choices aren’t limited to those alone. Illinois online sportsbooks also provide futures and proposition markets related to both teams. You can discover prop bets that are match-specific. Some typical examples include:

• Markets for correct full-time scores.
• Will the final score be odd or even?
• Will each club score in the match?

In futures markets, you have the opportunity to bet on the overall outcome of a season. For instance, as soon as the NWSL releases their 2021 schedule, IL sportsbooks are expected to offer live betting on which club will take the championship. Additional prevalent futures bets encompass:

• Over the course of a season, how many points will the Fire collect?
• Will the Red Stars win the NWSL Shield?
• The total number of goals that the Fire will score throughout the season.

In Illinois, certain online sportsbooks might also display futures markets for individual players from any or both teams. This could encompass statistical accomplishments and personal awards.

• Will Naeher lead the NWSL in saves for the season?
• Which player will accumulate the most points in the MLS season?
• Predictions on how many assists Beric will record throughout the season?

Besides betting on individual match outcomes, diversifying your bets through props and futures can be enjoyable. As noted earlier, if you are knowledgeable about key details such as the best players, these can also offer significant value.

Fire/Red Stars stat leaders

Reviewing the previous four non-pandemic seasons of both clubs, some names consistently stood out in key statistical categories. Regrettably, some of these star players no longer represent Chicago.

Chicago Fire

Chicago Red Stars

Kerr is no longer participating in the NWSL, whereas Huerta, Press, and Nagasato have shifted to other NWSL teams. Naeher continues to serve as the goalkeeper for the Red Stars. Among that group, only Sapong continues to play in a Fire kit.

Kealia Ohai Watt and Sapong are strong contenders to bring home awards for Fire/Red Stars players. However, don’t underestimate other players from Chicago’s clubs. Both of these organizations are among the best in North America for talent identification and development.

Fire/Red Stars 2021 schedules

In recent years, the regular-season schedule in the NWSL has included 24 matches, with each club playing the other eight three times. However, this format is expected to alter in 2021 due to the debut of expansion Louisville Racing FC.

The NWSL has announced that the 2021 season will start with another Challenge Cup tournament. However, the league hasn’t disclosed whether the matches will be held in club stadiums, at a single site like the 2020 edition, or a mix of both. The regular season is scheduled to commence in mid-May, with each team playing 24 matches.

Based on the final regular-season point standings, six clubs will qualify for a postseason tournament. The schedule for this is currently uncertain due to the planned break for the 2021 Summer Olympics by the league. Furthermore, several NWSL players also participate in national teams globally.

The original plan for the 2020 season was for the clubs to participate in 34 matches. MLS is divided into two conferences; the Eastern and Western. However, these conferences are not balanced at present, with the Eastern conference having 14 clubs and the Western conference having 12.

Originally, the scheme involved each team battling twice against others in their own conference, both on home and away grounds, and then completing their schedules with matches across conferences. However, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted these arrangements. As no new teams are expected to join MLS in the 2021 season, this will likely be the plan for that year. The MLS season typically commences in late February or early March and persists until late October.

Both the NWSL and MLS leagues bestow a trophy on the team that amasses the most points during the regular season. This trophy is known as the NWSL Shield in the NWSL and the Supporters’ Shield in the MLS. Furthermore, both leagues conduct a postseason tournament for which teams are selected based on their point standings. In 2020, MLS increased the number of participating teams to 10 from each conference.

Fans of the NWSL must remain patient to see the impact of the 2021 expansion. The upcoming seasons may also provide them with a chance to witness some of the best young talent from both clubs.

Fire/Red Stars recent draft picks/prospects

Every year, the MLS conducts what is known as a SuperDraft, but a significant portion of its talent is sourced globally rather than from US colleges. This contributes to the considerable variation in MLS team rosters from one season to the next.

Chicago Fire draft picks

Chicago traded away the majority of its 2020 SuperDraft picks to obtain more seasoned talent. Consequently, the Fire only had two turns to pick in the draft, which took place on January 11th.

Chicago Red Stars draft picks

Similarly, the NWSL conducts an annual college draft, in addition to the option for clubs to secure new talent through free-agent contracts with international players. However, there are restrictions due to limited roster space, as NWSL clubs do not have affiliated minor leagues. The 2020 draft occurred on January 16th, with the Red Stars making five selections following a series of trades among various clubs. The five players selected were:

The league’s trajectory was significantly changed by the pandemic in numerous aspects. This is partly why Bigalski and Chavarin are no longer part of the Red Stars’ main team. Similarly, Jimenez is no longer associated with the Fire.

While it’s still uncertain how much Biegalski, Morse, and Stevens will ultimately contribute to the Red Stars, there’s no doubt that they are receiving the best training possible.

Fire/Red Stars managers

Rory Dames, one of the world’s most respected managers, has significantly contributed to the Red Stars’ substantial success throughout the franchise’s history. Despite his shorter tenure in Chicago, Raphaël Wicky also boasts a strong pedigree.

Wicky serves as the tenth manager in the history of Fire, whereas Dames has been the sole manager for the Red Stars since they became part of the NWSL in 2011. For both teams, a shift in management often follows a change in ownership.

Emma Hayes was the inaugural manager of the Red Stars from 2007-09, during their tenure in the Women’s Professional Soccer League. The last two WPS seasons saw Omid Namazi in that position, until the league’s dissolution after the 2010 season, leading to the formation of the NWSL. The Fire managers’ history is more extensive.

Fire managers

• Bob Bradley served from October 30, 1997 to October 5, 2002.
• Dave Sarachan served from November 4, 2002, to June 20, 2007.
• Juan Carlos Osorio served from July 1, 2007 to December 10, 2007.
• Dennis Hamlett’s term was from January 11, 2008 to November 24, 2009.
• Carlos de los Cobos served from January 1, 2010 to May 30, 2011.
• Frank Klopas served from May 30, 2011 to October 30, 2013.
• Frank Yallop served from October 31, 2013 to September 20, 2015.
• Brian Bliss served as the interim from September 20, 2015, to November 24, 2015.
• Velijko Paunovic served from November 24, 2015 to November 13, 2019.
• Raphaël Wicky has been serving since December 27, 2019 to the present.

Regardless of who is spectating these clubs’ matches, fans have stunning venues to watch them from. The two stadiums accommodating these clubs are located in distinct parts of the city.

Chicago Red Star home games

Chicago Fire home games

How to watch Fire/Red Stars matches live

The Major League Soccer (MLS) has national broadcast agreements with ESPN, Fox Sports, and Univision, where you can watch some Fire matches each season in line with that season’s MLS schedule. For other Fire games, the local broadcast partner is WGN. You can find the applicable channel for your service using this link.

Your cable, live streaming, or satellite provider could potentially allow you to stream these matches live if you’re not at home. By logging into the relevant streaming platforms with your provider credentials, you can explore your options.

CBS is the national broadcast partner of the NWSL. If Red Stars matches aren’t available on the broadcast channel, they may be found on CBS All-Access. Red Stars fans have the option to purchase standalone subscriptions to CBS All-Access or use their cable/satellite credentials for access. In case these options are not viable, the NWSL’s Twitch channel broadcasts all other matches free of charge.

Chicago Fire/Red Stars team history

The Fire, an MLS expansion franchise, was established on October 8, 1997. The club swiftly achieved success, clinching the MLS Cup and the Open Cup in 1998. It regained its Open Cup dominance in 2000; however, this ushered in a period of uncertainty that lasted for several years.

Although the Fire managed to secure victory in the Open Cup and the Supporters Shield in 2003, they failed to secure their second MLS Cup. Since then, the only notable achievement has been their victory in the 2006 Open Cup.

Joe Mansueto, the current majority owner, bought his stake in the club in mid-2018. This was followed by a return to Soldier Field and significant changes in the front office and the team roster.

The Red Stars, one of the original seven teams in Women’s Professional Soccer, were established in 2007 with significant ties to the Fire. However, the WPS ceased operations post the 2010 season. Subsequently, Arnim Whistler purchased the franchise, becoming its sole owner.

Rory Dames was hired by Whistler as the franchise’s manager. Following the emergence of the Women’s Professional Soccer League, which replaced the WPS, Dames led the Red Stars to the championship match in 2012.

The WPSL existed for only two seasons before being replaced by the NWSL, which the club became a part of in 2013. From that point onwards, the Red Stars have consistently competed for championships, such as the 2019 NWSL Championship and the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup.

Top soccer betting tips

Soccer betting differs in certain ways from basketball and football betting. If you plan to wager on soccer, understanding how to interpret the markets and locating the necessary information for effective match handicapping is crucial. Notably, sportsbooks offer some bets on soccer games that are less typical in other sports.

• Three-Way Moneylines: Draws, a term for when a match ends without one club scoring more goals than the other, are a common occurrence in soccer. Therefore, sportsbooks offer the option to bet on this outcome in addition to betting on either club winning the match. Generally, the odds are longest for a draw in such markets as it’s more common for one club to outscore the other.
• In the Draw No Bet market, the sportsbook acts as if your bet was never placed and refunds the bet value to your account if the match ends in a draw. This is basically a moneyline market without the option to bet on a draw. This type of betting has both pros and cons. The advantage is that you don’t lose your bet if the match doesn’t have a winner. However, the downside is that you give up a higher payout for this reduced risk.
• Double Chance Betting: This betting format lets you minimize your risk when deciding which team will triumph in a match. Rather than selecting a single possible match outcome, you can place a bet on two potential outcomes. For instance, if you believe one team will score more goals than the other and you’re sure the match won’t end in a draw, you can place that bet. Alternatively, you could select either one team or a draw. This would be your choice if you were certain the rival team wouldn’t win. Although you forfeit a larger payout, you reduce your risk.

How to get started with soccer betting

Several betting tips are universal regardless of the sport, including soccer. Among these is the necessity to do your homework before placing a bet. Although betting should be considered a form of entertainment rather than a means to pay bills or relieve stress, winning is undoubtedly more enjoyable than losing. Moreover, sportsbooks don’t randomly set up markets; they meticulously handicap these matches with the intention of retaining your money.

Therefore, it is advised to put in some effort and time in researching before you place a bet on a Fire or Red Stars match. The most reliable source of information is the individual websites of the leagues. They provide a plethora of statistical information that can be accessed free of charge. The links to these websites are as follows:

• MLS
• NWSL

Consider the following when observing a match:

• Which players are injured
• How each club’s starting XI appears.
• How the last match between these clubs turned out
• The performances of both clubs in the specified venue
• How both clubs have generally performed recently
• Weather conditions

Bettors often wonder if paying for expert picks is worthwhile. While there isn’t a definitive rule, it’s usually not considered cost-effective. This is primarily because paying for picks increases your betting expenses, requiring you to win more frequently just to offset the costs, let alone make a profit. Furthermore, seasoned bettors typically don’t sell their sports insights due to the risk of the market shifting against them.