Chicago Red Stars
- North Carolina Courage have won 3 and lost 2 of their last five matches, while Chicago Red Stars have won 1, drawn 1 and lost 3 of their last five.
- Chicago have won 1 and drawn 1 of their last 2 home games, so they have a small platform to build upon and North Carolina have won 1 and lost 1 of their last 2 away games, so they aren't invincible.
- The Red Stars have been erratic at best and downright dismal at worst in NWSL 2026 and currently sit 16th in the standings with 16 points from 22 games.
North Carolina Courage
- North Carolina have won 5, drawn 2 and lost 3 of their 10 away matches in NWSL 2026, so they have had the edge on the road for most of the season.
- North Carolina have had their issues and are in sixth place with 36 points from 22 matches, but they are the most likely winners on Sunday because of their form, H2H record and loftier league position.
Style clash may be key
- Martin Sjögren's Chicago Red Stars have taken a more structured, possession-first approach to games this season with a 4-2-3-1 shape that looks to control the tempo and keep a compact structure.
- There will be lots of pressing but it will be selective rather than manic and they'll try to slow the game down here.
- Mak Lind's North Carolina team have been more flexible, free-flowing and fast-paced in their approach to matches, with full-backs advancing high, wingers pushing on and central players buzzing into the box.
- North Carolina have been happy to run off the ball and their counter-pressing game has been solid.
Key Players
Julia Grosso has scored 2 of Chicago's 4 goals in their last 5 games and looks the Blade's sharpest finisher, while Ashley Sanchez has scored 5 of North Carolina's 12 goals in their last 5 so we're going for a 3-1 away win .
Betting Insights
- North Carolina are 1.42 favorites to beat a long odds Chicago Red Stars team on Sunday, with the draw coming in at 4.5.
- Chicago have conceded 16 goals at home in NWSL 2026, an average of 1.60 per game, so they're conceding enough to remain in touch even if they can't create as many chances as North Carolina.
- Over 2.5 goals is 1.4 and Both Teams to Score is 1.57, which looks a bit too short to be the main recommendation, but we're getting Chicago on the scoreboard in the correct score pick.
Prediction
We're taking the away win as the most likely outcome because of their extra quality, but Chicago could get on the scoresheet at some point in the game.