This article is also available in French.
Forge FC vs Cavalry FC Preview
Forge FC and Cavalry FC begin their Canadian Premier League seasons on Saturday, April 13. The Tim Hortons Field hosts the match in Ontario, and kick-off is at 4:00 PM ET. Both teams had impressive campaigns in 2023, so this opening-day contest will be a thrilling game from start to finish.
Forge won the CPL Final last season, but they’ve lost multiple players since their championship win and had to rebuild during the off-season. Cavalry are the current CPL Shield holders after topping the regular season standings. The Cavs got 16 wins last year and finished the campaign with 55 points, 13 more than Forge. But can either team start their 2024 CPL season with a win this weekend?
Forge FC vs Cavalry FC Head-to-Head and Key Stats
Cavalry FC faced Forge five times in 2023, and the Hammers beat the Cavs twice. The teams tied two games, and Cavalry got their only win over Forge in August. However, the Cavs haven’t beaten the Hamilton-based side in their last three meetings. Perhaps the most stinging blow is losing the Canadian Premier League Final in their latest match.
In the opening 30 minutes of the final, both teams started slowly. Cavalry had the better chances, but neither side was close to scoring. Fraser Aird tested Triston Henry moments before the end of the first half, but the keeper kept his clean sheet, and the two sides went into their locker rooms with no goals. A quick counterattack in the second half left Ali Musse open, but the winger’s attempt went wide. Musse created another fantastic chance on the wings before the 60th minute, but William Akio couldn’t convert the golden opportunity. Henry was the star player in the second half, making multiple saves. After chances from both teams, the game finished 0-0, and they needed extra time to decide a winner.
Despite waiting over 90 minutes for the first goal, Musse finally opened the scoring in the first half of extra time. Cavalry initially appealed for a penalty, but the ball landed at Musse’s feet on the edge of the area, and he curled it home to give the Cavs a 1-0 lead. However, a long-range effort from Beni Badibanga stunned Cavalry, leveling the scoreline with seconds remaining in the first half. In an unbelievable turn of events, Tristan Borges won the game for Forge after scoring directly from the corner flag. The Hammers walked away with the CPL Final championship, snatching a 2-1 win over the Cavs.
In the Canadian Premier League playoffs, Forge defeated Cavalry once again. The Hammers opened the scoring in the first half via Alessandro Hojabrpour. The midfielder was unaware he scored as he turned away during a corner. The ball struck the player’s back and found its way past Marco Carducci. The first half finished 1-0 in favor of Forge. It took just five minutes in the second half for the Hammers to double their lead. Forge’s veteran striker, Kyle Bekker, slotted the ball home from the edge of the box. Joseph Mason gave the Cavalry some hope late in the contest, but with 10 minutes remaining, the Cavs ran out of time and lost 2-1 on home soil.
Across their last five meetings, Forge and Cavalry have scored eleven goals. Only one contest had no goals, with the teams sharing the points in September 2023. The Hammers are the better team in recent clashes, but the Cavs won by the widest margin. Cavalry posted a 3-0 victory over Forge last season, with Eryk Kobza, William Akio, and Fraser Aird getting the goals. Forge has won the previous two matches 2-1, the most common scoreline when these two sides meet. None of their meetings last season had over 3.5 goals, so betting on a high-scoring contest isn’t a great idea this weekend.
Forge FC vs Cavalry FC Predictions
Correct Score Prediction: Forge FC 2-0 Cavalry FC
We predict Forge FC will beat Cavalry FC on the opening weekend of the Canadian Premier League season. The Hammers will score two goals against the Cavs, and our correct score prediction is a Forge 2-0 win over Cavalry. Terran Campbell and Beni Badibanga will score the goals.
Cavalry FC will want to avenge their Canadian Premier League Final defeat against Forge FC. However, we don’t believe they’ll get the win this weekend. The Cavs have struggled against the Hammers in their recent meetings, failing to beat them since August 2023. We predict Forge will defeat Cavalry for the third consecutive time and expect less than 2.5 goals on Saturday.
The Cavs focused on recruiting attackers in the off-season. But it can often take time for a new offense to build chemistry, and we predict Cavalry will score zero goals against the Hammers. Our correct score prediction is a Forge 2-0 win over the Cavs. Woobens Pacius was Forge’s top goalscorer last season, but Pacius recently joined Nashville in the MLS. However, if you’re betting on scorers, Forge still has Terran Campbell to rely on, and we expect the striker will get a goal against the Cavalry. Beni Badibanga was an eye-catching player last season, and despite posting only three goals for the Hammers, we foresee a goal this weekend.
Forge and Cavalry have a history of big matches against each other, so yellow cards seem likely in this contest. We can use Novibet’s sportsbook to bet on the total cards, and we predict over 3.5 yellows. Jesse Daley got 12 yellow cards during the 2023 season, the most from any Cavalry player. Forge’s goalkeeper Triston Henry got five yellows, the most out of the Hammer’s current players. Forge got two straight reds in 2023, with Kwasi Poku and Ashtone Morgan going home early. Myer Bevan got the Cavs’ sole red card last season, but we don’t expect the referee to administer a red card in this fixture.
PRE-SEASON: ✅
Our final pre-season friendly concluded as a 3-1 victory over Calgary Foothills FC. Thank you to our fans that came out to the @RumiForHome Kickoff Celebration.
Can't wait to see everyone on April 23 at ATCO Field!#RumiKickoffCelebration#RideWithUs #CavsFC pic.twitter.com/NZrNuIyOLB
— Cavalry FC (@CPLCavalryFC) April 7, 2024
Forge FC vs Cavalry FC Betting Picks
This weekend, the two front-runners for the Canadian Premier League title meet in this season’s opener. Forge FC are the reigning CPL Final holders and face the current Shield defenders, Cavalry FC. We predict Forge will beat Cavalry 2-0, giving us plenty of options. The moneyline offers lower profits than most markets when betting on soccer, but wagering on Forge at +109 is a clever choice. It’s very early in the CPL season, so keeping your bets small and selecting low-risk markets is wise.
Most of their previous meetings were tight, and we predict the first half will be quiet in this match. We can use Novibet’s sportsbook to bet on the first half to have under 1.5 goals at -270. You could also use the correct score market to increase profits by backing 0-0 at halftime with odds of +175. Betting on correct scores offers fantastic profits but is one of the hardest wagers to land, so use bonus funds if you’re a new Novibet customer to offset the risk.
We predict Forge FC will keep a clean sheet against Cavalry and get a 2-0 win. The Hammers were the best defensive team in the Canadian Premier League last season. Forge kept a clean sheet in 35.7% of their 28 league matches. Their latest clean sheet in the CPL came against Cavalry in the final week. Thanks to Novibet’s live betting features, we can capitalize on Forge’s impressive defensive ability. You can wager on the Hammers to keep a clean sheet before the game, but waiting until after kick-off gives us extra insight into the match and more time to analyze both teams.
Another way to bet on a clean sheet is via the “both teams to score market” on Novibet. We don’t predict Cavalry will score against Forge, so we suggest betting on both teams not scoring this weekend. Our sportsbook offers -115 odds for this wager, but if you believe both sides will score, a $5 wager returns $9.31.
If you’re looking for a season-long wager, Novibet has outright odds when betting on the Canadian Premier League competition winner. Forge FC is the favorite at +165. Calvary is the second favorite at +400. The sportsbook believes York FC could challenge for the title, with odds of +450 putting them in third. The highest returns come via Valour FC with odds of +2400, meaning a $10 bet returns $250 if they win the championship.
"We are on course for a three-peat and I want to be a part of that history" 3️⃣
Matteo addressing the media after a @WestJet training camp session.#TogetherWeForge pic.twitter.com/e10E4UwMQW
— Forge FC (@ForgeFCHamilton) April 5, 2024
Forge FC Team News
Forge FC welcomed five new players this season. The Canadian Premier League champions lost pivotal assets in the off-season but brought in two midfield replacements for Aboubacar Sissoko. Matteo Schiavoni and Elimane Cisse are the fresh faces in Forge’s midfield. Woobens Pacius also left the Hammers, but Forge replaced him with Nana Ampomah. Despite losing two defenders in the off-season, the Hamilton-based side only captured one new defender. Daniel Parra will slot into Forge’s backline, with Rezart Rama and Manjrekar James departing. The CPL champions also picked up a new goalkeeper, Jassem Koleilat.
Cavalry FC Team News
Cavalry FC focused on attacking options during the off-season. Their most recent signing is Malcolm Shaw. The 28-year-old is a center-forward and signed a one-year deal with the club. Cavalry signed striker Tobias Warschewski after York United allowed him to leave as a free agent. The Cavs also picked up attackers Lleyton Brooks, Lucas Dias, and Mael Henry. However, one of their star signings came in midfield, with Diego Gutierrez joining on a free transfer. Gutierrez played 82 times for Valour FC, and many expect the midfielder to make a significant impact at Cavalry.
The Cavs didn’t abandon their defense, with left-back Tom Field and youngster Michael Harms joining the side. English Premier League team Everton FC loaned Cavalry their U21 goalkeeper, Jack Barrett. When playing first-team soccer for the first time, young keepers can be hot or cold. He’ll need time to adapt to the CPL.
