Columbus Crew vs Orlando City Predictions & Betting Tips, Match Previews

Columbus Crew made it to the final of the MLS Cup last year but this season they will be lucky if they make it into the playoffs at all at the rate they are going.

Their form this season has been poor throughout, with their best spell being back to back victories back in April. Overall, they have only managed four wins in all competitions this season, with three of those being in the MLS. Combined with their nine draws, this puts Columbus Crew down in 9th position in the MLS Eastern Conference with just 18 points from their first 19 matches. The playoff positions are already five points above them and a defeat this weekend could send them to the bottom of the table.

Columbus Crew’s last victory was in the US Open Cup in the middle of June and, since then, they have drawn four games and lost three to make it two wins, seven draws, and five defeats in their last 14 matches in all competitions.

Orlando City aren’t in a much better vein of form at the moment though. They are winless in five matches and have lost three of them, including an extra time exit from the US Open Cup.

Prior to this run they were unbeaten in six matches in all competitions but that’s not been enough to stop them from slipping out of the MLS Eastern Conference playoff zone. They currently occupy 7th position, four points above Columbus Crew but a point outside the top six, although they do have a game in hand on New England Revolution above them.

Away from home, Orlando City are winless since March, with five of their eight away days since then ending in defeat. They have managed to find the net in seven of their nine away games this season though, but their poor defence has hindered them and resulted in seven of their last eight matches having at least three goals scored.

Columbus Crew are no strangers to high scoring matches either and they have only kept three clean sheets in their 11 home games this season. Add this to the fact that there has been an average of almost five goals per game in past meetings between these clubs, with all but one of them seeing at least three goals, and odds of 20/21 for Over 2.5 Goals and Both Teams to Score look very good value. I’m going for a 2-2 correct score prediction at 12/1 as well.