The Columbus Crew (7 wins, 6 losses, 9 draws) welcome New York City FC (12-4-6) to Lower.com Field Saturday. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET. Below, we preview the Columbus Crew vs. New York City FC odds and lines, and make our best MLS bets, picks and predictions.
The Crew lost their midweek match at home against CF Montreal. After leading 1-0 heading into the last 20 minutes, a weather delay paused the game and Montreal came out on fire, scoring 2 in the last 10 minutes.
Columbus dropped to 6th on the table and is just 4-4-3 at home. It is still led by star M Lucas Zelarayán who scored their lone one on Wednesday and now has 6 goals on the season.
NYCFC comes in a bit more rested, drawing CF Montreal on the road last Saturday. NYCFC sits 2nd in the Eastern Conference and has given up the 2nd-fewest goals in the MLS.
They will have to overcome the loss of 23-year-old F Valentín Castellanos (13 goals), who announced he would be leaving MLS to join Girona in La Liga. NYCFC has lost just once since April 2 and is 4-1-4 in their last 9.
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Columbus Crew vs. New York City FC odds, lines, picks and predictions
Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Friday at 6:05 p.m. ET.
- Money line: Columbus Crew +145 (bet $100 to win $145) | New York City FC +180 (bet $100 to win $180) | Draw +255
- Over/Under: 2.5 (O: -125 | U: +100)
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Prediction
New York City FC 1, Columbus Crew 0
Money line (ML)
BET NEW YORK CITY FC (+180).
The Crew are coming off a brutal loss on Wednesday while NYCFC should be rested, so there’s a slight advantage to the road side there. D Jonathan Mensah played all 90 minutes while Zelarayán played 72.
As for NYCFC, they have been dominant as of late, pitching 4 straight shutouts and leading the league in clean sheets. They have won 2 of their last 3 road matches, drawing Montreal on the road last weekend despite not playing their star striker.
Columbus lost to NYCFC 2-0 earlier in the season and is just 0-4-2 against top-5 teams in the East. It could show resilience behind a home crowd, but the value is in playing NYCFC +175 here.
Over/Under (O/U)
LEAN UNDER 2.5 (+100).
NYCFC has one of the best goalkeepers in the MLS in Sean Johnson. He is a stud which is why NYCFC sits 2nd in the MLS in save percentage.
Their defense is also among the best without even factoring in Johnson. They have the 4th-fewest shots against them this season. Columbus sits with the 7th-fewest goals, also possesses a terrific backline.
NYCFC has gone under this total in 4 straight games and in 3 straight road matches. The Crew have gone under this total in 12 of 21 matches this season and in 7 of 11 home matches.
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