There may be an international break this weekend, but the Columbus Crew are still in MLS action this Saturday when they host the New England Revolution at Lower.com Field. The Revs are now out of playoff contention. But Columbus will be looking to keep the momentum going. In our soccer betting picks, we look ahead to the match.
The Columbus Crew has gone from strength to strength since winning the 2023 MLS Cup.
The Crew set a single-season club record of 57 points last term. Already in 2024, they have bettered that record.
Last weekend’s 3-2 victory over Philadelphia saw them set another new club record (60 points) under Wilfried Nancy. And with two league matches remaining, that record is set to be further extended.
Furthermore, a win over the New England Revolution will see Columbus lock in second place in the Eastern Conference, as third-place FC Cincinnati would no longer be able to catch them.
As for the New England Revolution, this has been a disappointing season for the 2021 Eastern Conference runaway winners.
An inconsistent campaign with defensive deficiencies has seen them leak 64 goals in 32 matches.
Last weekend’s 2-1 loss at home to D.C United mathematically ended their playoff chances. But the reality was they were already out of the picture.
And this year’s failure to reach the playoffs is the second time in three seasons they won’t be taking part in the postseason.
With a huge disparity in form between the two teams, it is no surprise that the latest Vegas MLS odds are heavily in favor of the home franchise.
The Columbus Crew are -253 to win on the money line. A shock win for New England is +564, with the draw at +425.
In the handicap market, Columbus is -107 starting from -1.5 goals. To win with a 1.5-goal start, New England is -123.
Onto the team total goals markets and Columbus is -139 to score under 2.5 goals and +109 to score over 2.5 goals.
For New England, the underdogs are -191 to score over 0.5 goals and +151 to score under 0.5 goals.
Onto the props, and in both teams to score betting, yes is -165 and no is +125.
A win for Columbus and both teams to score is +150. The same bet for New England is +850.
All our odds are provided by the best soccer betting sites. More Columbus vs New England betting options can be found on our odds table.
The Columbus Crew are arguably having a stronger 2024 than they did in 2023, a year in which they won the MLS Cup.
The problem facing not just the Crew, but all other franchises this season, is Inter Miami.
Inter are the runaway winners of the Eastern Conference. They are also the favorites to win the 2024 MLS Cup. Lionel Messi’s team is +150 in the futures market to lift the trophy for the first time.
Just for good measure, Inter Miami has also already clinched the Supporters’ Shield this season. So it could be a season to remember for the franchise.
Also in the mix in 2024 is the LA Galaxy. A resurgent Galaxy tops the Western Conference and has awoken from its recent slumber. The Galaxy are +350 to win the MLS Cup.
The Columbus Crew is the joint-third favorite with Los Angeles FC at +800. So no matter how well Wilfried Nancy and his team do, it is still going to be one hell of a task to stop Inter and win the cup back-to-back.
Both teams have been affected by international call-ups.
The Crew are missing their two main goalkeepers, Patrick Schulte and Nicholas Hagen. The Revs will be without Xavier Arreaga, Peyton Miller, Alhassan Yusuf, and Esmir Bajraktarevic.
So far this season in the MLS, Columbus has won 17, drawn nine, and lost six.
The Crew has been in great form in recent weeks and has been scoring for fun. In their last five MLS matches, they have found the back of the net 13 times.
Striker Cucho Hernandez has been the catalyst for this goalscoring burst. He has scored in five successive MLS fixtures, including a brace in last weekend’s 3-2 win.
On the flip side, the Crew has also conceded in their last four.
The New England Revolution has a record of nine wins, four draws, and 19 defeats this season.
They have scored 35 goals and conceded 64. More recently, they have found the net in their last three, and in four of their last five.
Against an attacking Columbus Crew, we expect the Revs to have their chances. Therefore, our MLS betting pick is for Columbus to win and both teams to score at +150.
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