Columbus Crew at Charlotte FC Betting Preview

The Columbus Crew kept their unbeaten streak going last weekend but couldn’t find the back of the net in a 0-0 home draw against the struggling New England Revolution. Sitting in a tie for fifth place, the Crew head southeast for a matchup with expansion side Charlotte FC, who are just four points behind. 

Kickoff at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET on Saturday. The game will stream on ESPN+ and air on Bally Sports Great Lakes. 

These teams met in Ohio back on June 18, a 1-1 draw. Erik Hurtado scored for the Crew in the 41st minute, but Andre Shinyashiki equalized for FCC in the 49th minute. With Charlotte as an expansion team, this will be the Crew’s first game at Bank of America Stadium.

Columbus Crew Streaking Into August

Saturday’s 0-0 draw marked the first time since joining the lineup that new Designated Player Cucho Hernandez failed to score for the Crew. Saturday was also the first time he played all 90 minutes. Columbus out-shot New England 17-5 and put six shots on goal while having 58% of the possession; they just never beat Dorde Petrovic for the opening goal.

Hernandez had five of those shots in the game, two on target. Pedro Santos also put two shots on goal, while Lucas Zelarayan and Josh Williams each had one. Eloy Room was called upon to make two saves for his seventh clean sheet.

Columbus has fared well against expansion teams in the last three seasons, with three wins and three draws against first-year teams. Overall they have four wins and five draws in the last nine games, playing by far their best soccer of 2022. The nine-match unbeaten streak is the longest active streak in MLS, and if they make it ten on Saturday, it will be the third-longest in franchise history. 

Zelarayan looks rejuvenated with Hernandez as a target for his playmaking. He has been involved in seven of the team’s last eight goals, providing six assists and scoring a penalty kick in that span. When Zelarayan has a goal or an assist, the Crew are 20-5-4 (W-D-L), dating back to when he joined the team in 2020. 

Columbus has three wins, and six draws from their 11 road games this season. They have fewer losses on the road (2) than at home (3) and have 15 points from both home and road games. During the nine-match unbeaten streak, they have three wins and two draws on the road, with the last road loss coming at NYCFC on May 14.

Charlotte Tough to Beat at Home

Charlotte FC is not your typical professional expansion team. They fired their first-ever Manager in May and have Christian Lattanzio as interim boss. They have lost four of their last six games to slide into eighth place. Charlotte is two points out of a playoff spot and just four points behind the fifth-place tie between Columbus and Orlando City. 

Saturday’s game is a return home for Charlotte after two road losses. They have won seven of their ten home games and join Chicago Fire in 1998 and Atlanta United in 2017 as the only expansion teams to accomplish that feat. 

In losses to Inter Miami and Toronto FC, Charlotte allowed seven goals on their road trip. They have allowed just seven goals at home all season, second-fewest in MLS to Philadelphia Union.

The last time Charlotte played at home, they thumped Nashville SC 4-1 on July 9. Shinyashiki, Christian Fuchs, Karol Swiderski, and Sergio Ruiz all scored in the win. Yordy Reyna scored both goals in Miami, but Charlotte were shut out in Toronto last weekend.

Swiderski and Shinyashiki lead the team with five goals each, while Ben Bender has three. Bender, the top draft pick last year, has five assists, three more than any other Charlotte player. Kristijan Kahlina has started all but one game in goal, allowing 29 goals in 21 games. 

Betting Analysis

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Columbus Crew (+185) moneyline

Charlotte FC (+140) moneyline

Draw (+230)

Total Goals: 2.5. Over (-105). Under (-120).

First Goal: Columbus Crew (+105) Charlotte FC (-120). No Goals (+950).

After being shut out for a ninth time this season, it will be imperative for the Crew to get on the board early on Saturday. The defense has been back to where it should be, and the offense showed signs of life in July. Now they need to put it all together and knock off an expansion team as they continue to climb up the standings.