Columbus Crew vs New York Red Bulls Prediction

Right then, let's have a proper look at this MLS clash between Columbus Crew and New York Red Bulls. Both sides are languishing in the bottom half of the table, with Columbus sitting 9th on 51 points and the Red Bulls propping up 10th with 43 points. Not exactly the form of champions, is it?

Columbus have been a proper mixed bag recently - three wins, four draws, and three losses in their last ten. They've been leaking goals for fun too, shipping 15 in that spell while scoring the same amount. Their recent results tell the story: a 1-1 draw with Orlando, a 2-0 loss to Chicago, and that bonkers 5-4 win over Atlanta. They can't keep a clean sheet to save their lives at the moment.

The Red Bulls? Well, they've been even worse on their travels. Just one win in their last four away games, and they've been struggling to find the net. Only 11 goals in their last ten matches speaks volumes, and they've managed just 1.25 goals per game on the road this season. Their recent form reads like a horror story: losses to Cincinnati and NYCFC, plus that 1-2 defeat at Portland.

Here's the thing though - Columbus absolutely boss the Red Bulls at home. Three wins from four meetings at their place, and that includes a 3-0 thumping last season. But their last encounter ended 0-0 back in August, which might be more indicative of where both teams are at right now.

Looking at the stats, Columbus concede just a goal per game at home, while the Red Bulls only manage 1.25 away from home. Both teams are struggling for consistency, and neither looks particularly convincing in front of goal. The Red Bulls especially have been toothless on the road.

The bookies have Columbus as favourites at 1.55, but given their recent defensive woes and the Red Bulls' away scoring struggles, I'm not convinced that's where the value lies. Sometimes the best bet is looking at the goals market, and this one screams 'tight affair' written all over it.

Key Points:

• Columbus dominate this fixture at home (75% win rate)

• Both teams struggling for form recently

• Red Bulls poor away scorers (1.25 goals per game)

• Columbus leaky defence (15 conceded in last 10)

• Last meeting ended 0-0

The way I see it, this has all the makings of a proper cagey affair. Neither side is firing on all cylinders, and both have defensive issues. The Red Bulls especially look toothless away from home, and Columbus haven't exactly been free-scoring either. That 0-0 draw in August might be more of a template than an anomaly.