Orlando City vs. Columbus Crew odds, picks and predictions
Orlando City welcomes the Columbus Crew to Exploria Stadium Saturday for the 1st match of 2 Eastern Conference semifinal games. Kickoff is set for 5:30 p.m. ET (Apple TV). Below, we preview BetMGM Sportsbook's lines around the Orlando City vs. Columbus Crew odds, and make our best expert MLS picks and predictions.
Orlando City finished 2nd in the Eastern Conference which earned it home-field advantage in the best-of-3 1st-round series. It beat Nashville 1-0 in both games, ending with as many or more expected goals in both. Orlando City is led by F Facundo Torres, who has 14 goals in 30 matches. Orlando ended the season 9-5-3 (5 draws) at home.
The Crew finished the season 4-5-8 on the road, scoring 67 goals (1.97 per game) and allowing 46 (1.35 per game). They were led in scoring by F Cucho, who had 16 goals in 27 matches. Columbus has a high-octane attack and scored 8 goals through 3 matches in the 1st round against Atlanta United. It lost its lone playoff road game 4-2, winning 2-0 and 4-2 at home to advance.
World class soccer coverage all in one place: Get ESPN+
Orlando City vs. Columbus Crew odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access Paste BN Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Friday at 2:01 p.m. ET.
- Moneyline: Orlando City +120 (bet $100 to win $120) | Columbus Crew +195 (bet $100 to win $195) | Draw +260 (bet $100 to win $260)
- Over/Under: 2.5 (O: -160 | U: +110)
Orlando City vs. Columbus Crew picks and predictions
Prediction
Columbus Crew 3, Orlando City 2
Moneyline (ML)
BET COLUMBUS CREW "TO QUALIFY" (+110).
The Crew added former LAFC F Diego Rossi in early August. He has played 10 games and has 3 goals and 2 assists. Couple Rossi and Cucho, and the Crew attack is mighty. Orlando City dominated Nashville, not from its offense, but from its defense, not allowing a single goal through both games.
Columbus will pose a much greater challenge and should test Orlando City, which has 1.4 fewer expected goals in their 4-3 home win over the Crew on Sept. 16. The Crew had more than 1.0 expected goals in both regular season games against Orlando City.
Expect it to play well and advance. Take COLUMBUS CREW (+110).
Over/Under (O/U)
LEAN OVER 2.5 (-160).
These teams had a combined 11 goals through 2 regular season games, and both teams had more than 1.0 expected goals in both games. The Crew have scored at least 2 goals in 4 straight games and have allowed 6 goals over their last 2 games.
Expect a high-scoring battle like fans got to see in both regular-season matchups. Take OVER 2.5 (-160).
Check out Pro Soccer Wire: For the American soccer fan, Paste BN Sports Media Group's website provides a fresh look at the beautiful game.
For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.
Follow @nathanbeighle_ on Twitter/X. Follow @SportsbookWire on Twitter/X and like us on Facebook.