Columbus Crew vs. Atlanta United Prediction, Preview, and Odds - 8/7/21
The inconsistency bug has bitten Columbus once again. The Crew now find themselves in the seventh and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference after having lost their last two matches. They will be trying to get back on track when they host Atlanta, who is currently out of the playoff picture, on Saturday.
Atlanta is having a rough season
Atlanta United is in the midst of a very disappointing season. The club fired head coach Gabriel Heinze just seventh months after hiring him. He was off to a 2-7-4 record in the Eastern Conference and reportedly had failed to connect with the players. Things have not improved since Rob Valentino took over as interim manager, as he is still searching for his first win. Atlanta is coming off a 2-2 draw against Montreal in its last match. Montreal scored the first two goals of the match, but Atlanta rallied to pick up the draw.
Despite the comeback effort, Atlanta has now gone winless in its last 12 games. The Five Stripes lead the league in draws with nine this season, but they are nine points behind Columbus for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. They are currently without Emerson Hyndman, who is out with a torn ACL. Jake Mulraney, Brooks Lennon and Franco Ibarra are all out with injuries as well. Goalkeeper Brad Guzan started against Montreal for the first time since returning from the Gold Cup and he should be back on the pitch for this one. Josef Martinez will miss this match after picking up a red card against Montreal.
Columbus struggling to make the playoffs
Columbus is the reigning MLS champions, but it has not been playing in that form. The Crew have lost their last two matches and are now sitting in the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. They are one point ahead of Montreal in the standings and are level with D.C. United. Wednesday’s match against D.C. United was extremely important, but the Crew came up short in a 4-2 final. That marks consecutive multi-goal losses, as NYCFC picked up a 4-1 win against them last Friday. They will now get set for another match against Atlanta, who they beat 1-0 on the road two weeks ago.
The Crew have lost back-to-back matches for the second time this season. They gave up three goals in the first half against D.C. United on Wednesday before eventually losing by two goals. The team has allowed eight goals in the last two matches after a pair of clean sheets. Columbus has struggled to find its form at its new stadium, where it has won just one of its four matches. The Crew are going to be without Aidan Morris due to a left knee injury. Lucas Zelarayan has scored a team-high six goals this season, including one in Wednesday’s match.
Spread (Columbus -105)
There should be a mismatch in motivation heading into this match. Atlanta is almost all but out of the playoff race and is playing under an interim head coach. Columbus has the experience of winning the title last season and desperately needs to pick up a full three points on Saturday. Its issue has been keeping the ball out of the net, but I do not think Atlanta is the team to exploit that issue. It will be missing its best attacking player in Martinez, so things are not shaping up well for them in this match. Oddsmakers are offering a cheap price on the home team to take care of business, which I expect them to do.
Total (Under 2.5)
I expect the value to be on the under in this match due to Martinez’s injury. He is the best scoring option for Atlanta, who was shut out by Columbus two weeks ago. I do not expect things to change without Martinez in a road match. Columbus, meanwhile, has only scored multiple goals once in its last four matches. It has been one of the most inconstant clubs in the MLS this season and is ice cold coming into this one. The Crew should win this game, but I do not trust them to score three goals.
