Columbus Crew vs. DC United Prediction, Preview and Odds - 5/8/21
DC United will be without a large chunk of its roster again on Saturday afternoon when it travels to Columbus. With nearly half of its team injured, DC United has been slated as the underdog in this match. The Crew have played consecutive matches that ended in scoreless draws to open the season.
DC United looks to get back on track
DC United got off to a nice start this season when it picked up a 2-1 win over New York City FC. It has been a rough go of things since then, as it lost a 1-0 final to New England and then dropped a 4-1 contest last weekend. DC United was without 12 players due to injuries last week and it is not going to improve on Saturday. Coach Hernan Losada said his team was “not fit enough” prior to the season starting and that they are “paying the price” now. The players were “totally unfit” when they came back from four months off.
They have dropped all the way to No. 25 in the updated MLS.com power rankings. San Jose’s 17-year-old star Cade Cowell scored a goal and notched two assists in the 4-1 final last week. Tony Alfaro scored his first MLS goal for DC—it was the team’s only goal of the match. Losada is a new manager and now he really has his work cut out for him after all of the injuries. DC United has been playing high-scoring matches dating back to last season, with 22 total goals in its last six matches. Opposing teams have accounted for 13 of those goals.
Columbus needs to score
Columbus has been consistent to open the season. The Crew have played to a pair of scoreless draws and will be hoping to find the net for the first time in 2021 MLS competition on Saturday. This is the second time the club has ever gone scoreless in its first two matches of the season. Columbus was outshot 20-3 in last week’s match against Montreal, failing to get a single shot on target. The Crew are also currently playing in the CONCACAF Champions League, where they drew with Monterrey last Wednesday in the first leg of the quarterfinals.
Their second leg took place this Wednesday night, but this story was written prior to that contest. There could have been a hangover effect last weekend, which is something they will be looking to avoid on Saturday. Columbus is currently ranked fourth in the MLS.com power rankings. DC United picked a 1-0 win the last time these teams met. The Crew will be hoping for big games from Gyasi Zardes and Pedro Santos. Zardes has started 199 games during his pro career, while Santos has 171 starts. Santos averages 0.25 goals per 90 minutes during his career.
Side: Spread (Columbus -1 (+101)
The only way Columbus doesn’t come away with its first win of the season is if there is a major hangover effect from the CONCACAF Champions League. DC United is absolutely decimated by injuries right now. I also have some concerns about the culture under a new head coach who was ripping his players (for good reason) before the season even kicked off. Columbus has been an excellent defensive team and should be eager to find the net against a weakened DC United side. There is a hefty price tag on the money line, so we will take the Crew on the spread at plus-money.
Total: Over 2.5
Oddsmakers have been forced to set a low total for this match based on the pair of scoreless draws that Columbus has played so far this season. However, I think the value is on the over in this match. The Crew have been scoring goals in Champions League action and are destined to net at least two goals against a hampered DC United team on Saturday. The potentially tired legs from four matches in two weeks could lead to some counter-attack chances for the visitors, which will be enough to get this one over the total.
