Columbus Crew vs. Philadelphia Union Betting Preview – MLS, September 2, 2020

It’s second vs. third in the Eastern Conference on Wednesday, September 2, as Columbus Crew hosts Philadelphia Union.

Having made it all the way to the semi-finals of the MLS is Back Tournament, the U is undefeated since returning to regular-season action. Despite only managing to win one of their previous three games, the Crew sits two points ahead of Philly.

This destined to be an exciting matchup between two of the division’s strongest teams. You can find my Columbus Crew vs. Philadelphia Union prediction and betting pick below.

With just two points separating these teams in the standings, I was expecting the odds for this game to be a bit tighter. The betting sites with the best odds think Columbus (2.05) has the upper hand, but you’d be foolish to write off a Philadelphia (3.45) team that has only suffered one defeat in eight Eastern Conference outings this year.

It is no secret that Caleb Porter’s men are where they are right now because of their perfect MLS is Back Tournament group-stage campaign. Columbus won all three of their group games in Florida without conceding a single goal, but the Ohio club was knocked out in the Round of 16 by Minnesota United soon after.

The Crew extended their lead at the top of the table with a convincing 3-0 victory over Chicago Fire a fortnight ago, but a couple of disappointing results have seen Columbus surrender top spot to Toronto FC. Porter’s side lost to New York City last week before being held to a goalless draw by FC Cincinnati.

Sure, the Crew still boasts the best defensive record in the division by some distance. But I think the lack of goals in their previous two games is a slight cause for concern.

By contrast, the goals have been flowing for the Philly recently. The team crushed Sporting Kansas City 3-1 in the MLS is Back Tournament quarter-finals before thrashing DC United 4-1 on Sunday. Polish striker Kacper Przybylko netted a double inside 20 minutes last time out, while Sergio Santos and Brenden Aaronson completed the rout.

We all know that DC is struggling at the moment, but the manner with which Philadelphia brushed aside the Washington club was hugely impressive. Jim Curtin’s men come into Wednesday’s clash on the back of successive victories, and I’m not sure that Columbus will be able to stop them from extending their winning streak to three games.

I believe going against the bookies makes sense here. Columbus has taken just one point from their last two outings, and I can’t see the Crew’s form improving against a strong Philadelphia team. The U has really impressed me recently, so I’m backing the away side to come away with all three points.