New York City FC vs. Columbus Crew – MLS, July 30, 2021

Just one point separates fifth-place Columbus (6-6-3) and sixth-place New York City (7-2-5) as the two sides prepare to go head-to-head at Yankee Stadium this Friday, July 30.

The Crew heads to the Big Apple on a six-game unbeaten streak, although four draws during that period have prevented the reigning MLS Cup champions from keeping pressure on the Eastern Conference frontrunners.

On the flip side, Ronny Deila’s men have registered five wins and four draws in their previous nine outings. They thrashed Orlando City 5-0 last weekend but have struggled for consistency in 2021.

If you’re here for my New York City FC vs. Columbus Crew prediction – keep reading. After analyzing the teams and looking at the odds, I also share my betting pick for Friday’s clash.

With New York City’s last draw coming all the way back in mid-May, it’s been a case of “all or nothing” for Deila’s team over the past couple of months.

Sure, the Boys in Blue have claimed five wins in their last eight games – claiming notable scalps like LAFC and Orlando along the way. But they have also suffered four defeats in that time, including a 2-1 loss to Columbus.

It’s safe to say that we saw the good side of NYCFC last time out, though, as they totally annihilated the Lions. Deila’s men saw 62% possession and chalked up a whopping 23 shots, with 15 attempts hitting the target. Oh, and they also won 5-0.

Thanks largely to last weekend’s resounding win, the Boys in Blue are now the second-highest scorers in the East. That said, they are coming up against the tightest defense in the conference on Friday.

Here’s a reminder of what happened the last time these two sides met.

Although the Crew has only conceded 12 goals in 15 MLS matches this season, they have struggled to find the back of the net at the other end of the field.

With just 16 goals to their name, Caleb Porter’s men are the third-lowest scorers in the East. Despite sitting above NCYFC in the standings, they have netted ten goals fewer than the Boys in Blue.

Still, I don’t think Columbus will be fazed by those statistics. I mean, the defending MLS Cup champs haven’t tasted defeat for over a month – and they also managed to beat New York City less than a fortnight ago.

The Crew heads into Friday’s clash on the back of two straight shutouts, with last weekend’s victory over Atlanta following a goalless draw against Nashville. Having kept four clean sheets in their previous eight games, Columbus will be confident of ending NYCFC’s high-scoring streak.

I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t surprised by the odds for this match.

Yes, New York City has the home-field advantage – and they have only lost two of their eight games at Yankee stadium this year. But that doesn’t explain why the price for the Columbus win is so big.

The Crew boasts the fifth-best away record in the East and heads into Friday’s game on a six-match unbeaten run. With that in mind, the giant odds for the away win and the draw look seriously attractive here.

In my opinion, there is very little to separate New York City and Columbus at the moment. The Crew leads NYCFC by just a single point in the standings, and both teams are in good form.

Considering Porter’s men have tied four of their last six encounters, the draw has to be the best bet for New York City FC vs. Columbus Crew.

While price for the home win offers very little value here, odds of 4.35 for the draw are simply too good to miss.