Miguel Solomons
Dailysports's expert
Bonus up to $130/€100
In the regular season match of the MLS, Toronto will host Columbus Crew at their home stadium. The game will take place on the night of Thursday, September 19, starting at 1:30 AM Central European Time. Experts at Dailysports have prepared a prediction for this encounter.
Toronto
The Canadian side is right in the midst of the battle to secure a spot in the MLS playoffs. Currently sitting eighth in the Eastern Conference standings, Toronto has a chance to climb higher. They trail fifth place by just four points, so there is still hope to contend for those positions. However, the more crucial fact is that they are five points ahead of the tenth-placed team, meaning they must not only focus on climbing the standings but also be mindful that their playoff spot is not yet guaranteed.
Toronto's results in their last five MLS matches have been somewhat inconsistent, but this has been the case for all their direct competitors. The Canadians have won three games and lost two. It’s also worth noting that Toronto has played one more match than their rivals. This is important as they have five games remaining in the regular season, and dropping points should be avoided, if not entirely eliminated.
Columbus Crew
The reigning MLS champions, Columbus Crew, won the playoffs last season, defeating LAFC in the final. This season, they are once again delivering solid performances. In 27 matches, Columbus has earned 50 points and currently sits third in the Eastern Conference standings. They trail the first-place team by 12 points, and while it’s theoretically possible to catch up, they would need to win all their remaining matches and hope for Inter Miami to stumble.
However, what’s more important is that Columbus has already secured a playoff berth. They are 19 points clear of the tenth-placed team, and with six games left in the regular season, Columbus is guaranteed not to drop below ninth place. Additionally, they recently claimed the Leagues Cup, defeating LAFC once again, this time with a 3-1 scoreline. Due to their participation in this tournament, Columbus has played one more match than their direct competitors.
Match Facts
- Columbus Crew has not won in their last two MLS matches.
- Columbus Crew has won 7 of their last 10 away matches.
- Toronto has not defeated Columbus in their last 7 encounters.
- Toronto has scored in their last 14 home matches.
Predicted Lineups
- Toronto: Johnson; Gomis, Vingo, Petretta; Laryea, Keolo, Longstaff, Bernardeschi; Osorio, Insigne, Kerr
- Columbus Crew: Schulte; Zawadzki, Camacho, Moreira; Farsi, Metanire, Nagbe, Arfsten; Rossi, Ramirez, Cucho
Head-to-Head
- In their most recent meeting, Columbus Crew dominated Toronto with a 4-0 victory.
Prediction
Toronto’s playoff hopes are still on the line, so they will undoubtedly fight with everything they have in this match. On the other hand, Columbus Crew has already secured their place in the playoffs and can begin gradually preparing. Their motivation lies in possibly climbing higher in the standings. For this game, I predict both teams will score. The odds for this are 1.48.
Bonus up to $130/€100
