Charlotte (10-8-5) travel to face off against Columbus Crew (12-3-6) on Wednesday, July 17th. This match will be played at Lower.com Field in Columbus, OH. Both club’s come into this one having won their previous match. The match starts at 7:30 PM ET.

Charlotte vs Columbus Crew

Charlotte Is Coming Off A Win

Charlotte will be looking to build off their 3-1 win over FC Cincinnati, a match in which they were the heavy underdog on the road (+360). The four combined goals surpassed the line of 3.5 goals.

On offense, Charlotte was extremely efficient with their six shots on goal, scoring three times. Kerwin Vargas, Liel Abada, and Iuri Tavares all found the net for the club, with no offensive player finishing with less than two shots on goal.

Defensively, Charlotte did a great job of making plays on the ball, intercepting six passes and finishing with seven defensive clearances. Despite these numbers, FC Cincinnati still took 21 total shots, six of which were saved by Kristijan Kahlina.

Charlotte enters this match vs. Columbus Crew looking to get back on track after going just 1-2 in their last three matches. Overall, they sit 6th in the Eastern Conference, just one point behind the Portland Timbers. On the road, Charlotte has struggled, going just 4-6-1, while they are 6-2-4 at home. In matches as the favorite, Charlotte is 5-2-4, while they are 5-6-1 as the underdog. Following this match, they will head out on the road once again, taking on Austin FC on Sunday, July 21st.

Columbus Crew Is Coming Off A Win

The Columbus Crew will be looking to keep things rolling after picking up a 5-1 win over Los Angeles FC. This win came on the road, and the Crew were an underdog, with the money line payout being +250. The six combined goals surpassed the over/under line of 2.5 goals.

On offense, the Crew were extremely efficient with their eight shots on goal and 19 total shot attempts. Four of their five goals came off of their first eight shots on goal. Christian Ramirez led the offensive attack, scoring two times on his four total shot attempts.

Patrick Schulte had a solid game between the sticks for the Crew, finishing with four saves on LA FC’s five shots on goal. Overall, the LA FC offense took 17 shots, and the Crew defense blocked four shots while intercepting 10 passes.

The Columbus Crew are in the midst of a five-match winning streak, and they have won five of their last six matches overall. Their only loss in that stretch came on the road against Inter Miami CF. On the season, the Crew are 12-3-6, which has them in 3rd place in the Eastern Conference. They have been favored in 17 of their 21 matches, going 9-3-5 in those contests. After this match against Charlotte, they will hit the road to take on Atlanta United FC on July 20th.

Charlotte Offense Breakdown

Patrick Agyemang is the top scorer for Charlotte this season, as he has found the back of the net six times, which is 49th in MLS. Agyemang also leads the team in shots on goal, as he has 16 this season. Ashley Westwood is the leader in assists for Charlotte, as he has three on the year, which is 62nd in MLS. Westwood has also scored two goals this season, which is 128th in MLS. Overall, Charlotte is 26th in MLS in goals scored this season, as they are averaging 1.1 per match. They are also 27th in shots on goal and 19th in corner kicks. In 52.2% of their matches, they have had fewer corner kicks than their opponent.

Columbus Crew Offense Breakdown

The Columbus Crew have been one of the most potent offensive teams in the MLS this season, ranking second in the league in goals per match at 2.1. They are also seventh in shots on goal per match. Cucho Hernández is the team’s leading scorer, ranking sixth in the MLS with 12 goals. He also leads the team in shots on goal, ranking 12th in the league. Overall, the Crew are first in the MLS in passing percentage.

Charlotte Defense Breakdown

Charlotte’s defense is currently 2nd in MLS in goals allowed per match (1.0), but they are 29th in blocked shots and 26th in interceptions. They are coming off a match where they allowed just one goal to FC Cincinnati, who is 6th in scoring. Keeper Kristijan Kahlina is 1st in MLS with nine clean sheets and 6th in saves (73).

Columbus Crew Defense Breakdown

Heading into their match against the Charlotte offense, the Columbus Crew defense is currently the best in the MLS, allowing just 0.9 goals per match. Over their last five matches, they have given up just two goals (0.4 per match). They have also been strong in their last three matches against teams in the bottom half of the league in scoring, giving up just one goal. Keeper Patrick Schulte is third in the MLS with seven clean sheets, and he is 19th in saves with 52.

Charlotte vs Columbus Crew Prediction

Looking at how this match is projected to play out, we have it finishing in a 1-1 draw with a payout of +340. Coming into the match, Columbus is one of the top offensive clubs in the MLS, and they are also one of the best at preventing goals. Our projections have Cucho Hernandez as the top goal scorer for Columbus, and he has the best odds to score a goal overall. On the other side, Júnior Urso has the best odds to score for Charlotte.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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