Charlotte (home)
- Charlotte are unbeaten in 3 home games (W2, D1).
- Back-to-back home wins over Pumas UNAM and Atlas have put Charlotte on a two-game winning streak in the Leagues Cup, but their overall form has been much better than the record suggests.
- The hosts are 14th in MLS 2026 with 25 points from 18 games, but they are clearly a better side than their 24th-placed visitors who have collected 20 points from the same number of fixtures.
Columbus Crew (away)
- Columbus Crew have only won 1 of their 9 away MLS 2026 games, losing 5.
- Courtois' men arrive, having won three, drawn one and lost only one of their last five.
- The Crew have played more of the kind of football you expect from them under Laurent Courtois in 2026, but their ability to get results has remained elusive.
Recent meetings
Charlotte have split the last two meetings, each side winning once.
Influencers to watch
- Pep Biel is the spark of this side and, with nine goals in 18 MLS 2026 appearances, he is the team's most reliable penalty-box presence.
- Daniel Gazdag has added three goals in the side's last five matches, but this side needs more than that to get goals.
Odds & markets
- Charlotte 2.22, Columbus 2.9, Draw 3.65.
- Both teams to score at 1.55 looks live, but we're going to push the line to under 2.5 goals at 2.2 in case the game gets a little cagey.
- Charlotte are 5-3-2 at home with an average of only 1.10 goals per game conceded.
Short call
- The hosts look the most likely to come away with all three points this weekend.
- We're taking them to edge a tight game rather than the Crew to come up short in their quest to close the gap.
