Free MLS Pick Columbus Crew vs. Chicago Fire
Looking for Columbus Crew vs. Chicago Fire free picks? MLS betting sees Columbus Crew taking on Chicago Fire Saturday July 09 at Soldier Field. Cappers Picks provides complimentary expert handicapping picks on all MLS soccer matchups all season long so stay tuned for more FREE MLS predictions.
MLS Handicapping
Columbus Crew vs. Chicago Fire
Date: Saturday, July 09
Time: 07:00 PM
Venue: Soldier Field
MLS Moneyline Odds: Columbus Crew 110 / Draw 240/ Chicago Fire 255 (Bet Now!)
MLS Spread Betting Odds: Columbus -0.5 / Chicago 0.5
MLS Betting Total: O/U 2.5
Heading into this matchup, the Columbus Crew are the betting favorites, with the spread set at -0.5 goals. Through 17 matches, they have won by this margin 5 times. As for the Chicago Fire, they enter the match as 0.5-goal underdogs. Through 18 matches, they have covered this margin 9 times.
Columbus Crew
Heading into the Columbus Crew’s 18th game of the season, the team is below .500 at 5-7-5. This mark places them 10th in the Eastern Conference. Columbus comes into this match off having played to a 0-0 draw against Philadelphia. This game is the 8th time they were shut out on offense. On defense, they picked up their 5th shutout of the year.
Through 17 matches, the Columbus Crew have struggled on offense, averaging just 1.18 goals per 90 minutes. This output places them 21st in the MLS. Defensively, Columbus is off to a good start, ranking 2nd in scoring defense. So far, the team is giving up an average of just 1.0 goals per 90 minutes.
Heading into the match, Lucas Zelarayán leads the Crew with 4 goals through 13 matches. Behind him is Derrick Etienne, who has also found the net 3 times. In terms of goalie play, Columbus Crew has gotten good performances from Eloy Room. On the season, opposing teams have accumulated 64 shots on target, in which Room has turned away at a rate of 76.6%. This percentage is good for the 5th in the MLS.
Chicago Fire
Heading into the Chicago Fire’s 19th game of the season, the Fire is below .500 at 4-5-9. This mark places them 14th in the Eastern Conference. In their last match, Chicago lost to San Jose by a score of 2-1. So far, the Chicago Fire has turned in 8 performances with one goal or less. While on defense, Chicago’s defense has given up at least two goals 4 times this year.
Through 18 matches, the Chicago Fire have struggled on offense, averaging just 0.89 goals per 90 minutes. This output places them 27th in the MLS. In terms of defense, Chicago is near the MLS average, giving up 1.28 goals per 90 minutes (15th).
On offense, Chicago Fire is led by the strong play of Xherdan Shaqiri and Kacper Przybyłko, who have each found the net 3 times. So far, their combined goals account for 37.5% of the team’s overall scoring. For the season, goalie Gabriel Slonina is off to a rough start, as he has a save percentage of just 64.3%, placing him 23rd among MLS goalies. This performance has come with opponents taking a total of 56 shots on goal.
Free Columbus Crew vs. Chicago Fire MLS Final Analysis:
When looking at how each team has fared while possessing the ball, the Columbus Crew have been the better squad at generating opportunites near their opponents’ goal. So far, Columbus ranks 7th in attacking area touches. This compares favorably to the Chicago Fire sitting at 16th in the MLS. In addition to putting pressure on opposing defenses, Columbus has also done a good job keeping their opponents out of the attacking zone, allowing just 2538 possessions in their 3rd of the field (12th). Chicago will be looking to improve their defensive play, as opposing teams have had no problem generating looks near the goal, ranking 13rd in attacking possessions allowed.
On offense, both Columbus Crew and Chicago Fire are above-average teams at generating shots, ranking 11th, and 6th, respectively. For the year, Columbus Crew has turned 9.0% of their shot into goals. As for Chicago Fire, their current shooting percentage is 6.0%. So far, 27.3% of Columbus Crew’s shots have been on target. On the other side, Chicago Fire has a season long on target percent of 28.1%. For Columbus Crew, they have converted on 33.0% of these on-target shots compared to Chicago Fire at 21.0%.
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