Columbus Crew vs New York Red Bulls Prediction & Betting Tips (13 September)

Columbus Crew host New York Red Bulls on Saturday, September 12, 2026, at Lower.com Field in Columbus, Ohio, with kick-off set for 7:30 PM EDT in a Major League Soccer Eastern Conference clash that arrives at a pivotal point of the 2026 campaign. The two sides already met once this season, producing a thriller at Red Bull Arena in mid-May that the Red Bulls edged 3-2, so the Crew will be eager to settle the score in front of their home supporters. Both teams are locked in the congested middle of the Eastern table, making this a genuine six-pointer as the playoff race intensifies heading into the final stretch of the regular season.

Columbus Crew come into this fixture on the back of a much-needed confidence boost, having produced a dominant performance to beat the Colorado Rapids 3-0 at home last weekend, ending a worrying slide in form. That victory was a welcome response after the Crew had fallen to a disappointing 1-3 defeat against the New England Revolution, and head coach Wilfried Nancy will demand the same intensity against a New York side that has struggled on the road in 2026. The Crew's 2026/2027 squad, built around Patrick Schulte in goal, Rudy Camacho and Malte Amundsen in defense, and the creative spine of Dániel Gazdag, Aidan Morris and Diego Rossi, has shown flashes of real quality, and the attacking trio supported by the likes of Aziel Jackson and Taha Habroune will fancy their chances against a leaky Red Bulls back line.

New York Red Bulls, meanwhile, arrive in Ohio after grinding out a goalless 0-0 draw away at the Seattle Sounders, a result that extended their winless run in MLS and kept them stuck in the lower half of the Eastern Conference. Sandro Schwarz's 2026/2027 roster, featuring veteran goalkeeper Ethan Horvath, captain Emil Forsberg, and the attacking talents of Cade Cowell, Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting and Julian Hall, has found goals hard to come by of late, with Choupo-Moting's strike in their recent 1-3 home loss to the Philadelphia Union one of the few bright spots in an otherwise frustrating August. The Red Bulls' trademark high press remains dangerous, but defensive lapses and a lack of cutting edge in the final third have undermined their push toward the playoff line.

The betting markets price Columbus Crew as clear favorites in European odds at around 1.80 for the home win, with the draw offered at approximately 3.90 and a New York Red Bulls victory at roughly 4.20, reflecting both the Crew's superior home form and the visitors' ongoing struggles away from Sports Illustrated Stadium. With Columbus fresh off a statement 3-0 win and New York winless in their last three MLS outings, all the momentum points toward the hosts, and we predict a convincing Columbus Crew 3-1 victory, with Gazdag and Rossi leading the charge against a Red Bulls defense that has conceded far too freely on the road this sea