Joralexray Garcia
The 2023 MLS season will kick off this Saturday, February 25, with this Philadelphia Union vs Columbus Crew SC clash. This will be the first one that will undoubtedly get most of the attention since we will be watching the debut of one of the great protagonists of last year, Philadelphia Union, from which great things are expected once again.
The best Philadelphia Union vs Columbus Crew SC match preview can be found at JefeBet, where you can also find the best odds and predictions for each MLS Matchday 1 game.
Predictions, Odds, and Betting Preview for the Philadelphia Union vs Columbus Crew SC MLS Matchday 1 Game on February 25, 2023
- Where: Subaru Park, Chester, Pennsylvania
- When: Saturday, February 25, 2023, 7:30 PM ET
- Unibet Moneyline: Philadelphia Union (-150) / Tie (+280) / Columbus Crew (+390)
- Unibet Asian Handicap: Philadelphia Union (AH -0.75, -114) / Columbus Crew (AH +0.75, -105)
- Unibet Over/Under (2.5): Over (-122) / Under (-110)
- Both teams score from Unibet:Yes (-124) / No (-106)
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Betting on Philadelphia Union
Last season, the Philadelphia Union were arguably a victim of how unpredictable and unfair soccer can be at times, as they dominated the Eastern Conference all year, scoring 67 points in 34 games, and comfortably reached the grand final but finished as runner-up. They lost on penalty kicks to the Los Angeles Galaxy.
Jim Curtin’s men were the best of the regular stage in 2022 in every way, scoring the most goals (72) and conceding the fewest goals in the 34 games played (26).
Starting their quest for their first MLS title on the right foot once again appears to be attainable this time around, given that the Zolos are in the midst of a spectacular streak of 11 league wins at Subaru Park. They have not tasted defeat in any of their 19 appearances in 2022, with their last loss at that venue on December 5, 2021.
Possible Lineup (4-3-1-2): Andre Blake; Olivier Mbaizo, Jakob Glesnes, Jack Elliot, Kai Wagner; Alejandro Bedoya, José Martínez, Leon Flach; Daniel Gazdag; Julián Carranza, Mikael Uhre.
Betting on Columbus Crew SC
Meanwhile, a final stretch of just one win in seven league games kept Columbus Crew SC out of the Eastern Conference playoff spots by just two points, with the last of those results being a 2-1 loss in a direct duel for those spots to Orlando City.
Although they failed to keep a clean sheet in their last nine league games last campaign, Columbus was the team with the fewest losses in MLS after Philadelphia with only eight. However, their inability to tilt things in their favor cost them dearly, as they were also the team that recorded the most draws with a total of 16.
Ten of The Crew’s 16 draws came at home, a result that would surely make them very happy on this occasion, given that they have lost six of their last seven visits to Philadelphia Union, including the last four.
Possible Lineup (4-2-3-1): Eloy Room; Steven Moreira, Jonathan Mensah, Milos Degenek, Will Sands; Artur, Darlington Nagbe; Luis Diaz, Lucas Zelarayan, Derrick Etienne; Cucho Hernandez.
JefeBet Prediction
The Philadelphia Union’s dominance at home has been superlative of late, and Columbus knows this more than any other team, as not only have they not won at Subaru Park since 2015, but they have also failed to see an opponent’s goal in their six most recent visits.
While Columbus is a very gritty team, Philadelphia Union is clearly superior with a very solid defense and a productive offense, so we expect them to prove it in this Philadelphia Union vs Columbus Crew SC match once again and come away with a comfortable win.
Prediction: Philadelphia Union Spread (PHI 2-0 COL).
