Inter Miami host Columbus Crew in an MLS fixture on Wednesday with both teams battling at opposite ends of the table. Miami have a good record in this fixture but are struggling at the moment and with Columbus finding things difficult on their travels, both teams could be set to cancel each other out.
Inter Miami are coming off a 1-1 home draw with Austin in their previous MLS fixture. They took the lead just after the break through Josef Martinez but were only in front for four minutes as the visitors struck the equaliser.
While a win would have been preferable, it was still a useful result for Inter Miami, who had been on a seven-match losing run. As they await the arrival of new manager Gérardo Martino and star acquisition Lionel Messi, the Herons remain rooted to the bottom of the Eastern Conference.
There has also been little home comfort for Inter Miami, who are winless in their last four MLS matches at the DRV PNK Stadium. However, they will be looking to build on the draw with Austin while there was also a 2-1 victory over New England back in May.
Columbus Crew were victorious last time out in the MLS as they picked up a 2-1 win over New York Red Bulls. They went into the break level after Juan Camillo Hernandez’s effort was cancelled out by the visitors but Yaw Yeboah struck the winner midway through the second half.
That result was a continuation of Columbus Crew’s recent good form as they have claimed five wins and a draw from their last six matches. In contrast to rock bottom Inter Miami, Wilfried Nancy’s men are pushing for a playoff finish and are currently fifth in the Eastern Conference standings.
While things appear to be good for Columbus Crew lately, a slight problem is their away record having claimed just one win from their last five matches on the road. They have also struggled defensively and are without a single clean sheet in that run.
How the bookies view it
Columbus Crew have the edge among the bookies and are priced at 7/5 by bet365. Inter Miami are slight outsiders at home at home with a victory priced at 19/10 by BoyleSports while a draw is set at odds of 13/5 by William Hill.
Head to head
Inter Miami have a 3-2 edge with one draw from six previous matches with Columbus Crew. Miami have also won the last two meetings and claimed a 2-1 victory in the reverse fixture back in April.
Players to watch
Josef Martinez often leads the line for Inter Miami and has five MLS goals this season. The striker was also on target last time out against Austin and is priced at 5/2 by William Hill to find the net on Wednesday.
Juan Camillo Hernandez has been in good form for Columbus Crew in recent weeks, scoring on four of the last six matches. The attacker has also found the net in the last two meetings with Inter Miami and could be backed to maintain his scoring run at 5/2 with William Hill.
Anything else catch the eye?
Inter Miami and Columbus Crew are generally unconvincing at the back and both teams can be backed to score at 8/13 with William Hill. The last two meetings have produced over 2.5 goals and a repeat is priced at 13/18 with 10bet while over 3.5 goals is valued at 7/4 by Paddy Power.
Both teams have had late showings in recent weeks and could be backed to score in the second half at 15/8 with Paddy Power. The second half can also be tipped to produce the most goals at evens with William Hill.
This MLS match between Inter Miami and Columbus Crew will be played on Jul 5, 2023 and kick off at 00:30. Check below for our tipsters best Inter Miami vs Columbus Crew prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
