- History: Inter Miami CF have won 4 of the last 5 meetings between the two clubs, including a 5-1 home win in MLS 2025.
- Team form: Inter Miami CF are the form team coming into this game with 5 consecutive wins.
- Away record: Columbus Crew have no wins in 2 away games against Inter Miami CF.
A game for the neutrals
Inter Miami CF have won 4 of the last 5 games between these clubs and seem to be the clear pick ahead of Saturday's meeting at Nu Stadium.
Angel Guillermo Hoyos' team have won their last 5 matches, but they haven't been the most convincing with the 2-0 win over Portland Timbers, 6-4 thrashing of Philadelphia Union and 3-2 success against Chicago Fire FC their most recent results.
Columbus Crew come into this contest in mixed form after a 1-2 home defeat against New York City FC and 2-1 home win over FC Cincinnati their last 2 MLS 2026 games.
The Crew have won 3, drawn 1 and lost 1 in their last 5, but the away form is a much smaller sample and nothing about that suggests they can win this.
Miami are flying, Columbus are in trouble
Standings and odds
Inter Miami CF are 2nd in the MLS 2026 table on 34 points from 16 games, while Columbus Crew are 20th on 19 points from 17, so the table alone should see Miami taken at 1.73 odds here.
Tactics and key players
Columbus' 4-3-3/4-2-3-1 system is more structured and they have more collective identity in terms of possession, pressing and being the quicker team in the front half, but Miami have the superstar in Lionel Messi, who has 12 goals in 14 MLS 2026 matches and 6 assists in his last 5 games. Luis Suárez has also been a killer, scoring 6 of Miami's 19 goals across their last 5 games, so Columbus will need to keep tabs on this deadly duo.
Miami can win open and end-to-end game
Miami's home record in MLS 2026 is 3-3-1 from 7 matches, so they aren't untouchable at home, but they are tough to beat. Columbus have 1-2-5 away form in MLS 2026, which is a shaky away record throughout the season.
With Miami on a roll and Columbus in disarray, we're taking the home side to control this game and nick a win.
- Diego Rossi leads their attacking line with 6 goals in 15 appearances and he can be a threat here.
- Both teams to score at 1.38 looks sharp, but over 2.5 goals at 1.38 is the sharpest alternative angle here and it does fit the two sides' attacking profiles with Miami having conceded 15 goals in 7 home matches in MLS 2026 at an average of 2.14.
- Columbus have scored 1.50 and conceded 2.12 away from home on average in MLS 2026, so they can nick a goal but they will concede chances too.
