The Columbus Crew host the New York Red Bulls at Lower.com Field on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. ET in a crucial Eastern Conference matchup. Both teams are struggling and desperately need points to stay in playoff contention.

Recent Form:

• Columbus has just one win in their last nine matches
• Red Bulls have one win in their last ten games
• Previous meeting: RBNY won 1-0 on August 18th

Team Analysis:

Columbus Crew (10th, 27 points)

• Scoring struggles continue with limited goals
• Lucas Zelarayan remains main offensive threat
• Key striker Gyasi Zardes still injured
• Defense hasn't recorded a clean sheet since July 24
• Goalkeeper Eloy Room: 1.41 GAA (up from 0.89 last season)

New York Red Bulls (11th, 23 points)

• Only one road win all season (July 3)
• Balanced scoring: Klimala, Clark, Casseres Jr (4 goals each)
• Fabio leads with 6 assists
• Goalkeeper Carlos Coronel: 26 goals allowed in 21 starts, 6 clean sheets

Betting Lines:

• Columbus Crew: +120
• New York Red Bulls: +225
• Draw: +265
• Total Goals 2.5: Over (-105), Under (-120)
• First to Score: Crew (-130), Red Bulls (+130)

Key Implications: The loser risks falling further behind in the playoff race, potentially needing to jump multiple teams to qualify. An early goal could be crucial, especially for the Crew who have struggled when conceding first.

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