Columbus Crew vs. New York Red Bulls Prediction: Black and Gold Aim to Avoid Wild-Card Clash

• The Crew are locked into a postseason spot, but their final position will be determined after decision day 

• RBNY saw its playoff qualification streak come to a halt in 2025, missing out on the postseason for the first time in 15 years 

The final weekend in MLS sees the New York Red Bulls make their way to Lower.com Field to clash against the Columbus Crew. These Eastern Conference foes most recently met at the end of August, and both sides shared the spoils in a scoreless draw. 

Here, we will break down the betting odds and share our favourite picks for Columbus Crew vs. New York Red Bulls.

Columbus Crew vs. New York Red Bulls Betting Odds for Saturday, October 18

The Asian spread market has the host priced at -111 to win by more than a goal, while RBNY at +1 is also listed at -111.

Columbus Crew vs. New York Red Bulls Odds

The following odds are taken from bet365 sportsbook. Use our promo code WSN365 at bet365 to claim your bonus: Bet $5, Get $200 in Bonus Bets Win or Lose.

Columbus Crew vs. New York Red Bulls Betting Prediction

Columbus Crew Preview

After the final game of the 2025 regular season for Wilfred Nancy’s men, they will find out who their playoff opponent is. Currently occupying one of the wildcard spots, the Crew must leapfrog a few teams to avoid participating in an extra fixture and gain valuable rest. Columbus will look to end the year on a high note, as they have found themselves in a slump, struggling to get into the win column, obtaining only one win in their previous eight contests. 

Diego Rossi is the Black and Gold’s leading goal getter this term, frequently finding the back of the net with his 16 tallies in 29 starts. He will likely be a menace on the pitch again as the 27-year-old forward averages 3.38 shots per game. Rossi has built up a respectable resume in a Columbus Crew kit, making him one of the most potent strikers on an MLS roster, amassing 45 goals in 98 appearances across all competitions.

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New York Red Bulls Preview

This campaign stung in more ways than one, as last year's MLS Cup runners-up had difficulty finding momentum in 2025. Sandro Schwarz’s troops could finish one point below the previous season, as the 2024 Eastern Conference champions finished with 47 points, while this year’s squad has registered 43. Down the stretch, costly losses added to the club's demise, and they struggled to string together maximum results, only achieving two wins in consecutive rounds this year. 

The team thought bolstering its offence by adding Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting to its lineup in March would translate into another deep playoff run. Despite the club having debacles and setbacks throughout the campaign, personally, it was a decent showing for the striker's new outfit in his debut in MLS. The Cameroonian international garnered 16 goals and added four assists in his 32 outings across the league.

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Columbus Crew vs. New York Red Bulls - My Pick

Columbus Crew vs. New York Red Bulls pick: New York Red Bulls +1 (-111) at bet365

Despite nothing to gain in the standings for the visitors, we feel they can sneak up and catch Columbus off guard on decision day in MLS. RBNY might not have celebrated many victories, but at the same time, they haven’t been blown out by the opposition in their setbacks throughout the campaign. Out of the Red Bulls' 14 defeats, in four instances they have only been beaten by a wider margin of one goal; two of those multiple-goal losses came from Inter Miami, who virtually thrash any counterpart when they come out to compete.

Columbus’ subpar displays have only seen them win four games, where they managed to win by more than a goal. We feel RBNY will want to play the role of spoilers, preventing their adversary from qualifying directly into the playoffs and making life a little more difficult. Could see the Red Bulls sitting back more deeply and limiting the risks of being caught on the counterattack.

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How to Watch Crew vs. New York Red Bulls

• When: Saturday, October 18, 6 p.m. ET

• Where: Lower.com Field 

• TV: Apple TV - MLS Season Pass