Columbus Crew host CF Montreal at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field on Wednesday, August 19 (7:30 PM ET / 6:30 PM CT / 4:30 PM PT).
No fresh absences have been flagged for either side ahead of this one at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field, so both managers should have close to a full squad to choose from. Columbus Crew will lean on Dániel Gazdag, who leads the way with 3 goals and 8 chances created, with Hugo Picard and Taha Habroune expected to feature further forward. CF Montreal’s attack still runs through Prince Owusu, who has scored 11 goals from 43 shots this season, alongside Wikelman Carmona and Matthew Longstaff supplying from midfield.
This has the feel of a tight, low-event game between two sides who have struggled to find control over 90 minutes lately. Columbus have shipped enough at the back to sit on a -4 goal difference, and Montreal’s -11 mark points to even bigger defensive gaps out on the road. Neither has looked fluent going forward in their recent matches, and with both attacks manageable in isolation, this reads more like a game to be nudged than blown open.
Columbus Crew vs CF Montreal: Best Bets & Predictions
Columbus Crew host CF Montreal in an Eastern Conference clash that should stay tight and low-scoring.
Our approach: we weigh conference standings, recent scorelines and underlying shot and chance-creation numbers, then let the Signal model settle on a single most-likely outcome rather than chase value across every market.
Odds correct at time of writing and shown in American format for illustration; your local odds may vary. 19+ (18+ in AB/MB/QC). Please play responsibly. ConnexOntario: 1-866-531-2600 (ON).
Season Form & Standings
Columbus Crew sit 11th in the Eastern Conference with 20 points from 19 games, while CF Montreal are 13th with 17 points from the same number of games — both still fighting for position in a congested playoff picture this deep into the season.
Eastern Conference
| Team | Pos | GP | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbus Crew | 11 | 19 | 5 | 5 | 9 | 27 | 31 | -4 | 20 |
| CF Montreal | 13 | 19 | 4 | 5 | 10 | 25 | 36 | -11 | 17 |
Columbus Crew vs CF Montreal Predicted Lineups
Predicted XI — updated for the latest team news.
Columbus Crew
4-4-2CF Montreal
4-3-3Potential Match-Winners
- Dániel Gazdag (Columbus Crew): Columbus’s leading scorer with 3 goals and 8 chances created across 786 minutes, and the man most likely to break a tight game open.
- Hugo Picard (Columbus Crew): 2 goals and a team-high 11 chances created from 861 minutes, adding steady output from deeper positions.
- Prince Owusu (CF Montreal): Montreal’s central threat with 11 goals from 43 shots (21 on target) in 1,450 minutes — comfortably their most productive attacker this season.
Recent Form
Columbus Crew: W L W D L
- 2026-08-16: Charlotte FC 3-1 Columbus Crew (L, away)
- 2026-08-02: Inter Miami 2-2 Columbus Crew (D, away)
- 2026-07-26: Columbus Crew 2-1 FC Cincinnati (W, home)
- 2026-07-23: Columbus Crew 1-2 NYCFC (L, home)
- 2026-05-24: Columbus Crew 2-0 Atlanta United (W, home)
Columbus have gone back and forth all summer — 2-0 and 2-1 home wins over Atlanta United and FC Cincinnati either side of a home loss to NYCFC, before a 2-2 draw at Inter Miami and, most recently, a 3-1 defeat at Charlotte FC.
CF Montreal: D L L D D
- 2026-08-16: CF Montreal 1-1 DC United (D, home)
- 2026-08-02: CF Montreal 2-2 New England Revolution (D, home)
- 2026-07-26: CF Montreal 0-1 Inter Miami (L, home)
- 2026-07-23: Nashville SC 1-0 CF Montreal (L, away)
- 2026-07-17: CF Montreal 0-0 Toronto FC (D, home)
CF Montreal’s form has been winless across this stretch — a 0-0 draw with Toronto FC, back-to-back losses to Nashville SC and Inter Miami, then draws with the New England Revolution (2-2) and, most recently, DC United (1-1).
Columbus Crew vs CF Montreal Prediction
Columbus Crew 1-0 CF Montreal. This is the kind of home game Columbus need to start banking if they’re going to climb from 11th in the East, and a tight Montreal defence — albeit one from a side sitting 13th and still with ground to make up — should keep this to a single goal. Gazdag remains the most obvious route to the breakthrough, and once Columbus get their noses in front here, there’s little in Montreal’s recent form to suggest a way back.