» Soccer Picks » Columbus Crew vs San Jose Earthquakes Expert MLS Picks Against the Spread 8/3/2019

Columbus Crew vs San Jose Earthquakes Expert MLS Picks Against the Spread 8/3/2019

by Guy Bruhn - 7/31/2019

Saturday, August 3, 2019

Avaya Stadium

Gyasi Zardes and the Columbus Crew (7-3-14, 10th in the Eastern Conference) are headed to Avaya Stadium on Saturday where they'll meet the San Jose Earthquakes (11-4-7, 4th in the Western Conference). The goalkeepers expected to start are Eloy Room for the Columbus Crew and Mario Daniel Vega for the San Jose Earthquakes. The odds on this matchup have the Columbus Crew priced at +335 and the Earthquakes are at -148. The over/under is set at 2.75.

The Columbus Crew head into this matchup with a mark of 7 victories, 3 draws, and 14 defeats ranking them 10th in the Eastern Conference. Thus far in the season, they have earned a total of 23 goals which has them ranked at 11th in the conference and 22nd in MLS. This means that if they are going to get the win in this game, they are going to look at taking care of the ball and controlling possession. Their goal differential is -12 ranking them 21st in MLS. The Columbus Crew will want to make it a priority to get the ball to teammates as they have compiled a total of 17 assists which has them ranked at 22nd in MLS and 11th in the conference. In terms of shots on target, they have compiled a total of 78 which has them ranked at 12th in the conference and 24th in MLS. As a team, Columbus has collected a total of 290 fouls which has them averaging 12.08 fouls per contest. They have compiled a total of 24 points for this year and they have an average attendance of 13,647.

Gyasi Zardes is one of the players to watch for the Crew. The forward from the United States has engaged in 19 games this season and has totaled 1,677 mins. In that time, the 27-year-old has racked up 7 goals and has assisted on 2 goals. He is currently averaging 88 minutes per appearance. Zardes has started 19 games this season and has totaled 15 fouls in the process. When looking at shots on target, Zardes has connected on 13 which has him ranking 55th in MLS and 13th in the Eastern Conference among forwards. Pedro Santos is another guy to keep an eye on for the team from Columbus. The 30-year-old from Portugal has tallied 7 goals for the season which has him ranking 6th in the Eastern Conference among midfielders and 29th among all players in MLS. He has played a total of 1,911 minutes and holds an average of 83 minutes per game which has him ranking 138th in MLS. For the season, he has earned 15 shots on target which has him ranking 13th in the Eastern Conference among midfielders.

The man looking after the net for the Crew is Eloy Room from the Netherlands. He is 29 years old and has racked up 180 minutes protecting the goal for the 2019 campaign. Room is allowing an average of 1.50 goals per 90 mins which ranks him 15th among East goalies and 24th among goalies in MLS. For the 2019 season, he has given up 3 goals. He holds a save percentage of .400 which ranks him 25th among East goalies.

The San Jose Earthquakes step onto the pitch with a record of 11 victories, 4 draws, and 7 defeats which is good for 4th in the Western Conference. Thus far in the season, they have earned a total of 38 goals which is good for 2nd in the Western Conference and 4th in the league. That said, if they are going to get points on the day, they are going to need to play really tough. Their goal differential is +6 which is good for 5th in the league. The San Jose Earthquakes will look to make sure they are sharing the ball as they currently have a total of 29 assists which is good for 3rd in the league and 2nd in the Western Conference. In discussing shots on target, they currently have a total of 128 which is good for 2nd in the Western Conference and 2nd in the league. As a unit, San Jose has compiled a total of 275 fouls which has them averaging 12.5 fouls per game. They currently have a total of 37 points for this year and they have an average crowd of 19,396.

Shea Salinas is one of the players to keep an eye on for the Earthquakes. The midfielder from the United States has appeared in 18 contests so far in 2019 and has played 1,050 minutes. Over the course of that time, the 32-year-old has scored 6 goals and has assisted on 3 goals. He is averaging 58 mins per game. Salinas has been a starter in 11 contests so far in 2019 and has committed 9 fouls in that time. In respect of shots on target, Salinas has connected on 8 which has him sitting in 105th in MLS and 21st in the Western Conference among midfielders. Chris Wondolowski is another player to watch out for on the team from San Jose. The 36-year-old from the United States has scored 9 goals this season which places him at 4th in the West among forwards and 9th among all players in Major League Soccer. He has totaled 1,307 mins and has an average of 62 mins per appearance which places him at 307th in Major League Soccer. So far this season, he has 16 shots on target which places him at 15th in the West among forwards.

The goalie for the Earthquakes is Mario Daniel Vega from Argentina. He is 34 years old and has played a total of 1,980 mins minding the goal for the season. Vega is conceding 1.50 goals per 90 minutes which has him sitting 10th in the Western Conference and 25th among goalies in MLS. Over the course of the 2019 season, he's surrendered 33 goals. His save % is .667 which has him sitting 12th in the Western Conference.

Who will win tonight's MLS game against the spread?

Guy's Pick: Take Columbus (+335)

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Pick:	CHICAGO BEARS +3
Start:	November 24, 2024 @ 1:00 PM
Expert:	Doc's Sports

Analysis:

Free Play from Doc’s Sports. Take #256 Chicago Bears +3 over Minnesota Vikings (1p.m., Sunday, November 24 FOX) We used the Bears as a free play winner last Sunday and easily covered the spread and should have been an underdog outright winner. Now we will ride them for a second straight week against another NFC North rival, the Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings are 8-2 on the season, yet are only around a field goal favorite. I still do not trust Sam Donald to win consistently over the course of a 17 game regular season. Minnesota is not as good as their 8-2 record would indicate and playing outdoors in Chicago on Sunday will cause issues for them on both sides of the ball. Chicago has been hit or miss this season, but they will be up to play another divisional rival and we expect them to take this down to the wire as well. Do not miss out on Doc’s Sports Weekend Card featuring top plays in college and NFL football. Read More Read Less

Columbus Crew vs San Jose Earthquakes Expert MLS Picks Against the Spread 8/3/2019

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