Betting
Sporting KC vs Columbus Crew Preview: Odds, Tips and Prediction – Mar 1, 2026
Sporting KC and Columbus lock horns in the MLS at the Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas on Sunday, 01 March 2026. Both sides lost on opening day and will be desperate to bounce back, which should make for an intense matchup and plenty of angles for bettors. If you need a quick refresher, read our findings before you lock in any picks. Kansas City welcome Columbus crew to the Children’s Mercy Park for MLS action. Both these sides remain winless after losing on the opening day and will want to target this fixture to kickstart their respective campaigns.
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Diego Rossi of the Columbus Crew//Getty Images
Pre-Game Odds and Win Probability
Home: 11/10 (2.10) – 30.7%
Draw: 5/2 (3.50) – 30.7%
Away: 13/5 (3.60) – 41.6%
Odds courtesy of FanDuel, subject to change.
Head-to-Head Record
The head-to-head record below can give you extra insight for all your football betting strategies!
10/08/24 – Columbus Crew 4 – 0 Sporting Kansas City
23/06/24 – Columbus Crew 4 – 0 Sporting Kansas City
24/04/22 – Sporting Kansas City 0 – 0 Columbus Crew
Sporting KC Current Form – LLLDL
The home side has been on a poor run of form in the league, which has seen them winless over their previous five games that stretch from the previous season. They kicked off the league with a three-nil loss to the San Jose Earthquakes last weekend.
Dejan Joveljic of Sporting Kansas City celebrates after scoring the team's first goal//Getty Images
Key Players to watch
- Dejan Joveljic: Joveljic is a quick forward who leads the line well for KC. The 26-year-old bagged his first goal of the campaign in their opening day loss to the San Jose Earthquakes.
- Manu Garcia: The Spanish tactician is always available in the middle of the park for Kansas. Garcia controls the tempo and adds creativity to the side.
- John Pulskamp: The young American goalkeeper commands his box to an elite standard and is a key figure in organising the defence.
Sporting KC Team News
The home side are coming into the tie having not won in the league since last season and will want to rewrite the results of that campaign against Columbus Crew, who ran out four-nil victors home and away.
Columbus Current Form – WLWLL
Columbus Crew have had a mixed bag of results over their previous five games, having won twice and lost the other three in that period. They also lost on the opening day of the season, so they will want to get off to winning ways against KC.
Wessam Abou Ali of Columbus Crew celebrates after scoring the team's second goal//Getty Images
Key Players to Watch
- Wessam Abou Ali: The Palestinian forward is tall and lanky and has been involved in one goal and one assist so far this season.
- Diego Rossi: The 27-year-old midfielder is a live wire in midfield and ever-present in the squad, which makes him a reliable option.
- Malte Amundsen: The Danish defender has already registered one assist, and he is a lethal weapon when he gets forward and joins the attack for Columbus.
Columbus Team News
After narrowly losing to Portland Timbers on the opening day, Columbus will want to get back to winning ways, and they will have a great opportunity to do so against a KC side they put eight goals past over two games last season.
Predicted Line-Ups: Sporting KC vs Columbus
Sporting KC (4-4-1-1): Pulskamp. Reynolds, James, Meyer, Reid, Suleymanov, Garcia, Bartlett, Harris, Davis, Joveljic
Columbus (3-4-3): Schulte, Zawadzki, Camacho, Amundsen, Chambost, Habroune, Herrera, Arfsten, Rossi, Ali, Picard
Suggested Bets
This preview is best paired with a trusted MLS bookmaker, especially if you want strong promos and smooth payouts. If you need options first, read our analysis. Here are my suggested bets for this matchup below.
Over 2.5 Goals: There were eight goals over two games between these two sides last season. (3/5 with FanDuel)
Both Teams to Score (No): Both games between these sides in the last campaign saw only one side register a goal. (1/1 with FanDuel)
Value Bets
Wessam Abou Ali – Anytime Goal Scorer: The Palestinian has already opened his account for the new season and is likely to find the net again. (4/1 with FanDuel)
Columbus Crew to Win to Nil: Columbus did the double over KC last season without conceding a goal. (3/1 with FanDuel)
Columbus Crew to Win to Nil: Columbus did the double over KC last season without conceding a goal. (3/1 with FanDuel)
Prediction: Columbus Crew to Win
It is set to be an entertaining encounter at the Children’s Mercy Park between two sides in search of a first league victory. Columbus are the favourites to claim maximum points away from home. Back the visitors to continue their excellent form against Kansas this Sunday.
Nigel Naicker is a versatile sportswriter with extensive experience covering major global tournaments, including the Premier League, AFCON, and the Champions League. His knowledge stretches across soccer, UFC, cricket, and several other sports. In recent years, he has also expanded his expertise into sports gambling content and more specialised sporting niches.