Predictions: Crew (H) v Houston

Good Morning,

Columbus hosts the Houston Dynamo this evening. Kickoff is 7:30 PM, 6:30 PM Texas time.

GAME NOTES
-HOU: missing key players to international duties, Brad Davis and Oscar Boniek Garcia
-CLB: 2013 year without Eddie Gaven starts tonight.
-CLB: Higuain featured in midweek US Open Cup match
-CLB: Marshall and Viana listed as out
-HOU: Bobby Boswell serving suspension
-HOU: WWLLD in last 5 (7 pts)
-CLB: WLLWD in last 5 (7 pts)

PREDICTIONS

Win Draw Win, the sports betting aggregate site, is showing a large stake on a 0:1 Away (Houston) win. The famously accurate "Your Vote" section lines up with 44% of the vote going Houston and 20% to Columbus.

Reason for the play on Houston is for the near even odds over at Bet365 for the Crew (6/5). Draw is at 11/5 and Houston 12/5.

Over at Drew Epperley's WV Hooligan site he writes; "Life without Eddie Gaven for the Crew begins this weekend." Epperley thinke both clubs have the fire power but it should wind up level at 1:1.

Voting at Goal.com has Houston heavy. Nobody votes on their previews, however. This week I entered a scoreline of 6 to 6.

Over at MLSsoccer.com the Pick 'em club favors Houston (3 of 6 votes) over the Crew (1 of 6).

Patrick Guldan, Managing Editor of Massive Report has a good right out this morning previewing the game. He believes that the missing players on the Houston side creates favorable match ups for the attacking Crew players. He's calling it 2:1 for the Crew.

No notes from Adam Jardy this week. Not because he doesn't have any but because I am away from my paper right now and the Dispatch's online presence is awful.

MY THOUGHTS AND PREDICTIONS

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With all the players Houston is missing, I'm thinking it's more Dominic Kinnear vs. Crew players this week. You've got to like the Dynamo's chances there. If anything Houston knows how to pull out a draw in these types of games.

For the Crew? They need to press and try and take advantage of a weakened Eastern Conference foe. If Columbus tries to step back and play 'their game' they will lose. Houston (Kinnear) is famous for breaking apart teams that try to do that (sometimes violently).

We'll see. Might not be pretty again this week, true believers, but it will be rather evenly matched.

Enjoy the game.