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Portland Timbers and New York City FC lock horns in the MLS! Catch the MLS odds series here, featuring our Portland Timbers-New York City FC prediction, odds, pick, and guide on how to watch.
The Timbers (5-6-8) are struggling to find consistency in this campaign, winning once in the last seven games. Portland is in a two-game winless run, losing 1-2 last timeout to Chicago Fire at home.
New York City FC (4-8-7) is currently in 12th place in the MLS Eastern Conference standings. The Pigeons have not been at their best so far this season, posting an active 11-game winless run. The away side secured their fourth-straight deadlock after playing out a 2-2 draw against Atlanta United last timeout.
Here are the Portland Timbers-New York City FC soccer odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLS Odds: Portland Timbers-New York City FC Odds
Portland Timbers: -110
New York City FC: +260
Draw: +240
Over 2.5 Goals: -116
Under 2.5 Goals: -104
How to Watch Portland Timbers vs. New York City FC
TV: N/A
Stream: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV, Bet365
Time: 10:30 PM ET / 7:30 PM PT
*Watch soccer LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why Portland Timbers Can Beat New York City FC
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Portland Timbers won the MLS in 2015 and the 2020 MLS is Back Tournament. The Timbers also finished as runners-up in 2018 and 2021. They have always been considered a challenging club to face. However, the side missed out on playoffs last season, and the current form foreshadows another poor finish this season.
The club is currently 11th in the West and is on a two-game winless run in the domestic season. The Portland Timbers will not want a repeat of their last result here following the 1-2 MLS defeat last time out to Chicago Fire. In that match, Portland Timbers had 46% possession but dominated Chicago with 17 total shots, five shots on target, six corner kicks, and 77% accurate passing. Despite those numbers, Franck Boli's goal to equalize Fabian Herbers' effort was not enough., as Kei Kamara secured a goal in the 83rd minute. The match was a rough one with 36 combined fouls from both teams and Dairon Asprillo and Claudio Bravo committed yellow cards.
Portland definitely needs to get a win at home so that they may get a playoff qualification spot over Austin or Vancouver. The Timbers have a 4-2-3 home record, where they scored 13 goals and captured 14 points in nine games. In the last eight home games, Portland lost twice and won thrice.
The Timbers’ impressive run over New York will come to an abrupt end on Sunday if coach Giovanni Savarese’s boys perform the way they did against Chicago Fire. The Timbers currently have won the last six times in eight encounters. Portland will definitely try to build from their 1-0 win against New York in the MLS Preseason game.
Savarese's squad has made 21 goals from 12 different players, tallying 11.5 total shots, 4.1 shots on target, and 3.7 corner kicks per game. Franck Boli leads the team with five goals while Evander leads in goal contributions with four goals and three assists. Juan Mosquera and Santiago Moreno combined for eight goal involvements.
There will be a lot of absentees from the hosts in this game. David Ayala and Eryk Williamson are dealing with knee issues, Yimmi Chara and Dairon Asprilla have left hamstring injuries, and Sebastian Blanco has right thigh pain. Hunter Sulte is out with a concussion while Zac McGraw is on international duty for Canada.
Why New York City FC Can Beat Portland Timbers
New York City FC is in dismal form at the moment and cannot afford another debacle in this match. The Bronx Blues are currently in 12th place in the Eastern Conference, three points away from a playoff qualification spot. NYCFC also wants to put an end to its active 11-game winless run.
In their previous fixture, New York City FC drew 2-2 against Atlanta United. In that match, New York City FC managed 41% possession and three total shots, all on target, along with one corner kick. Gabriel Pereira managed to put one goal in each half to put the Bronx Blues ahead twice in the game, but Tyler Wolff and Nicolas Firmino equalized on both occasions. This has now put New York in a four-game run of draws against New England, Real Salt Lake, and Columbus.
It is worth noting that the Boys in Blue have had real problems scoring goals in their past six encounters, contributing to the disappointing return of just five. In those matches, the Pigeons have also seen the overall goal tally of their opponents equal by nine.
New York City’s 2023 MLS campaign consists of four victories, eight draws, and seven losses. That’s not the sort of display that earns the team a place in the final series but New York is definitely working its way to some improvements. The Pigeons are, however, still winless in their travels, notching five draws and five losses in 10 games, scoring seven times while conceding 13 goals.
New York City FC has only won twice against Portland. Their latest win was in 2021 in the MLS playoffs, where the game was a 1-1 draw and New York won 4-2 in the penalty shootout. The New Yorkers will seek the same result. The team's top offensive contributors are keys to the offense. Gabriel Pereira leads the team with six, followed by Santiago Rodriguez with four goals. Richard Ledezma tops the team with four assists. Talles Magno has four goal involvements for the squad.
English coach Nicholas Cushing has only one absentee in the game. Thiago Martins is out with a knee injury, while James Sands and Maxime Chanot are back after their international duties. Meanwhile, the likes of Braian Cufre, Santiago Rodriguez, and Tayvon Gray have four yellow cards, so they must be careful not to pick another one, or else they will be suspended.
Final Portland Timbers-New York City FC Prediction & Pick
A lot of goals are expected from both teams, but Portland will continue its good form at home. New York can still get its first road win sometime this season, but not today.
Final Portland Timbers-New York City FC Prediction & Pick: Portland Timbers (-110), Over 2.5 goals (-116)
