LA Galaxy vs. Portland Timbers Prediction, Preview, and Odds - 7/30/21
Portland will be looking to pull off an upset and move into a playoff spot when it travels to Los Angeles on Friday night. The Timbers, who are coming off a 2-1 loss to Minnesota, are currently in eighth place in the Western Conference. Los Angeles is winless in its last three matches, but it is still in third place in the table.
Portland needs a win to improve playoff chances
Portland has been extremely inconsistent this season. It regularly has alternated between wins and losses. The Timbers dropped a 2-1 final to Minnesota on Saturday in their most recent match. They were coming off a pair of wins over LAFC and Dallas in their previous two contests. This is an important match, as Portland is currently sitting just outside the playoff picture in the Western Conference. The Timbers are one point behind Real Salt Lake for seventh place, which is the final playoff position. Felipe Mora scored early in the match against Minnesota, but Portland would allow the tying goal in the 74th minute.
Minnesota netted the winner with five minutes left to play, sending Portland home without a point. The Timbers only recorded 13 points in their first 11 matches, but they have shown improvement. Jeremy Ebobisse scored the lone goal in the 84th minute to pick up all three points against FC Dallas and the club would then add a 2-1 win over LAFC. Mora scored in the 93rd minute to give his team all three points. Portland should have some confidence entering this match based on decent form and a 3-0 win at home over the Galaxy in May.
Galaxy struggling after strong start
Los Angeles got off to an outstanding start this season, winning seven of its first 10 matches. The Galaxy immediately shot up to the top of the Western Conference. However, they have been unable to maintain that form of late. They have dropped three of their last five matches, playing to a 2-2 draw in one of the others. Los Angeles picked up a 3-1 win over Dallas on July 7 for its lone win in the last five outings. The Galaxy are coming off their most shocking result of the season, though. They faced Dallas in a rematch last Saturday—it did not go as planned.
Dallas was able to exact revenge with a 4-0 thumping. Ricardo Pepi scored a hat trick in the first 60 minutes of the contest and Dallas, which has been struggling throughout the season, netted another goal in the final minutes. Despite their poor form, Los Angeles is still in third place in the Western Conference. It is one point ahead of Colorado and is five points back of Sporting KC. Javier Hernandez is currently out with an injury after scoring 10 goals in his first 10 matches. Jonathan dos Santos and Efrain Alvarez are both with the national team at the Gold Cup, so they will not be available either.
Pick: (Portland +225)
I would be less concerned about Los Angeles had the shocking performance against Dallas occurred in a vacuum. Alas, it did not. The Galaxy have been in poor form for five matches now and it was capped off by their worst performance of the season. They are without several key players, including their top goal-scorer. Portland is finally finding its footing late in the season. The Timbers have a chance to move into the playoff picture with a win, so they should have plenty of motivation. They have already beaten Los Angeles once this season and have a great chance to pull off the upset on Friday night.
Total: (Under 3)
The under continues to be the best betting option for Los Angeles while Hernandez is sidelined. He is one of the best strikers in the MLS, so his absence is key. The Galaxy have been shut out twice in their last five matches. Portland is also down several players and has not been a high-scoring team this season. It has not scored more than two goals in a match since the end of May. The Timbers really need to grab at least one point from this contest, so I expect a fairly conservative effort.
