Portland Timbers vs. Colorado Rapids Prediction, Preview and Odds -9/15/21
Colorado has a chance to move into first place in the Western Conference on Wednesday night. The Rapids are three points back of the top spot, so they will be aiming for all three points against the Timbers. Portland is in fifth place and has a chance to close the gap between itself and Los Angeles in the standings.
Colorado has not lost since July
Colorado has been one of the best teams in the United States this season. It has not lost a match since July 24, carrying an eight-match unbeaten streak into this contest. The Rapids have won five matches and played to three draws during that stretch. Their most recent match was one of those ties, as they hosted the Galaxy. Colorado took a 1-0 lead 66 minutes into the contest when Michael Barrios netted his sixth goal of the year. Los Angeles answered with a goal 14 minutes later to salvage the point. The Galaxy got Javier Hernandez back from injury, but he was held scoreless.
Colorado finished with a 16-8 advantage in overall shots, but only three of those were on target. It missed the chance to move ahead of Seattle in the Western Conference table. The Rapids are one point back of Sporting KC and three points back of Seattle. They have been one of the most consistent teams in the MLS, not dropping consecutive matches at any point this season. Their longest winless stretch was two games. Colorado has allowed the fewest goals of any team in the league (21). It has also scored in all but two of its road matches in 2021, tallying six wins in those contests.
Portland wins three straight
Portland comes into this match with some momentum of its own. While the Timbers only have a three-match unbeaten streak, they have picked up wins in all three of those outings. They went on the road and notched a 2-0 win at Seattle to get things started. Their next two wins were also on the road, beating Houston 2-0 and Vancouver 1-0. They were able to squeak past Vancouver last Friday, as Ranko Veselinovic scored on an own goal 21 minutes after halftime. Goalkeeper Steve Clark made three saves and posted his third straight shutout. Clark now has four clean sheets on the year.
Vancouver was on a franchise-best unbeaten streak of 10 matches, so it was an impressive road win for Portland. The Timbers are now in fifth place in the standings, trailing Los Angeles by four points for fourth place. Diego Chara became the eighth player in MLS history to play in 300 matches for one club in the win over Vancouver. Claudio Bravo is one tackle shy of Yuya Kubo for the MLS-lead in tackles. Portland will play seven of its final 11 matches this season at home, so it is expecting to finish in the top four of the conference standings.
Pick: (Portland +145)
Portland just ended one long unbeaten streak when it beat Vancouver in its last match. I expect the Timbers to end another streak on Wednesday night. They are living up to preseason expectations, although it took some time to get the engine started. Portland is firing on all cylinders now, though. Clark continues to be stellar in net. Colorado is having to travel to one of the toughest places to play in the MLS. I expect the Rapids’ unbeaten streak to come to an end in this match.
Total (Under 3)
There are several factors pointing me towards the under on Wednesday night. The first one is the recent play of Clark, who has now recorded three consecutive clean sheets. He has stopped the last 14 shots he has faced, so it would take some serious regression for him to allow multiple goals on Wednesday. The other factor is Colorado’s defense, which has allowed the fewest goals of any team in the MLS. This is an extremely important match for both sides, so the defensive intensity should be high.