Portland Timbers vs. Inter Miami CF Predition, Preview and Odds - 10/3/21
Inter Miami CF needs to figure out a way to get a result at Portland on Sunday if it wants to have a realistic shot at making the playoffs. Miami has lost its last three matches and is now in tenth place in the Eastern Conference. Portland has won its last three contests, moving up to fourth place in the Western Conference.
Miami is struggling
Miami is not in good form coming into this match. It went on a hot streak from the middle of August to the middle of September, picking up five wins and one draw in a six-match stretch. The club has fallen back to its old ways, though, losing its last three matches. They were blown out in the first two of those games, losing by a combined eight goals to the New York Red Bulls and Nashville FC. Miami was unable to bounce back earlier this week, dropping a 1-0 final at Atlanta United on Wednesday. Josef Martinez scored the 100th goal of his career on a penalty kick 78 minutes into the match.
Atlanta dominated possession, controlling the ball 62% of the time. Miami was abysmal on the attacking end, failing to get a single shot on target out of seven total attempts. It has dropped to tenth place in the Eastern Conference, trailing Orlando City by seven points for the final playoff spot. Miami is going to be without Ryan Shawcross, Victor Ulloa and Joevin Jones, who are all out with injury. Gregore missed Wednesday’s game due to a yellow card suspension, so he is eligible to return on Sunday. Miami has never faced Portland, so this will be a unique road trip.
Portland is rolling
Portland is in a much different headspace entering this match. It has gone unbeaten in its last seven matches, which all came following a surprising 2-0 loss at Seattle at the end of August. The Timbers have responded quite nicely, notching six wins and one draw since that moment. They went to Seattle and grabbed a 2-0 win and have also picked up two victories over LAFC. Their most dominant performance in September came last Saturday when they thoroughly outclassed Real Salt Lake in a 6-1 final. Portland was able to build on that momentum with a 2-1 win at LAFC on Wednesday, completing the season sweep.
The Timbers opened the scoring when Yimmi Chara scored in the final minute of the first half. LAFC tied the match 10 minutes after halftime, but Dairon Asprilla netted the winning goal on a rebound four minutes later. The home side had a 4-2 advantage in shots on target, but Portland made both of its shots count—goalkeeper Steve Clark saved three shots. The Timbers are now in fourth place in the Western Conference, leading Real Salt Lake by four points. They are five points back of Colorado for third place. Diego Valeri picked up his fifth yellow card of the season earlier this week, so he will be suspended for this match. Jeff Attinella, Andy Polo and Eryk Williamson are all still out with injuries.
Pick: (Portland -1)
Not only are these teams trending in completely opposite directions, but this is an awful scheduling spot for Miami. It had to play a tough match at Atlanta United on Wednesday and now it has to travel across the country to face Portland for the very first time. This is one of the hardest places to play in the MLS, so Miami is really going to be challenged. Then you add in the form of these teams—the Timbers are scorching hot right now and have their eyes set on third place in the table. Miami has lost its last three matches and its attack cannot seem to find any answers for the questions that have been plaguing them.
Total (Over 3)
I do not have much of a choice when it comes to the total. Portland is a great pick on the spread at -1, meaning I need a two-goal cushion to cash the bet. The only path to the Timbers covering and this match going under the total is a 2-0 final. I am not going to predict an exact score, so I will take the over on Sunday. Portland has already shown it can score in bunches, putting six balls in the net against Real Salt Lake several matches ago. Miami allowed five goals against Nashville and four goals against New York last month, so it is certainly capable of allowing a crooked number in this match.