Portland Timbers vs. Real Salt Lake Prediction, Preview and Odds -9/25/21

Portland Timbers vs Real Salt Lake

The Portland Timbers defeated LAFC 2-1 at home on Sunday. Portland extended its unbeaten streak to five consecutive matches with the victory. Dairon Asprilla opened the scoring in the 21st minute for Portland but LAFC scored in the 27th minute to level the score at 1-1. George Fochive scored the winner for Portland in the 68th minute. Felipe Mora had a goal waved off late in the match for Portland due to an offside call. Ismaila Jome, Jeff Attinella, Andy Polo and Eryk Williamson are out.

Real Salt Lake defeated Seattle 1-0 at home on Saturday. Damir Kreilach scored the only goal of the game in the 48th minute for Real Salt Lake. RSL has won three of the last five matches since former assistant Freddy Juarez left to work under Seattle manager Brian Schmetzer. Real Salt Lake will play without Zack Farnsworth, Marcelo Silva and Bobby Wood, while Andrew Brody, Zac MacMath, Noah Powder and Aaron Herrera are questionable.

Portland continues to climb up Western Conference standings

Portland is unbeaten in each of his last five matches and the Timbers are fifth in the Western Conference standings with a record of 11-4-10, 37 points and a -6 goal difference. Portland is four points ahead of eighth place LAFC in the standings and only the first seven qualify for the playoffs. Portland has scored 36 goals this season but the back line has given up too much, allowing 42 goals. However, during the Timbers current 5-match unbeaten streak, Portland has allowed only three goals and has three clean sheets.

Felipe Mora is the leading goal scorer for Portland with 10, while Dairon Asprilla has scored 6 and both Sebastian Blanco and Yimmi Chara have scored three. Mora is tied for the lead in assists with Blanco with three and five others have two each. Goalkeeper Steven Clark has appeared in 15 of Portland's 25 matches and has allowed 20 goals for an average of 1.33 per match.

Real Salt Lake Must play better on the Road

Real Salt Lake is sixth in the Western Conference standings with a record of 10-6-9, 36 points and a +6 goal difference. Real Salt Lake is one point behind Portland in the standings but has struggled on the road this season. RSL has lost five of the last six played on the road and overall has just three wins in 12 matches played on the road. Real Salt Lake has scored 41 goals and allowed 35 in 25 MLS matches.

Damir Kreilach is the leading goal scorer for Real Salt Lake with 10, while Albert Rusnak and Rubio Rubin have each scored seven and Anderson Julio has six. Aaron Herrera (questionable) is the leader in assists with 8, while Rusnak has six and two others have four each. Goalkeeper David Ochoa has appeared in 16 matches for Real Salt Lake and allowed 20 goals for an average of 1.25 per match.

Portland Timbers -114

Portland is unbeaten in each of his last five matches and in the only match of the season between the two the Timbers defeated Real Salt Lake 3-2 at home. Although Portland has allowed more than its share of goals this season with an average of 1.68 per match, the Timbers back line and goalkeeper have been excellent over each of the last five matches with three clean sheets and a 0.60 goals against average. Real Salt Lake has struggled on the road this season with three wins in 12 matches that has included 3 draws and 6 losses.

Total: Over

Although Portland has tightened its back line, the Timbers are allowing an average of 1.68 goals per match this season and Real Salt Lake is scoring an average of 1.64 goals per match. In the first match between the two this season played on August 7 a combined five goals were scored and in each of the last 4 matches between the two, three goals or more have been scored.