Sporting Kansas City vs. Portland Timbers Prediction, Preview, and Odds - 8/18/21
Sporting Kansas City vs. Portland Timbers
The 2021 MLS season goes on Wednesday night with 11 games on the schedule, including the Western Conference showdown from Children’s Mercy Park, where Sporting Kansas City hosts the Portland Timbers. The kick-off is set at 8:30 PM ET, so let’s see what’s the best Kansas City vs. Portland betting pick, as the hosts opened as strong -175 favorites. These two foes meet for the second time this season, and Portland beat Sporting 2-1 at home in June.
The Wizards bounced back from a heavy loss in the Leagues Cup
Kansas City is coming off a 2-0 road victory over FC Dallas this past Saturday, as Alan Pulido and Daniel Salloi scored a goal and had one assist each. This duo continues to torture the MLS, combining for 19 goals and seven assists so far this season.
Sporting is topping the Western Conference at the moment. The Wizards have 37 points from 19 games (W11, D4, L4) and a 35:20 goal difference. They own the highest-scoring offense in the West while netting 30 times from inside the box. Kansas City loves to play possession soccer, and the Wizards keep the ball on their feet for 60 percent of the time on average.
Last week, Sporting suffered a 6-1 humiliation against Leon in the Leagues Cup. The Mexican team was too good for the Wizards, who have won five of their nine MLS home contests in 2021 along with three draws and a loss.
The Timbers conceded six last Sunday
Portland is coming off a heavy 6-2 home loss to the Seattle Sounders this past Sunday. It was their third defeat in the last five games overall, and the Timbers have yielded a whopping 15 goals in that span while scoring eight in a return.
With 23 points from their first 18 games (W7, D2, L9), the Timbers are laying at the seventh spot of the Western Conference standings. Their defense is the second-worst in the MLS, as Portland has allowed 35 goals thus far. On the other side of the ball, the Timbers have bagged 25 goals (tied-5th in the West) on just 68 shots on target (tied-21st in the MLS).
Striker Felipe Mora leads the way for Portland with six games and a couple of dishes in 14 MLS appearances this season. Winger Dairon Asprilla and striker Jeremy Ebobisse have added four goals each, while right-back Josecarlos van Rankin is the team’s top assist-maker with three dimes in 18 apps.
The Pick:Sporting Kansas City to Win
The Timbers have been terrible on the road so far, recording six losses in eight games along with a win and a draw. They are riding a three-game losing streak away from home, surrendering ten goals in the process and scoring just three in a return.
The odds are not tempting, but the Wizards to win seems like the best betting pick here. They’ve been playing well as of late, besides that defeat to Leon, and the hosts will be keen to get revenge for a narrow defeat at Portland earlier this season.
The Timbers outlasted the Wizards on June 19, 2-1, although Sporting had the ball in possession for 66 percent of the time and took 12 shots more than Portland (19-7).
The Pick:Over 2.5 Goals
The betting trends are suggesting the Over 2.5 Goals, as the previous four encounters between Sporting and Portland saw more than a couple of goals on the scoreboard. Furthermore, five of the Timbers’ last six contests produced three or more goals in total, as well as seven of the Wizards’ previous nine contests at home.
Sporting failed to keep its net intact in nine of its last ten outings at home. On the other side, Portland has scored in each but one of its previous eight showings on the road.
