There could be a heck of a lot of goals hit the board on Sunday afternoon for the crucial tilt in the Western Conference between the Vancouver Whitecaps and the Portland Timbers.
Soccer Odds at BookMaker.eu
Portland Timbers +110
Vancouver Whitecaps +230
Draw +215
Over/Under 2.5 (over -130)
ODDS ANALYSIS
The total actually isn't quite as high in this matchup as we would've figured considering the fact that the average Whitecaps game has featured 3.08 goals per match, while the average Portland duel has featured 3.25 goals per game. The number to beat is 2.5 with -130 vig on the over. This is a number which really could shoot up, so if you're interested in the over, now is the time to get it.
Portland would've been favored in this match by a relatively comfortable margin last year at this time. However, the oddsmakers are starting to catch on to the fact that perhaps the Timbers aren't really worthy of being called the defending MLS champs. Sure, the Timbers are the favorites in this match due to the fact that they're going against a team which is just 2-0-4 this year on the road, but that +110 margin isn't nearly convincing.
KEY INJURIES
Vancouver is set to be without Fraser Aird in this match due to suspension. That could leave a really big hole in the middle of this defense. Don't forget that Christian Dean has a left foot injury which is keeping him out as well, and that won't help the defense either.
The Whitecaps have injuries in all three levels of the game. Deybi Flores has a right adductor strain while Masato Kudo has a fractured jaw and will be out for a while. Keep an eye on Octavio Rivero, who has a left ankle sprain and might not be available for this match. None of these men individually are that big of a deal, but in totality, this could be a real issue, especially on the road in hostile territory.
Portland doesn't want to talk about defensive problems. The Timbers are still without Andy Thoma and Alvas Powell, both of which should be back sooner rather than later. Darren Mattocks is still recovering from his torn meniscus, but the bigger deal is Fanendo Adi, who has may or may not play thanks to a hamstring injury.
LIVE BETTING
The Whitecaps have won their last three matches to move all the way up to third in the West. There's a real chance for them to put a gap between themselves and the Timbers, perhaps definitively. One of those wins came against this Portland side, a 2-1 triumph which started this winning streak.
Portland just can't figure out how to drop this string of bad play. The Timbers were beaten 2-1 last week by New York City FC at home, and that's a bad sign for this one. Losing matches on the road to Vancouver and FC Dallas wasn't the end of the world, but at some point, losing too much here at Providence Park can really prevent the champs from getting in the playoffs.
QUICK PICK
If Adi isn't going to be on the pitch in this one, we're not all that sure the Timbers are going to win this soccer match. They just have far too many holes all over the pitch at this point. He was the hero of the first fixture between these two a few weeks back when Portland, and if he isn't out there, we can only imagine that Vancouver is once again going to be peppering Jake Gleeson's goal once again.
This round of the Cascadia Cup will once again go to the Whitecaps, and we love the price of over 2 to 1 on Vancouver.
MLS Odds: Vancouver 3, Portland 1
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