the Portland Timbers will try to harness the home crowd and turn around a sluggish start Sunday when they host Orlando City S.C. in a Major League Soccer match. The Timbers lost to NYCFC on penalties in the MLS Cup final last season, so a 1-2-1 start isn’t up to expectations. And a 4-1 drubbing at the hands of FC Dallas last Saturday caused even more consternation. But now the Timbers get back to Providence Park, where they face an Orlando City team that is 2-1-1 despite scoring just four goals. The Lions, who made the playoffs last season but lost in the first round, rebounded from their first loss of the season by defeating the LA Galaxy 1-0 last Saturday.
Kickoff from Providence Park in Portland is at 4 pm ET. Caesars Sportsbook lists Portland as the -107 favorite (risk $107 to win $100) on the 90-minute money line in its latest Portland Timbers vs. Orlando City SC odds, with Orlando the +290 underdog. A draw is priced at +260 and the over-under for total goals scored is 2.5. Before making any Orlando City SC vs. Portland Timbers picks, be sure to see the MLS predictions from soccer insider Brandt Sutton.
Sutton, a former collegiate soccer player, has been SportsLine’s top soccer editor for nearly five years. He has followed soccer closely for much longer and factors in managerial tactics, projected lineups and past performances to make the most-informed decisions possible, keeping his finger on the pulse of the game all over the globe.
Sutton has also been on a roll with his best bets, going 12-5 in his last 17 picks overall and returning nearly $500 for $100 bettors who have followed his soccer picks.
Now, Sutton has broken down Portland Timbers vs. Orlando City SC from all sides and just locked in his picks and MLS predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see his picks from him. Here are the betting lines Orlando City SC vs. Portland Timbers:
- Portland vs. Orlando City SC: Portland -0.5 (-115)
- Portland vs. Orlando City SC over-under: 2.5 goals
- Portland vs. Orlando City SC money line: Portland -107, Orlando City SC +290, Draw +260
- BY: Yimmi Chara has 12 goals and 10 assists in 55 Timbers games.
- ENT: Junior Urso has eight goals in his 57 matches with the Lions.
Featured Game | Portland vs. Orlando City S.C.
Why you should back the Portland Timbers
The Timbers have some lingering injury issues that caused them problems in last year’s playoffs, and top scorer Philip Mora remains out after knee surgery. Playmaker Sebastian Blanco also has knee trouble and has come off the bench in all four games. But he always provides a spark and had an assist in playing 45 minutes in last week’s loss. Colombian midfielder Yimmi Chara has stepped up this season and has two goals and an assist.
Santiago Moreno has emerged with Blanco’s role reduced and franchise legend Diego Valery back in Argentina to finish his career. The 21-year-old Moreno has 16 shot-creating actions, tied for 10th in MLS. Portland has scored five goals in the first four matches after posting 56 last season, third-most in MLS. The boisterous crowd’s effect on the Timbers and opponents is well-known, and 11 of Portland’s 17 wins and 35 of its goals came at Providence Park last season.
Why you should back Orlando City SC
The Lions have yielded just two goals in their four games, and both came in a 2-1 loss to F.C. Cincinnati on March 12. Peruvian goalkeeper Pedro Gallese has an 84.6 save percentage and hasn’t faced a ton of shots. Orlando City opponents have put 13 of 47 shots on target, while Portland has allowed 71 total shots, with 21 on net. Gallese’s three clean sheets tie him for the MLS lead. The team has seven points despite getting just four goals, so it should be confident.
It hopes facing a team that was shredded by Dallas last week will help get the offense going. The Lions hold the ball for more than 50 percent of their games, while Portland tends to sit back and counter. It keeps the ball just 44 percent of the time, sixth-lowest in MLS. Uruguayan striker Facundo Torres, 21, is an exciting young player and tallied his first goal last week against LA. Junior Urso and benji michel both had four goals last season and each has one this year.
How to make Orlando City SC vs. Portland Timbers picks
Sutton has taken an in-depth look at Portland Timbers vs. Orlando City SC and locked in his best bets from him. He is leaning under 2.5 goals, and he’s also locked in a stronger play on one side of the money line. He’s only sharing his expert MLS picks at SportsLine.
Who wins Portland vs. Orlando City? And where does all the betting value lie? Visit SportsLine now to see the best bets for Orlando City vs. Portland, all from the soccer expert who has his finger on the pulse of the game all over the world, and find out.
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George is Digismak’s reported cum editor with 13 years of experience in Journalism