The Portland Timbers are red hot and have shown no signs of slowing down. Portland was winless in its first five games of the season and was in the cellar of the Western Conference at the start of April. However, getting back on the West Coast proved to be just what the team needed. They have now won six straight matches and are sitting in fourth place in the Western Conference. Portland will look to make it seven in a row at home this Saturday.
Don't miss the Major League Soccer action from Providence Park at 5 p.m. ET on Saturday, June 2, 2018. Catch every moment of the match live on ESPN2.
MLS Betting Odds at BookMaker.eu
Los Angeles Galaxy +330
Portland Timbers -128
Draw +290
Over/Under 3
Odds Analysis
You could argue that Portland should be a bigger favorite than this. The Timbers have been playing great and Providence Park is a tough venue to play at. However, the Galaxy were able to beat Portland in the season opener back in March and got stronger when they added Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Recent Form
The Timbers have looked awesome over their last six matches. Their defense has been stout and that has led to them racking up some big wins. Portland has allowed just five goals over its last six games, shutting out three of its opponents in the process. However, five of those six wins came by just one goal.
If you happened to take Portland -1.5 last week, you got brutally unlucky. The Timbers were the better team for the entire match. Samuel Armenteros notched a brace in the first half, and Diego Valeri put the club up 3-1 early in the second half. However, the club conceded a penalty in the ninth minute of extra time, allowing Colorado to pull one back at the death.
The Galaxy have been a mixed bag of late. They have pulled off some nice victories, but they have also registered some head scratching defeats. In their last match, they lost at home to FC Dallas. Dallas scored the first three goals of the game, but the Galaxy nearly came back. Ibra registered a brace and a late red card for the visitors tilted the field in the direction of the Galaxy. However, it was too little, too late.
Key Absences
LA will be without two players for this match. Forward Bradford Jamieson IV is not available to play against Portland because of a concussion he suffered recently. Defenseman Rolf Feltscher will also be on the sidelines for a significant amount of time due to a bad shoulder.
The Timbers have much more to worry about on the injury front, but that has been the case for much of the year. Defensemen Roy Miller and Liam Ridgewell are both out. Miller is dealing with an Achilles tendon injury, while Ridgewell has a quad injury. Goalkeeper Jake Gleeson and midfielder Jack Barmby will both be out as well.
The club is hopeful that three other players will be able to return to the lineup. Defenseman Vytas, forward Jeremy Ebobisse, and goalkeeper Kendall McIntosh have all been recovering from thigh injuries. All three have been on the injury report for a little bit of time.
Free Soccer Betting Pick
Portland is currently unbeaten at home. The Timbers have won all four of their matches at Providence Park, and it’s hard to see the Galaxy pulling off a road win in such a different, inhospitable environment.
However, the Galaxy do have Ibra. He has been fantastic when he has been locked in since coming over to the MLS. If you also factor in injuries, that makes the draw worth a play. Those injuries will eventually catch up to Portland, and they may be a little gassed.
Major League Soccer Odds: Portland Timbers 1, Los Angeles Galaxy 1
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