Last season, the Portland Timbers didn’t qualify for the playoffs, while the Los Angeles Galaxy lost in the Western Conference semifinals. That’s why both are determined to redeem themselves in 2023, but things didn’t start as expected. No other team has allowed more goals than the Timbers, while the Galaxy are winless. That being said, the soccer odds have Portland as the favorite due to playing at home.
Portland Timbers: Unexpected
Last weekend, the Portland Timbers visited Atlanta United as betting online underdogs. We all expected them to put up a good fight, enough to make the Five Stripes suffer, but that simply didn’t happen.
The home side won 5-1, with Thiago Almada as Man of the Match after scoring a brace. Portland’s resistance lasted 25 minutes, while Tega Ikoba scored its lone goal in garbage time.
However, the Timbers have been playing better at home. In fact, their only victory was at Providence Park, 1-0 over Sporting Kansas City. They lost the next home game, 2-1, to St. Louis City SC despite winning possession with 51 percent.
Even though scores and odds haven’t been on their side, the Timbers dominate the board thanks to a +130 price.
The Portland Timbers scored 53 goals last season. Only three other teams in the Western Conference scored more. Most of last season’s roster remains on the squad, and they already faced Los Angeles FC and put up a good fight.
Los Angeles Galaxy: One Behind
The Los Angeles Galaxy had to wait until March to debut in the 2023 season since their opener against Los Angeles FC was suspended due to bad weather. Therefore, while Galaxy is one of the four teams in the Western Conference that haven’t won, they’ve played one game less.
Most recently, LA played host to the Vancouver Whitecaps and drew 1-1. They came from behind after Tristan Blackmon scored the opener for the visitors only 14 minutes into the game. Galaxy finished with 58% of possession and 20 shots, eight more than the Whitecaps.
Speaking of the soccer lines, the Galaxy are offering a +195 price to win straight up on Saturday. A good price considering that Javier Chicharito Hernandez is expected to return after missing the first three games due to injury.
Let’s not forget that Riqui Puig, Efrain Alvarez and Dejan Joveljic are also part of the team. We’re talking about an experienced and talented squad with nothing to lose and much to win.
Timbers vs Galaxy Head-to-Head
- Previous Matches: 34
- Portland Timbers Victories: 13 (61 goals)
- Los Angeles Galaxy Victories: 14 (57 goals)
- Draws: 7
These two met twice in 2022. Los Angeles Galaxy won the first match 3-1 in Portland, with Javier Hernandez as Man of the Match after scoring a brace. Both finished the match with 10 players after Pablo Bonilla and Marky Delgado were sent off.
Later, they drew 1-1 in Los Angeles. Dejan Joveljic saved the day for the home team with the equalizer in the 88th minute.
The total has gone over in nine of their last 10 meetings. According to the Las Vegas odds, the over for Saturday’s clash is offering a -145 price.
Timbers vs Galaxy Match Information
- Match: Timbers vs Galaxy
- Date/time: Saturday, March 25, 4:30 p.m. ET
- Location: Providence Park, Portland, OR
- Timbers vs Galaxy Live Stream: fubo.tv
Timbers vs Galaxy Betting Lines
Timbers vs Galaxy Picks and Prediction
Chicharito coming back is great news for the Los Angeles Galaxy, but let’s be honest; he won’t be at 100 percent. Even so, I expect the visitors to put up a good fight, enough for me to recommend you include the draw in your soccer betting ticket. I expect the Portland Timbers to show up, unlike last week. Their roster includes several skillful players like Diego Chara and Jaroslaw Niezgoda, meaning they’re capable of bouncing back or at least avoiding another humiliating defeat.
The Timbers are listed at +130 in our Vegas MLS lines. This means that if you wager $100 on Timbers, you have a chance to win $130. The Galaxy are +195, offering a chance to win $195 on a $100 wager.
The implied probability attached to the betting lines gives Timbersa 43.48% chance to win, with Galaxy at 33.90%.
