New York City FC will try to cap its best season with a championship when it visits the Portland Timbers for Saturday's 2021 MLS Cup at Providence Park. NYC has reached the playoffs six straight years after missing out in its inaugural 2015 season, but this is the first time it has advanced past the quarterfinals. It advanced with a 2-1 victory in last Sunday's East final against a Philadelphia team that was missing six likely starters because of COVID protocols. The Timbers, the 2015 MLS champion and 2018 runner-up, beat Real Salt Lake 2-0 in the West final on Saturday. Both teams finished fourth in the regular season, with Portland posting a 17-4-13 record and NYC going 14-9-11.
Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. ET in Portland, Ore. NYC is the +160 favorite (risk 100 to win $160) on the 90-minute money line in Caesars Sportsbook's latest Portland Timbers vs. New York City FC odds. Portland is the +180 underdog, a draw is priced at +225 and the over-under for total goals scored is set at 2.5. Before making any New York City FC vs. Portland Timbers picks or MLS Cup predictions, you have to see what soccer insider Jon Eimer has to say.
Eimer is a high-volume bettor who has vast knowledge about leagues and players most people don't know exist, including most oddsmakers. He understands that oddsmakers don't focus on more obscure competitions, so Eimer has become obsessed with learning everything possible about the smaller leagues. The Indiana-based handicapper compiled a winning record of 260-133-1 with over 90 units of profit for his community on various platforms over a recent two-month stretch.
Now, Eimer has broken down the New York City FC vs. Portland Timbers matchup from every angle and just locked in his coveted MLS Cup 2021 predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see his picks. Here are the betting odds and lines for Portland Timbers vs. New York City FC:
- NYC vs. Portland: New York City -0.5 (-180)
- NYC vs. Portland over-under: 2.5 goals
- NYC vs. Portland money line: New York City +165, Portland +180, Draw +215
- NYCFC: Valentin Castellanos has 37 goals and 16 assists in 92 MLS matches
- PORT: Sebastian Blanco has 33 goals and 32 assists in five MLS seasons
Why you should back NYC FC
NYC appears to have the edge in attack, led by MLS Golden Boot winner Valentin Castellanos. The team has scored in eight straight games and held clean sheets in three of those. It was second in MLS in shots with 512, and put a league-leading 181 on net. Castellanos led the league in both categories, with 53 of his 129 shots on target. The 23-year-old shared the MLS lead with 19 goals and had eight assists as NYCFC scored 56 goals and allowed 36. Portland also scored 56 but conceded 52 and allowed the fourth-most shots in the league (509).
The Timbers also were last in the league in possession in the regular season (44.8) percent, while New York City was fifth (53.5). Maximiliano Moralez, who scored against Philadelphia, tied for third-most assists in MLS with 11 and was one of nine players with multiple goals. Jesus Medina scored nine, and Ismael Tajouri-Shradi was third on the team with seven despite starting just 14 matches. The NYC defense is led by center backs Alexander Callens and Maxime Chanot, and goalkeeper Sean Johnson had nine clean sheets in the regular season.
Why you should back the Portland Timbers
Portland has what most consider to be the best home advantage in MLS and it has playoff experience. The Timbers Army is the most vocal and loyal of followings, and the cutting of a massive log to celebrate a Portland goal is one of the sport's unique traditions. The Timbers scored 56 goals in the regular season, tied for third-most in MLS. Sebastian Blanco and Larrys Mabiala each scored twice in the first two rounds. Blanco was third on the team with seven goals and set up six, but Mabiala is a center back who didn't score a goal in the regular season.
Felipe Mora was the leading scorer for a team that had 11 players with at least two goals. He got on the board in the conference final after scoring 11 goals and adding four assists in the regular season. Diego Chara is one of the league's best defensive midfielders, and the 35 year-old was in the top 10 in the league in fouls (68) and tackles won (59). Defender Claudio Bravo led MLS in total tackles (105), and they could get under the skin of Castellanos. The striker led MLS with 88 fouls and received nine yellow cards in the regular season, and he was sent off in the semifinal.
How to make MLS Cup and NYC vs. Portland picks
Eimer has analyzed the Portland vs. New York City match from all sides, and he is leaning over on the goal total. He also provides two confident best bets, including a strong play on the money line, and has a full breakdown of the match. He's only sharing his expert MLS Cup picks at SportsLine.
So who wins Portland Timbers vs. New York City FC in Saturday's MLS Cup matchup? And where does all the betting value lie? Visit SportsLine now to see the best bets for the NYC FC vs. Portland Timbers match, all from the soccer expert who is highly tuned in to the smaller leagues, and find out.
