Competition: MLS
Market: Portland Timbers win
Chances: 4/5 @1xBet
Hoping to extend their recent purple patch midweek, Portland will host San Jose at Providence Park early Thursday morning.
Starting with the hosts, while Portland may still be out of contention for another playoff berth this season, the Timbers are enjoying a real purple patch. Last seen at the weekend with another impressive performance in their 2-1 win over Austin, interim coach Miles Joseph must have found the spirit in his camp to be at a very high level. Having laid down a major MLS marker earlier this month in their 2-0 home win over Los Angeles, the Oregon team will sense a chance to set another marker here. After opening August with a 2-1 win over Real Salt Lake City, Portland has 10 points from its previous four MLS matches. Joseph’s makeshift team, having truly recovered from last season’s long wobble, will also be buoyed by their continued success on home soil. Including back-to-back wins, the Timbers have won four of their last five contests in front of their home fans.
On the visitors’ side, while San Jose may have made a crucial return to winning ways last weekend with a 2-1 home win over RSL, it’s fair to say the Earthquakes have been looking for some consistency of late . Having started August with a shock 3-2 home defeat to LA Galaxy, Luca Gonzalez’s men have only won once in their previous five MLS matches. With a tough test ahead of them here in Oregon, PayPal Park fans will be concerned about their team’s continued struggles on the road. Including the routine 3-0 drumming during a trip to Sporting Kansas City last month, it’s worth noting that San Jose has won only one of its last eight contests outside of California, a streak that began June 1 . Likewise, having suffered a 2-0 defeat on their last trip to Providence Park for an MLS match on July 23, Gonzalez’s side had lost all of their previous three trips to Portland by a combined score of 6-1.
Bet: The Portland Timbers are 4/5 to beat the San Jose Earthquakes in MLS action on Thursday. @ 1xBet