Portland Timbers vs. Vancouver Whitecaps – MLS, November 1, 2020

The Timbers clinched a playoff spot with a 5-2 thrashing of LA Galaxy in midweek, and they return to action on Sunday, November 1, as Vancouver visits Providence Park.

The Caps have been wildly inconsistent throughout 2020 and find themselves 11 points behind Portland in the Western Conference standings. With just two regular-season games remaining, the Canadians’ playoff dreams are hanging by a thread.

I assess the bookies’ odds before sharing my Portland Timbers vs. Vancouver Whitecaps prediction and betting pick.

I don’t think anyone can argue that Portland (1.40) deserves the favorite tag for this matchup. The Oregon outfit has only lost one of their last ten games and has already beaten the Caps this year.

Having lost six of their previous nine outings, Vancouver (6.50) is the rank outsider here. Given the contrasting form of these two teams, the price for the draw (4.70) is also massive.

Portland has gained a reputation as one of the most ruthless attacking teams in MLS this year. Giovanni Savarese’s men have netted 44 goals in 20 regular-season games, and let’s not forget that they also went all the way at the MLS is Back Tournament earlier in the year.

Following a huge 6-3 victory over the Galaxy at the beginning of October, the Timbers handed out another thrashing to the Los Angeles club on Wednesday. Jaroslaw Niezgoda bagged a first-half brace, before goals from Diego Valeri, Eryk Williamson, and Andy Polo capped off the 5-2 mauling.

Portland has lost just one of their previous ten outings, with six wins coming along the way. The Timbers also netted nine goals in two games against San Jose Earthquakes recently, so you have to fear the worst for Vancouver.

The Caps can take a slight bit of confidence from the fact that Portland does leak goals. In fact, only five teams in the Western Conference have conceded more goals than Savarese’s men this season.

The Canadians will also be proud of their previous efforts against the Timbers. Marc Dos Santos’ men enjoyed the majority of possession when the two sides met at the end of September, and they only lost 1-0.

However, the Caps were completely outclassed by Seattle Sounders last time out, proving that they are nowhere near the top teams in the division. Vancouver only saw 31% possession on Wednesday and also failed to register a single shot on target.

Of course, the price for the Portland win is nothing to write home about here. But having taken everything into consideration, it only makes sense to back the Timbers.

Savarese’s men returned from draws against LAFC and Seattle with a crushing statement victory in midweek. Meanwhile, Vancouver was easily beaten by the Sounders.

All the signs are pointing towards a straightforward win for Portland on Sunday.