Portland Timbers vs. St. Louis City SC

Quick read:

Back the St. Louis City SC moneyline because they are the team with the pulse in this matchup, while Portland Timbers look like they are still trying to figure out which end of the pitch is the offensive one. This is a classic case of a motivated home side against a visitor who seems more interested in commuting home than putting a ball in the back of the net. The energy in St. Louis is electric compared to the dreary, rain-soaked vibes drifting in from the Pacific Northwest.

The fact that goalkeeper Roman Bürki was recently stretchered off with a head injury in the Open Cup final shows just how much physicality and chaos are on the table, but the resilience required to bounce back from that kind of trauma is exactly what St. Louis brings to the table. They have the structural integrity to handle a Portland attack that has been about as threatening as a wet match in a dry summer. Portland’s inability to create clear-cut chances means St. Louis can control the tempo and let the home crowd do the heavy lifting in the second half.

The only real risk here is if St. Louis gets caught napping in the first ten minutes, which would be a genuine own goal in the metaphorical sense. If you are worried about the price, remember that betting on a team that actually wants to win is cheaper than buying a lottery ticket, and the odds are firmly in favor of the side that isn’t looking for a nap.