Published Oct 20, 5:21am ET by
Alex Dudley - Betting Preview Analyst and Sports Writer
Last updated Oct 20, 5:21am ET
Credit: Shutterstock
Business picks up in the MLS this week, as the wild-card rounds in the Eastern and Western conferences are set. You can find the odds and our Portland Timbers vs. Real Salt Lake picks for the latter here.
The Portland Timbers ended the regular campaign in a place and three points higher than Real Salt Lake.
Meanwhile, the visitors on Wednesday snuck into the wild-card round courtesy of their superior number of wins over the San Jose Earthquakes.
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|
|---|---|
| Portland Timbers | +116 |
| The Draw | +265 |
| Real Salt Lake | +220 |
The increased pressure this week will likely be on the Portland Timbers, who went 11-12-11 in the regular season to finish eighth in the Western Conference.
However, their recent form would be a major concern after losing each of their last two without scoring.
Their most recent defeat was a 4-0 loss at the hands of San Diego FC. Despite this, the Timbers have won 41% of their home matches in 2025.
Real Salt Lake could be the in-form team in the wild-card round. They ended the regular season on a positive note after taking four points from their last three games.
However, they will need to bounce back after throwing away a 2-0 advantage on the final day of the campaign against St. Louis.
It could be worth noting that Real Salt Lake have underperformed on the road throughout the season, winning just 18% of their games and scoring a low average of 0.88 goals per game.
| TOTAL | Portland | Real Salt Lake | DRAWS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Games | 47 | 18 | 16 | 13 |
| Goals | 143 | 77 | 66 |
Real Salt Lake's poor form on the road is a notable concern ahead of this wild-card showdown on Wednesday.
However, they have avoided defeat in their last three against the Timbers. An extremely cagey affair is expected this week, but the narrow preference is for the hosts to make their quality count.
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Pick
Portland Timbers (+116)
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