Published Nov 6, 3:12am ET by
Alex Dudley - Betting Preview Analyst and Sports Writer
Last updated Nov 6, 3:12am ET
Credit: Shutterstock
Updated Nov 6, 3:12am ET
The MLS's newest franchise will have aspirations of winning the MLS Cup in their first campaign. However, San Diego FC will need to record a victory in their crucial Game Three against the Portland Timbers on Sunday.
San Diego maintained their excellent regular season form in Game One after recording a 2-1 success against the Timbers.
However, Portland forced a deciding game last weekend after holding their nerve from the penalty spot. But, which side will progress through to the second round of the playoffs on Sunday?
|
|
|---|---|
| San Diego FC | -164 |
| The Draw | +355 |
| Portland Timbers | +379 |
San Diego FC were one of the most dominant MLS teams during the regular season. However, they will need to pick themselves up following a dramatic loss in Game Two against the Timbers.
San Diego were on the verge of securing their spot in the next round, before they conceded in the eighth minute of second-half injury time.
It would be a slight concern that they have won just 44% of their home matches, which is lower than their 67% strike-rate on the road in the MLS in 2025.
It could be argued that the momentum in this playoff series is with the Portland Timbers, as they dramatically levelled the tie last weekend.
Portland appeared to be heading out of the playoffs, before Gage Guerra struck late into stoppage time to force a penalty shootout. The Timbers would then hold their nerve from the spot to level the series.
However, the Timbers have an extremely poor record on the road this season, winning just 22% of their matches. Meanwhile, they have scored a low 0.94 goals per game.
| TOTAL | San Diego | Portland | DRAWS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Games | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| Goals | 14 | 8 | 6 |
Cases can be made for all possible results this weekend. However, the Timbers have looked dangerous on the counter-attack throughout this playoff series.
Therefore, the chances of an away win could be increased, and it may be the area of value when making San Diego FC vs. Portland Timbers picks.
|
Pick
Portland Timbers (+379)
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