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The odds for the MLS Cup Final 2021 clash between Portland Timbers and New York City FC are out, so it’s time to look at the upcoming game and offer our expert picks and predictions.
The 2 USA soccer teams will lock horns on Saturday, December 11, providing us with another exciting night of soccer and plenty of MLS betting opportunities. Check out our betting preview, where we take a look at the Portland Timbers vs NYCFC odds and present you with free bets and picks for you to look at.
The MLS Cup marks the finale of the MLS Cup Playoffs and the championship game of Major League Soccer (MLS). The match is traditionally held in December, featuring the winner of the Western Conference Final against the champion of the Western Conference. They duke it out for the title of the MLS champion.
The MLS Cup has been held since 1996, and it has produced 13 different champions. Portland Timbers won the MLS Cup in 2015 but lost the finals against Atlanta United FC in 2018, whereas this marks New York City FC’s first MLS Cup Final appearance.
As with any year before, the MLS Cup Final promises to provide us with 90 minutes of exciting soccer and plenty of highlights. But like any year prior, there has to be a winner, and there has to be a squad that will head home with their heads held low.
Who that might be is tough to say, seeing how the Portland Timbers vs New York City FC betting odds show the 2 teams priced fairly close. And that suggests we could be in for an exciting match that will go down to the wire.
Portland Timbers enter the 2021 MLS Cup Final as slight underdogs, but they have been here before, unlike New York City FC. The Timbers made it to this stage of the competition in 2015, when they won the trophy, and again in 2018, when they lost against Atlanta United FC (0-2).
As the more experienced team, Timbers should feel confident about their chances to win the second MLS Cup, and the added benefit of playing at home could help them achieve the ultimate goal.
New York City FC has been relatively quiet over the season, struggling to stand out in the Eastern Conference. The Pigeons finished the regular season in 4th place, with a 14-9-11 record, and not many believed they could make noise in the playoffs.
But the Boys in Blue had other plans and found new gear in the postseason, proving that they have a lot left in the tank. And while some of their playoff games were a bit too close for comfort, New York City FC has shown enough to prove they belong here.
Great supportMobile appsLive bettingLive bettingMany sportsFast payoutsWelcome offersFast payouts24/7 supportVIP programLive gamesMany bonusesMany sportsIn-play modeLive streamingOver the past 5 iterations of the MLS Cup Finals, we saw 4 teams lifting the trophy, with Seattle Sounders FC winning it twice (2016, 2019).
The Sounders also made it to the finals in 2020 but had to admit defeat to Atlanta United FC, who claimed their first MLS Cup and denied the Seattle outfit from becoming the first team since Houston Dynamo FC (2006, 2007) won the title in back-to-back years.
Portland Timbers cruised through the Western Conference to secure their third MLS Cup Finals appearance and the first since 2018. It’s hard to pinpoint their best performance of the playoffs, but Portland’s 2-0 sweep of Real Salt Lake on Sunday deserves some attention.
The Timbers had little to no issues beating their semi-finals opponents, and while Aaron Herrera’s red card made their job easier, Portland was already 2-0 up when the 24-year-old got sent off.
Before their convincing win against Real Salt Lake, Portland Timbers also made it past Colorado Rapids (1-0) and Minnesota United (3-1), proving that they can be just as solid in the back as they’re efficient in scoring goals.
Most of the 2021 MLS Cup Final predictions seem to favor NYCFC, which explains why the odds on the MLS Eastern Conference champions have been dropping. And there are good reasons for bettors to be bullish about this squad.
New York City had to make it past Philadelphia Union without Taty Castellanos, which is a respectable achievement. Still, we must acknowledge that the Union had a severely depleted roster.
It was a closely-fought win for the Boys in Blue but well-deserved. So while New York could have done better last Sunday, it’s fair to expect a better showing with the MLS Golden Boot winner back on the pitch.
The 2021 MLS Cup Final is set to kick off on Saturday, December 11. The match will take place at Providence Park in Portland for the first time in history.
If you’re looking for a Portland Timbers v NYCFC prediction, you have come to the right place. But here at BetZillion, we won’t settle for only one MLS betting pick but instead provide you with 3 excellent betting opportunities to check out.
Portland Timbers are priced as the underdogs for this bout, which doesn’t seem fair. Not only will they be playing on their home soil, but the Timbers have also looked much cleaner in their recent outings.
Admittedly, New York City FC is a good team, but they haven’t shown enough for us to take their side for this MLS Cup Finals clash.
Since this is the final match of the playoffs, legal US bookmakers offer 2 markets – who will win the game and who will win the title. It’s important to understand that the first market only considers the first 90 minutes of the game and does not include overtime and potential shootout.
Since we like Portland Timbers to win the match, we effectively predict them to win the whole thing. Backing Portland Timbers to win the title is safer if we see overtime, but it comes at a price of lower odds.
Alternatively, you could look at live betting on Portland winning the title if they start slowly.
There is no clear pattern of how many goals we can expect in this MLS Cup Final match, but the last 2 years saw at least 3 goals. It was somewhat of a shift from previous years, seeing how there were no more than 2 goals in 2018, 2017, and 2016.
Similarly, the head-to-head record between Portland Timbers and New York City FC shows low-scoring and high-scoring games. But over their last 3 meetings, we saw 3 or more goals twice, and with the firepower these 2 MLS squads have, you can be sure there will be plenty of opportunities to score a goal.
Equipped with all the knowledge, you’re ready to bet on this MLS soccer game!
