Portland Timbers vs Seattle Sounders FC Prediction, 9/23/2020 Soccer Pick, Tips and Odds

by Josh Schonwald - 9/22/2020

Game: Portland Timbers vs Seattle Sounders FC

Date: Wednesday, September 23, 2020

Location: Providence Park in Portland, OR

TV: JoeTV

Odds/Point Spread: Portland (+133) Seattle (+202)

Diego Valeri and the Seattle Sounders FC (6-3-2, 1st in the Western Conference) head to Providence Park on Wednesday where they'll meet the Portland Timbers (5-3-4, 5th in the Western Conference). The goaltenders protecting the net will be Steve Clark for the Portland Timbers and Stefan Frei for the Seattle Sounders FC. The Sounders are priced at +202 while the Timbers are at +133. The total has been set at 3.

The Timbers as a team have scored 25 goals this season, which has them 3rd in the league. They have attempted 133 shots at the opposition with 53 of them being on target, which comes out to a 39.8% SOT percentage. Portland has been able to maintain possession for 45% of games while successfully dribbling 61.3% of the time (8th in Major League Soccer). Their players have caught 4,167 passes from teammates on 4,914 attempts for the year, which makes their receiving percentage 84.8%.

Diego Valeri is a player who should be able to impact this game for the Timbers. Valeri has had a starting assignment in 215 contests in his pro soccer career while scoring 0.39 goals per 90 minutes. The midfielder who hails from Argentina has recorded 82 goals (16th among active MLS players) in 18,824 minutes played. He has 63 assists while earning 29 yellow cards during his pro soccer career. Another player who could decide the outcome is Felipe Mora, the forward from Chile. Mora has played 11,252 mins during 129 career starts and has been handed 14 yellow cards. He has assisted a teammate on a goal 6 times in his pro soccer career while scoring 59 goals. He averages 0.47 goals per 90 during his career (27th among active MLS players).

The guy who is expected to defend the goal for Portland will be Steve Clark. Clark (75-65-82 record in his career) has earned 50 clean sheets, which leaves him with a 22.4% shutout rate. The goalkeeper from the United States has faced 1,113 shots tried at him in 223 starting assignments. His goals against per 90 minutes is 1.50 (334 goals allowed) and he has earned a save percentage of .702. Clark has seen the pitch for 20,061 mins and has accumulated 781 saves so far in his career.

Seattle has tallied 5,403 targets this year (12th in MLS) and they have 4,663 successful received passes. They have a receiving percentage of 86.3% while they control possession of the ball 51.1% of the time. The Sounders have been able to dribble successfully 68.1% of the time so far this season while scoring 26 goals. They have completed 35.4% of their shots on target out of 130 shots.

Raul Ruidiaz will be someone to watch for Seattle. The forward from Peru has played 12,065 minutes while scoring 91 goals (12th among active players). He has accounted for 12 yellow card cautions so far in his pro soccer career and has assisted a teammate on a goal 9 times. He scores 0.68 goals per 90 minutes and has been a starter in 169 games during his MLS career. Make sure to keep an eye out for Jordan Morris, the forward who was born in the United States. He has collected 31 goals during his pro soccer career while assisting a teammate on a goal 15 times. Morris has been given 2 yellow card warnings in 7,466 professional minutes played (86 career starts). His goals per 90 average so far in his pro soccer career is 0.37 (55th among active MLS players).

Stefan Frei will look after the goal for the Sounders. In his MLS career, Frei has allowed 379 goals while he has racked up 964 stops in 290 starting assignments. He has conceded 1.31 goals per 90 mins while he holds a record of 122-68-99. He has earned a save percentage of .723 and his clean sheet rate is currently 27.6%. Frei has accumulated 80 shutouts while defending 1,333 shots attempted against him in 26,076 minutes throughout his career.

Who will win tonight's MLS game against the spread?

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Seattle (+202)

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Portland Timbers vs Seattle Sounders FC Prediction, 9/23/2020 Soccer Pick, Tips and Odds

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