Real Salt Lake vs. Portland Timbers 10/9/22 - Major League Soccer Picks & Predictions

Real Salt Lake hosts the Portland Timbers on Sunday in a MLS Western Conference fixture. Real Salt Lake is eighth in the conference table at 11-11-11 on 44 points with a goal difference of -4. Real Salt Lake must take points from its final match on Sunday with Portland or will miss out on the MLS postseason. A victory over Portland would leapfrog RSL past the Timbers.

Real Salt Lake has not won any of its last five matches with two draws and three losses. RSL has scored only two goals during that same five-match span. Sergio Cordova is the leading goal scorer for Real Salt Lake with nine, while Jefferson Savarino has scored six. Justin Meram is the leader in assists with six, while Andrew Brody and Savarino each have five.

Portland is sixth in the conference table at 11-13-9 on 46 points with a goal difference of +2. Portland must also take points from Sunday’s match against Real Salt Lake or risk falling out of the top seven and missing the postseason. Portland was defeated at home last time out by LAFC 2-1, preventing the Timbers from clinching a postseason berth.

Portland has just two losses over its last eight matches on the road with two wins and four draws. Portland has lost only six road matches all season. Jaroslaw Niezgoda and Dairon Asprilla are the leading goal scorers for Portland with nine each, while Santiago Moreno and Sebastian Blanco have each scored seven. Blanco is the leader in assists with seven.