Revenge will be on the minds of Real Salt Lake players this weekend. The Portland Timbers eliminated Real Salt Lake from playoff contention last year, as Felipe Mora notched a brace within 35 minutes in a 3-1 victory at Providence Park in the Wild Card Round. That marked the fourth straight season in which Real Salt Lake failed to make it past the first round of the playoffs. Portland ended up taking No. 1 seed San Diego FC to a decisive Game 3 after a thrilling finish in Game 2, but the Timbers were unable to knock off the best team in the West.
Real Salt Lake vs. Portland Timbers Preview
Real Salt Lake were near the top of the table in the Western Conference just two weeks ago. After a season opening loss to the Vancouver Whitecaps, Real Salt Lake notched five wins and a draw in their next six matches to hold a solid 5-1-1 record. However, RSL have lost consecutive games, falling to star-studded Inter Miami and the Los Angeles Galaxy.
Portland is close to the bottom of the table in the West. The Timbers have just 10 points in nine matches, and they have lost four of their five road games thus far this campaign. They did manage to best San Diego FC away from home last week, but the match-winning goal from Alex Bonetig in the sixth minute of extra time was largely due to egregiously sloppy defending by the hosts.
The second game of an MLS doubleheader on FOX will feature Real Salt Lake hosting the Portland Timbers on Saturday, May 2, 2026, at 4:45 p.m. ET from America First Field in Sandy, Utah.
MLS Betting Odds
Real Salt Lake -178
Portland Timbers +404
Draw +353
Over/Under 3 and 3.5
Real Salt Lake vs. Portland Timbers Predictions
- Real Salt Lake are an odds-on favorite at home per the soccer betting odds. They have been dominant at home so far this season with four wins in their five matches. The elevation might not be as tough as it is in Denver, but opposing teams tend to have some trouble playing in Utah.
- The biggest issue that Real Salt Lake have faced in recent weeks is shoddy defending in the final 10 minutes. In their previous two defeats, they surrendered three goals later than the 80th minute. That led to losses in matches where they were level, so you can expect manager Pablo Mastroeni to have addressed these lapses.
Real Salt Lake vs. Portland Timbers Betting Tips
- The UNDER is likely to be a good bet in this game. Portland doesn’t have a quality attacker with only two players netting more than a single goal for the club through nine matches.
- There have been no more than three total goals in each of Real Salt Lake’s last two games. There have been no more than three total goals in each of Portland’s last three games.
- Only one total goal was scored in the two head-to-head games between Real Salt Lake and the Portland Timbers last season. That goal was netted by RSL’s Diogo Goncalves in the 83rd minute of their second meeting.
Real Salt Lake vs. Portland Timbers Head to Head and Key Stats
- Real Salt Lake have been somewhat fortunate with their goals compared to their total xG numbers. While RSL have averaged 1.89 goals per game, their xG numbers show just 1.73 goals per game.
- Portland has been a little lucky too when it comes to goals netted versus goals predicted. The Timbers are averaging 1.44 goals per game, while their xG numbers suggest just 1.28 goals per game. We can also see a shoddy back line as Portland is one of two teams in the MLS with an xGA over 2.
- The Timbers have had the edge over Real Salt Lake recently with three wins and two draws in their last six matches.
- Sergi Solans has been the primary goal scorer for Real Salt Lake with five goals in just 530 minutes this season. This has been one of the most creative attacks in the league though as four different players have at least three assists through Real Salt Lake’s nine matches.
