Portland Timbers vs Austin Prediction and Betting tips | 12th March 2022

The Portland Timbers invite Austin to Providence Park in their MLS Western Conference fixture on Saturday.

The hosts have played out back-to-back stalemates to kick off their MLS 2022 regular season. After opening their campaign with a 2-2 draw at home, they were held to a 1-1 draw at Los Angeles FC as Mamadou Ibra Mbacke Fall scored an equalizing goal in the third minute of injury time after Claudio Bravo was sent off in the 62nd minute.

Austin have kicked off their campaign in style, scoring five goals in back-to-back games. Both of their spectacular wins, the first one a 5-0 triumph over Cincinnati and the second a 5-1 victory against Inter Miami, came at home. They will be put to the test in this away game.

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Portland Timbers vs Austin Head-to-Head and Key Numbers

• This will just be the fourth meeting between the two sides, as the visiting team are making just their second appearance in the MLS regular season. All three games have produced conclusive results, with two wins for Austin and one for the Timbers.
• Interestingly, both of Austin's wins have come at home, so the hosts have the chance to pull level in the head-to-head record in the second home game against the Texan side.
• The Verde (10) have outscored every other side in the Western Conference by a margin of six goals, while New York Red Bulls and Columbus Crew, the top scorers in the Eastern Conference trail the visiting side by three goals.
• For the seventh time in 12 seasons, the hosts are winless in the first two matches of the season.
• No team has made more interceptions in the first two games of the campaign than Portland Timbers (37).
• Austin FC set a new MLS record last week as no team in the competition's history have scored 10 goals in the first two games of the campaign.

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Portland Timbers vs Austin Prediction

The Portland Timbers have looked solid in their two draws so far and, given their home advantage, should not be intimidated by Austin's red-hot form. Yimmi Chará has scored in both games and will be a key player here.

Austin's two wins have come at home this season and they failed to score the last time they traveled to Portland. It should be a close game and, given the form of the two sides, a high-scoring draw seems to be the likely outcome here.

Prediction: Portland Timbers 2-2 Austin

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Portland Timbers vs Austin Betting Tips

Tip 1: Result - Draw

Tip 2: Both teams to score - Yes

Tip 3: Goals - Over/under 2.5 - Over 2.5 goals (The three games between the two sides have produced 12 goals)

Tip 4: Yimmi Chara and Sebastián Driussi to both score anytime - Yes (Chara accounts for a third of Portland's goals this season; Driussi is the top scorer in the league with three goals)

Tip 5: Yellow Cards - Over/under 2.5 - Over 2.5 Yellow cards (Portland have the worst disciplinary record in the league with nine bookings; Austin have five bookings in two games)