Portland vs Minnesota Predictions, Lineups & Betting Tips

Match Details: July 20, 2025 | Providence Park | MLS | 03:30 BST

A vital match in the MLS calendar sees two playoff occupants facing off with Portland taking on Minnesota. The visitors could be considered as favourites here, as they currently sit seven points clear of the Timbers, but the side from Oregon will not want to go three games without a point.

Key Betting Tip: Both Teams to Score at 1.52 odds represents excellent value based on the tip provided by our team of in-house tipsters.

Portland vs Minnesota Predicted Lineups

Portland Predicted XI: Crépeau; Surman, Miller, Župarić; Mosquera, Chará, Ayala, Fory; Moreno, Fernandez; Kelsy.

Minnesota Predicted XI: St. Clair; Markanich, Romero, Boxall, Gressel, Hlongwane; Lod, Trapp, Pereyra; Oluwaseyi, Yeboah.

Phil Neville’s Timbers will be without Jonathan Rodriguez, Antony Alves, and David P.D. Costa, while Zac McGraw is a doubt. Minnesota’s Ho-Yeo Jung and Kipp Keller are both doubts, with Hassani Dotson and Wessel Speer out of action for Sunday.

A formation change sees Felipe Mora make way for the hosts in place for Kamal Miller as Portland look to opt for a three-back. The visitors are also expected to make just one change; Carlos Harvey will make way as Julian Gressel steps in.

Portland vs Minnesota Current League Standings

Portland’s campaign is still very much in the balance. With 12 games to go, victory here would be crucial for their MLS playoff hopes, with them being just four points into the playoff places.

Minnesota are having an excellent campaign, residing in seventh with 11 games remaining. Victory here could see them rise to 4th, with the 40 points looking very healthy at this stage. If they keep up their brilliant defensive work, they can definitely push towards the top of the standings.

Portland vs Minnesota Head-to-Head Timeline

Recent affairs have been very close between the sides. They have taken on some magnificent moments in recent seasons, and Portland’s 3-2 win last year was no different, thanks to Jonathan Rodriguez’s 92nd-minute winner which completed a 2-0 turnaround at half-time.

Recent Head-to-Head Results:

• June 2024: Portland 3-2 Minnesota (MLS)
• May 2024: Minnesota 2-1 Portland (MLS)
• July 2023: Minnesota 4-1 Portland (MLS)
• May 2023: Portland 0-1 Minnesota (MLS)
• September 2022: Portland 1-0 Minnesota (MLS)

Portland have registered six goals in recent games against Minnesota, coming on top at home on two of the last three occasions.

Minnesota will be very confident in overcoming the Timbers. With better form and a better head-to-head, it will be an excellent watch.

Recent Portland and Minnesota Matches Analysis

Portland Last 5 Matches:

• Portland 0-1 Salt Lake (H) – MLS
• Portland 1-2 St. Louis (A) – MLS
• Portland 2-1 New England (H) – MLS
• Portland 0-3 Toronto (A) – MLS
• Portland 1-1 San Jose (H) – MLS

Timbers have collected just four points from their last five, so are in desperate need of a positive result to avoid going into the MLS run-in low on confidence. They have also scored just four goals too, while conceding eight.

Minnesota Last 5 Matches:

• Minnesota 0-1 LAFC (H) – MLS
• Minnesota 4-1 San Jose (H) – MLS
• Minnesota 3-1 Chicago (H) – US Open Cup
• Minnesota 0-0 Kiel (H) – Club Friendly
• Minnesota 2-1 Dallas (A) – MLS

Minnesota find themselves hitting good strides at the best time. They have earned six points in their last three MLS matches, while securing a passage into the next round of the US Open Cup, and also a positive result against Bundesliga 2. side Kiel.

Portland vs Minnesota Predictions

Our advanced algorithm analyses over 200 data points to generate these predictions with confidence in a Both Teams to Score victory. The model factors in current form, head-to-head records, player availability, and tactical matchups.

Best Portland vs Minnesota Betting Tips

Football Park’s Best Bet: Both Teams to Score @ 1.52 - Our team of in-house betting tipsters have predicted Both Teams to Score in this fixture. Recent head-to-head and league standings suggest confidence in a both teams to score victory.

Key Players to Watch: Portland vs Minnesota

David Ayala (Portland): The 22-year-old has been having an outstanding campaign for Timbers. He may not give much in the attack, but his defensive capabilities have been exponential to their success this term. He wins 64% of his ground duels, averaging 2.8 tackles and 1.4 interceptions per game shows just how important he is when cutting out the opposition on the attacking transition.

Anthony Markanich (Minnesota): Despite only starting on 15 occasions this season, Markanich has proved his worth offensively and defensively. He has scored three and assisted two in his last six games as full back. His work at the back cannot be sold short either, with the defender recovering three balls per game and making 1.9 tackles per game.

Portland vs Minnesota Match Facts

Referee: Ricardo Fierro. The American official has taken charge of 19 MLS in his career, handing out an average of 3.2 yellow cards per game, with a surprising 0.2 red cards too.

Broadcast Details:

UK/US: Apple TV

Stadium Information: The historical Providence Park is located in Portland, Oregon, and can hold up to 25,218 fans. The venue opened 98 years ago and has seen 383 matches at an average of 3.05 goals per game, and an impressive 54%-win rate for the hosts.