Portland Thorns (W)
- Portland Thorns (W) are second in the NWSL 2026 table with 23 points from 12 games, level on points with Utah Royals (W) who have played one fewer match.
- Portland have won two, drawn one and lost two of their last five games.
- Robert Vilahamn’s Portland are all about possession-based, vertical football with a high press and plenty of rotation in the midfield, and they have been excellent at Providence Park this season, where they are unbeaten in five home league games, winning four and drawing one.
- They have not conceded a single goal at their home ground, while Utah have been impressive on the road, winning three, drawing two and losing just one of six away assignments in the NWSL 2026.
Utah Royals (W)
- Portland have won 2-0 at home to Bay FC, tied 0-0 at home to Angel City FC and lost 3-1 away to the Kansas City Current in their last three games, while Utah have won their last two matches, both 2-1 home wins against Racing Louisville and Denver Summit FC.
- Portland are favorites at 2.3 to win this game, but Utah Royals (W) are on a good streak, and with 23 points from 11 matches, they have been the best team in the NWSL so far.
- Jimmy Coenraets has turned his team into a compact, pressing unit with a clinical transition game that catches the opponent off guard.
Key Players
Sophia Wilson has two of the last six goals for Portland and is a potent threat, while Cloe Lacasse has scored two of Utah’s last six and provides the Royals with their main firepower.
Betting Insights
- A Portland home win and under 2.5 goals looks like an excellent combination bet at 1.75.
- Portland score an average of 1.60 goals per home game in the NWSL 2026, and Utah have conceded only four in six away fixtures.
Prediction
Both teams are strong in their respective home and away matches, and this could go either way, but we think the Royals can nick it 1-0 .
