San Jose Earthquakes host Portland Timbers at PayPal Park on Saturday, September 26 (10:30 PM ET / 9:30 PM CT / 7:30 PM PT).
There’s no fresh team news to sift through here — both squads check in with a full complement of players available, which puts Preston Judd front and centre for San Jose after a 13-goal season that leads all forwards in this matchup, with Timo Werner and Ousseni Bouda offering support in behind. Portland will look no further than Kristoffer Velde, who has fired 78 shots and created 52 chances from wide, with David Pereira da Costa and Cole Bassett still expected to dictate tempo through the centre.
San Jose have shown resilience without much fluency lately, drawing with LAFC and grinding past Houston Dynamo, while Portland’s alarming 5-4 shootout with Minnesota United was followed by back-to-back defeats that undid the goodwill. Judd’s movement in behind a settled Quakes defence and Werner’s chance creation give the hosts a route to goal that Portland’s leaky rearguard will find hard to contain, even as Velde offers a real threat of his own on the counter.
San Jose Earthquakes vs Portland Timbers: Best Bets & Predictions
Fifth-placed Quakes host ninth-placed Timbers in a Western Conference clash at PayPal Park.
Our approach: we weigh underlying output — goals, shots on target and chances created — against current conference position and recent results to land on a single Signal-backed selection across each of our core markets.
Odds correct at time of writing and shown in American format for illustration; your local odds may vary. 19+ (18+ in AB/MB/QC). Please play responsibly. ConnexOntario: 1-866-531-2600 (ON).
Season Form & Standings
San Jose sit fifth in the Western Conference, right in the thick of the playoff picture as the campaign nears its business end. Portland, by contrast, sit ninth in the West on 32 points from a 9-5-12 record, with a -1 goal difference leaving them needing results to stay involved in the race.
Western Conference
| Team | Pos | GP | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portland Timbers | 9 | 26 | 9 | 5 | 12 | 47 | 48 | -1 | 32 |
San Jose Earthquakes vs Portland Timbers Predicted Lineups
Predicted XI — updated for the latest team news.
San Jose Earthquakes
3-4-2-1Portland Timbers
4-3-3Potential Match-Winners
- Preston Judd (San Jose Earthquakes): San Jose’s talisman up top, Judd leads this matchup with 13 goals from 68 shots and 32 shots on target — the game’s most direct route to goal.
- Timo Werner (San Jose Earthquakes): The attacking midfielder has created 33 chances in limited minutes, giving the Quakes an out-ball to turn defence into attack.
- Kristoffer Velde (Portland Timbers): Portland’s most reliable outlet, Velde has fired 78 shots and created 52 chances to go with his 8 goals, making him the visitors’ likeliest source of a leveller.
Recent Form
San Jose Earthquakes: D D W W D
- 2026-09-20: San Jose Earthquakes 2-2 LAFC (D, home)
- 2026-09-13: San Jose Earthquakes 1-0 Houston Dynamo (W, home)
- 2026-09-10: San Diego FC 2-3 San Jose Earthquakes (W, away)
- 2026-09-06: Austin FC 1-1 San Jose Earthquakes (D, away)
- 2026-08-30: Houston Dynamo 0-0 San Jose Earthquakes (D, away)
San Jose head into this off a 2-2 draw with LAFC, a 1-0 win over Houston Dynamo, a 3-2 win away at San Diego FC, a 1-1 draw at Austin FC and a scoreless draw at Houston Dynamo — form reading D D W W D without a defeat in that run.
Portland Timbers: L W D L L
- 2026-09-20: Portland Timbers 0-1 Atlanta United (L, home)
- 2026-09-13: FC Dallas 2-1 Portland Timbers (L, away)
- 2026-09-10: Portland Timbers 2-2 St. Louis City SC (D, home)
- 2026-09-06: Portland Timbers 5-4 Minnesota United (W, home)
- 2026-08-30: Portland Timbers 1-2 Austin FC (L, home)
Portland’s run reads L W D L L — beaten 1-0 at home by Atlanta United most recently, following a 2-1 loss at FC Dallas, a 2-2 draw with St. Louis City SC, a wild 5-4 win over Minnesota United and a 1-2 loss to Austin FC before that.
San Jose Earthquakes vs Portland Timbers Prediction
Squawka’s Signal model has this finishing 2-1 to San Jose Earthquakes, with Preston Judd’s cutting edge enough to see off a Portland side still searching for the form to close the gap on the top of the Western Conference table. San Jose’s push from fifth and Portland’s battle from ninth both point to a game with an edge to it, and expect goals at both ends given the firepower on show from Judd, Werner and Bouda against Velde and company — San Jose’s platform at PayPal Park should be the difference in a 2-1 win.