If the Portland Timbers get a chance to defend their MLS Cup title this postseason, they'll have to buck the odds to do it.
After Seattle's 4-2 victory over the LA Galaxy on Sunday, and Portland's 3-1 loss at Houston on Saturday, ESPN's Soccer Power Index has the Sounders favored over the Timbers to grab a spot in the Audi 2016 MLS Cup Playoffs.
Sporting Kansas City, who broke a 16-year winless streak at San Jose with Saturday's 2-1 victory, also saw their projections to make a sixth straight postseason appearance take a dramatic jump. And in the Eastern Conference, D.C. United's 4-1 thrashing of Orlando City SC on Saturday gave their playoff chances a big boost, with New England now on the outs after Sunday's 2-0 away loss to Columbus Crew SC.
Beyond that, who gets the first-round byes that go with finishing top two in the conferences?
Few surprises there: The current top two on each side are the current favorites, with New York City FC still holding on to a 44 percent chance as well after Friday's 4-1 trouncing of the Chicago Fire.
And while FC Dallas are winless in three straight after Saturday's scoreless draw with Real Salt Lake, their odds of adding a Supporters' Shield to their Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup title still went up because of favorable results elsewhere in the league.
Then again ... they do still play the matches on grass, not on computers. Buckle in; it's going to be a fun ride from here on out.
