ATLANTA -- MLS Cup 2018 is here. Atlanta United hosts the Portland Timbers on Saturday night in the big final at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, with kickoff set officially for 8:08 p.m. ET. It's the Eastern and Western Conference champs in a winner-take-all battle in front of another packed house.
You can follow along with all the action in our live blog. Here's how you can watch the match and what to know:
MLS Cup: Atlanta United vs. Portland Timbers
- Date: Saturday, Dec. 8
- Time: 8 p.m. ET
- Location: Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta
- TV channel: FOX and UniMas
- Streaming: fuboTV (Try for free)
- Odds: Atlanta -225 / Portland +650 / Draw +335
Storylines
Atlanta: It's the final ride in Atlanta for coach Tata Martino. He's leaving the club after the final, with all signs pointing toward him taking the Mexico national team job, so he wants to go out with a bang. He said in his Thursday press conference that the team is healthy, except for Sal Zizzo who is still out with his knee injury from August. Michael Parkhurst was limited in practice earlier in the week but said on Thursday he feels good and is expected to play.
Portland: The Timbers are focused and ready to go. Star midfielder Diego Valeri said on Thursday that the prior experience of winning the title in 2015 on the road in Columbus only helps them prepare more. This time, it's going to be in front of a much bigger crowd and a better team, and they expect Atlanta to come out quickly and try to score early. The Timbers don't have any key injuries ahead of this one and are expected to be at full strength.
Atlanta vs. Portland prediction
Atlanta has lost just twice at home all year. And though the Timbers have been road warriors during the entire playoffs, doing it here won't come easy. Atlanta's talented attack, led by league MVP Josef Martinez, win the 2018 MLS Cup and send Tata Martino out on a high.
Pick: Atlanta (-225)
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