The 2022 NWSL season comes to an end on Saturday with the Portland Thorns set to take on the Kansas City Current in the championship match Saturday night in Washington, DC. The Thorns are the favorites coming into the game as the No. 2 seed, according to odds offered on sportsbook apps.
For the first time in NWSL history, the championship game will be played in primetime (8 p.m. ET, CBS, Paramount+, Twitch).
These two teams started the season against each other, and now they’ll finish it the same way.
Below we look at the NWSL Championship odds and break down the matchup.
NWSL Odds: Portland Thorns vs. Kansas City Current
Caesars Sportsbook has the outright NWSL championship odds listed with the Portland Thorns (10-3-9) at -170 and Kansas City (10-6-6) at +130.
NWSL · Sat (10/29) @ 8:00 pm ET
| Kansas City Current | at | Portland Thorns |
| Audi Field, Washington, DC | ||
When it comes to standings this season has been one of the closest, not a lot separated the teams in terms of points.
Portland had a great season and came into the playoffs as the No. 2 seed with 39 points, only one point off of the top spot.
Kansas City is the Cinderella team per se as the No. 5 seed but they’ve found their footing again in the playoffs.
Players to Watch in 2022 NWSL Final
Sophia Smith – Portland Thorns
In just her second full professional season, Smith carried the Thorns offense on her back. The forward finished second in the golden boot race with 14 goals in 19 games played. She led the league in shots on goal and total shots this season as well. Her terrific goal-scoring run has led her to be nominated for league MVP this season.
Smith is one of the best forwards in the world, not just in the NWSL, and at just 22 years old she’ll continue to be for a long time. If the Thorns are to come away with another NWSL Championship, Sophia Smith will play a big role.
Adrianna Franch – Kansas City Current
Adrianna Franch has been terrific this season in goal for Kansas City. She finished second in the league in saves with 77 in 22 games.
Kansas City made it to this championship game in large part due to Franch’s performance in the semifinal match. She made seven saves against the shield-winning OL Reign to preserve the clean sheet and punch the Current’s ticket to the final. Kansas City will need another big performance from Franch on Saturday if it wants to win the Championship.
Kansas City Current Cooled Off After Red-Hot Start
The Current had a 13-game unbeaten streak at the beginning of the season, but Kansas City came into the playoffs having won only one game in their last four regular season games. A team that was in the running for the shield fell to fifth place, making their road to the final more difficult.
The Current had to travel to Houston for a clash with the Houston Dash in the quarter-finals. They got the scoring started in the fifth minute and despite Houston having the upper hand in shots on goal and possession, Kate Del Fava was able to find the back of the net in the last minute of stoppage time to win 2-1.
The road would get tougher for KC as they then had to travel to take on the regular season champions, OL Reign in the semifinal matchup. Once again the Current was up to the task picking up a 2-0 win behind a fantastic performance from goalkeeper Adrianna Franch. Alex Loera got the Current off to another fast start with a fourth-minute goal and then Kristen Hamilton added the insurance goal in the second half to punch the Current’s ticket to the championship.
Portland Thorns in Fantastic Form
Since Portland finished the regular season in second place they earned a bye for the first week of the playoffs. Portland has been in fantastic form with their last loss coming back in August.
The Thorns punched their ticket to their fourth NWSL Championship appearance with a 2-1 win over the San Diego Wave. Portland trailed early on but leveled it thanks to a Rocky Rodriguez volley. The match would stay tied until the very end when Crystal Dunn found the back of the net in the 93rd minute.
Current vs. Thorns Matchup History
Since the team began play in 2021, the Current has yet to beat the Portland Thorns, going 0-4-2.
This season, Portland and Kansas City met twice during the regular season. In the first matchup, Portland came away with a 3-0 win. The latest matchup came on September 17 when the two teams played to a 1-1 draw.
NWSL Championship Prediction
Portland is going for their third championship, while Kansas City is attempting to finish a terrific turnaround after finishing the 2021 season in last place.
The Thorns are the highest-scoring team in the league and have outscored their opponents 49-24 this season. Portland’s attacking threat will make it difficult for a Current defense that is disorganized at times.
If Kansas City can get off to another fast start they could pull off another upset but it’s important that they don’t get behind early.
Prediction: Kansas City pulls off another upset, 2-1. Back the Current +130,
Where To Bet on NWSL Odds
NWSL betting odds haven’t been readily available at sportsbooks throughout the season or in league history. Caesars and FanDuel have posted odds for the playoff games and the Championship, but there was nothing for the regular season.
With the NWSL gaining popularity, hopefully more sportsbooks will begin to add NWSL odds regularly and not just for the Championship
Caesars and FanDuel should offer outright betting options as well as score predictions and over/under goal amounts before the game on Saturday.
NWSL Championship: Broadcast Schedule
- Date/Time: Saturday, Oct. 29, 2022, at 8 p.m. ET
- Location: Audi Field in Washington, D.C.
- Where to Watch: CBS, Paramount+, Twitch
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