Real Salt Lake vs Toronto FC Odds & Prediction – MLS Week 6

• Real Salt Lake hasn’t lost to an Eastern Conference team at home since June, 2017
• Toronto FC hasn’t won away at a Western Conference club since September, 2017
• Read on for Real Salt Lake vs Toronto FC odds, a full preview, and the best bet for Saturday’s match

Two teams still finding their feet in the new MLS season meet in Salt Lake City on Saturday, April 9th, for a somewhat rare meeting. Real Salt Lake have gotten off to a good start with three wins and two draws, while Toronto FC have recorded back-to-back wins following a nine-match winless run that dated to last season. Neither team is among the heavy favorites in the MLS Cup odds this year.

Having won both home games so far this season, RSL will put its dominant record at Rio Tinto Stadium on the line against TFC, where it has gone 9-1-1 against the Canadian club since it came into the league in 2007, which was the only year Toronto has recorded a win there.

Real Salt Lake vs Toronto FC Odds

Odds as of April 8th at Barstool Sportsbook

Given their dominant home record, particularly against TFC, it’s hardly surprising that RSL is a heavy favorite to pick up the three points on Saturday once again, installed as the second-heaviest favorite for a win in the Week 6 MLS odds.

RSL Look A-OK At Home

Familiarity with playing at altitude is often looked at as significant advantage in the sports world, and given the record that Real Salt Lake has put together playing at elevation in Sandy, Utah, playing at over a kilometre above sea level, it’s easy to see why.

Since opening Rio Tinto Stadium in late 2008, RSL is 148-43-46 playing there in all competitions, and having started the 2022 campaign with two home wins over Seattle and Nashville – both playoff teams last season – it doesn’t look like that home-field advantage is going away anytime soon.

To make matters worse for TFC – which has gone 1-9-1 away at Salt Lake since it came into the league in 2007 – Eastern Conference clubs have endured a torrid time in Utah of late. Orlando City was the last Eastern club to win there, way back in June, 2017. Since then, RSL has recorded 10 wins and four draws against teams from the other conference at its own stadium.

Salt Lake Rolling In The Subs

Although the new season is not even two months old, RSL has had its roster depth tested of late. Saturday’s match will see them having to cope without forwards Jonathan Menendez and Bobby Wood, defenders Erik Holt and Zack Farnsworth and goalkeeper David Ochoa, among others.

High praise from the vet. pic.twitter.com/WiJ7PJrBXE

— Real Salt Lake (@realsaltlake) April 6, 2022

As a result, Salt Lake has had to hand MLS debuts to a number of young players, such as Jaziel Orozco and  Jasper Löffelsen.

TFC Back On Track?

After a slow start to the season under new head coach Bob Bradley, Toronto FC seem to be moving in the right direction after back-to-back victories, most recently – and impressively – last weekend’s 2-1 victory over defending MLS Cup champions New York City FC.

However, the team has struggled away from home recently, particularly against Western Conference foes. Toronto’s last victory at a Western Conference club was in September, 2017, at the Los Angeles Galaxy, although the pandemic affected that somewhat.

Worse still, TFC has not won in its last 10 away games, with last July’s victory in Chicago its most recent MLS victory away from BMO Field.

 Real Salt Lake vs Toronto FC 2022 MLS Stats

Toronto Embracing Next Man Up?

Although it’s nothing compared to RSL’s injury woes, Toronto still has concerns of its own. Young wingback Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty and fellow defender Kadin Chung will miss this game with lower-body issues, while striker Ayo Akinola is still recovering from his ACL tear.

https://twitter.com/Total_TFC/status/1510421537131835396?s=20&t=B8ZklztT7IVPDMhSs5xHZg

In his absence though, newcomer Jesus Jimenez has shown an instant affinity for the MLS game, scoring three goals in his first five appearances in North America’s top soccer league.

Best bet: Toronto +0.5 (+106)