Written by Rohit Ghosh
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MLS Friday: Toronto FC vs New England Revolution
With less than two days of rest between games, Toronto FC heads into Friday's match with New England Revolution at BMO Field following a 1-1 draw with the Montreal Impact on Wednesday night.
As Toronto FC manager Greg Vanney said following Wednesday's game, things should be more than manageable as long as the team takes it "one game at a time."
Toronto (9-5-2) sits atop the standings as they host a 14th ranked New England (5-5-6) team.
Toronto FC is slightly favored on the money line, listed at about -145 at the time of publication. New England is getting anywhere from +365 to +425 on the money line, depending on when and where you see the line, with the draw hovering around +300.
Want more? See All of AccuScore'sMLS Picks
Vegas Odds, AccuScore Simulations, Analyst Picks
We're usually interested when Vegas odds and AccuScore sim data are on different sides of a favorite. This isn't one of those situations, but rather one where AccuScore sims agree with and solidify a pick on the home favorite.
The money line pick on Toronto is a four-star (out of four) AccuScore hot trend. The value, however, seems to be on the total, with sim data suggesting a pick on the OVER.
Both sides have proven this season they can score, with about 56 percent of Toronto FC matches going over 2.5, and 69 percent of New England matches going over 2.5.
The OVER is a three-star (out of four) AccuScore hot trend.
What to Watch For
Must Win Situation - Watch for New England to play with a sense of desperation - especially in the first half. They need a win if they want to keep their postseason hopes alive. Given the disparity in talent between these two sides, that hope should fairly quickly fade. Toronto, on the other hand, is firing on all cylinders this season following their loss in the finals last year. It's an inter-conference matchup, so expect fans to not only match the players' intensity, but also potentially exceed it.
Getting Revenge - Toronto had just one of its two losses earlier in June on the road vs New England, falling 0-3 to a team they're much better than. Defender Eriq Zavaleta did mention this week that he and his teammates remember New England showing a "lack of class" in the final stages of that last matchup. “Because of that, it gave us an extra little chip that, in my opinion, you don’t want to give a team like us.”
The Return - He won't start, but keep an eye on Toronto FC forward Tosaint Ricketts to return from his hamstring injury sometime Friday evening. He's expected to play some minutes, and should offer his squad an added weapon as they prepare to make another push for the title. The 29-year-old Canadian native -- in 12 appearances this season -- has three goals, including two game-winners.
