Nashville SC vs. Toronto FC Prediction, Preview and Odds - 6/23/21
Nashville SC vs. Toronto FC
The 2021 MLS season goes on Wednesday, June 23, with plenty of interesting matchups around the country including the first meeting of the season between Nashville SC and Toronto FC. The Gold and Blue are slight home favorites to win this battle against the Reds who have struggled mightily over the last few weeks, while the bookies expect a low-scoring affair, setting -143 odds on the Under 2.5 Goals.
Nashville hopes for another strong outing at Nissan Stadium
Nashville SC has just suffered its first defeat in 2021. The Gold and Blue had recorded a couple of wins and five draws before a 2-0 loss at the New York Red Bulls this past Friday. Now, they’re sitting at the 10th spot of the Eastern Conference table with 11 points and a 9:8 goal difference.
In five outings at home this season, Nashville has tallied two wins and three draws along with a 7:4 goal difference. Gary Smith’s boys will search for their third straight home victory this Wednesday after outlasting New England 2-0 and Austin FC 1-0 in their previous two showings at Nissan Stadium.
The 26-year-old attacking midfielder Hany Mukhtar leads the way for Nashville SC, as he’s scored three goals in seven appearances this season. Mukhtar got a brace in a 2-2 draw at Atlanta last month and will look to build on that performance, while the Gold and Blue desperately need more from their strikers, as Jhonder Cadiz and C.J. Sapong have combined for just three goals so far this term.
Toronto looks to break out of its funk
The Reds are riding a three-game losing streak following a 3-2 home defeat to Orlando City this past Saturday. They were down 2-0 after just eight minutes into the first half, though the Reds managed to tie the clash until halftime. Anyway, Toronto yielded another goal in the 84th minute to extend its losing streak and remain at the 12th spot of the Eastern Conference standings.
Chris Armas is struggling in his first season at Toronto’s helm. His boys have earned just five points out of the first eight games along with a 10:15 goal difference. The Reds’ lone victory came against Columbus Crew 2-0 at home way back on May 13. In five outings on the road, they’ve recorded one draw and four losses along with a disappointing 4:10 goal difference.
Midfielder Jonathan Osorio is topping the team’s scoring chart with three goals in five appearances, while the 21-year-old talented striker Ayo Akinola has two goals in nine outings. Both Osorio and Akinola found the net in that 3-2 loss last Saturday. The Reds don’t have serious injury worries ahead of Wednesday’s clash against Nashville.
Pick: Nashville SC
The hosts are listed at +106 to win which is a nice price, considering Toronto’s recent woes. However, the hosts won’t have an easy job, as the Reds possess enough quality to make this game very interesting to watch.
I’m backing Nashville SC mostly because the visitors are struggling mightily on the defensive end. Toronto failed to keep its net intact in each but one of its previous 12 games at any location. On the other side, Nashville has recorded four clean sheets over its last six outings while scoring five goals in that stretch.
The hosts will take a patient approach, and if they find a way to score first against Toronto’s leaky defense, the Gold and Blue will be very close to the victory.
Total: Over 2.5
Although the bookies expect a low-scoring affair, I think there’s a value on the Over 2.5 Goals because of the Reds’ fragile defense. Also, I’ve mentioned that Toronto owns some dangerous attacking weapons, so both teams could easily find the net Wednesday at Nissan Stadium.
Only one of Nashville’s last six contests produced more than a couple of goals in total. On the other side, three of Toronto’s last four games saw both teams scoring, and two of those four tilts produced more than a pair of goals in total. The Reds have surrendered two or more goals in five of their last nine road games.
