Halloween isn't until this weekend, but Toronto FC has already had its nightmare. The Reds were well on their way to beating the Montreal Impact on the final day of the MLS regular season, a victory which would have given them a home game in the opening round of the playoffs. Instead, Didier Drogba scored twice in a span of 90 seconds, and that has given the Impact the rights to home field in this do-or-die 90 minutes on Thursday.
ODDS ANALYSIS
As a result, figure that Toronto went from around a -150 favorite to advance into the next stage of the MLS Cup playoffs to a +150 underdog. The Impact were awesome this year at home, going 11-4-2, while the Reds only managed to take points in seven of their 17 road games, including just four wins.
Montreal will end up being the favorite, but we doubt that there will be an odds on favorite to win this fixture in 90 minutes.
KEY INJURIES
The Impact are heading into the postseason without three attackers in Cameron Porter, Kenny Cooper and Andres Romero. Justin Mapp, who works out of the midfield, is also a question mark after suffering a toe injury a couple weeks ago.
TFC has problems at the back for sure. Mark Bloom, Clement Simonin and Damien Perquis all have long-term injuries which will keep them out for the duration of the playoffs, something which thinned out an already suspect defensive line.
QUOTE TO NOTE
"They're a good team, to their credit, but as you saw today, we controlled most of the game. There's everything to play for." – Toronto forward Jozy Altidore on losing to the Impact on the final day of the regular season
RECENT FORM
There's going to be a lot of discussion about the game these two teams played last Sunday, a 2-1 win for the Impact right here in Montreal aided by Drogba's awesome 90-second brace. There's more to discuss from our standpoint, though.
The Impact have essentially been in playoff mode for three straight weeks. They beat Colorado and New England on the road to setup the big time showdown with TFC on Sunday, and they now have three straight wins on their ledger with just one goal allowed in those performances.
TFC lost any hope of claiming a home game or a first round bye by losing to both Columbus and Montreal in succession the last two weeks of the year. The Reds have allowed at least one goal in 10 consecutive matches.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
Altidore is right about one very important factor as the team heads into its first playoff game. TFC was the better of these two teams on the pitch on Sunday, and if it plays like that again in this one, it will advance to a date with the Red Bulls starting this weekend.
There's a lot of star power here on the pitch for both sides, but Drogba is really the only man who can carry the Impact. Instead, we like the idea of Michael Bradley taking on a leadership role for Toronto. If he and Altidore can bring forward their skills from the United States Men's National Team and hook up with the Golden Boot winner for the year, Sebastian Giovinco, there's just going to be too much for Montreal to deal with.
Expect to see an upset on Thursday, and we wouldn't be shocked if that upset comes in 90 minutes.
Toronto 3, Montreal 1
The MLS lines for this contest will be first released by BookMaker Sportsbook. Since this game can be seen by anyone with a TV, BookMaker will have a multitude of wagering options available for it. Outside of the normal lines, you can gamble on real-time moneylines, spreads and totals. Live betting is open during every step of this match!
Need to fund your account before the big game but don’t have your computer? No problem! BookMaker Sportsbook now offers a mobile betting cashier so you can deposit money directly from your smartphone. Don’t miss out on getting paid because you couldn’t bet. Click here and deposit at BookMaker now! The fixture between the Montreal Impact and Toronto FC is scheduled for Thursday, October 29, 2015 at 7:00 p.m. ET at Stade Saputo. The match will be televised live on UniMas.
