San Jose Earthquakes vs. Real Salt Lake prediction, odds, MLS Cup first round picks [10/31/2026]

San Jose will square off with Salt Lake in the MLS Cup first round at PayPal Park on Saturday, commencing at 5:00 PM ET.

Dimers' advanced MLS model projects San Jose as the most likely winner in this San Jose vs. Salt Lake prediction.

This article offers further insights into Saturday's match, including best bets and picks.

San Jose Earthquakes vs. Real Salt Lake prediction and odds

Using trusted machine learning and data analysis, we have re-simulated the result of Saturday's MLS game between San Jose and Salt Lake, forming part of our MLS predictions coverage.

Our leading predictive model currently indicates a 44.6% chance of San Jose winning, a 32.3% chance for Salt Lake, and a 23.1% chance of a draw. Additionally, the 2.5-goal over/under has a 62.6% chance of going over., according to our model.

Latest betting odds

We have researched the best MLS odds in America for this game, which are listed here:

• Moneyline: Salt Lake +178, San Jose +144
• Total Goals: Over/Under 2.5 (-186/+180)

All odds are correct at the time of publication and are subject to change.

Model picks and best bet for MLS Cup first round

After matching our predictions against the best current odds, we can reveal our picks for each of the major markets in this matchup. Plus, find our best bet for the game below:

• Moneyline: San Jose @ +144 via Novig
• Total Goals: Under 2.5 @ +180 via BetRivers

According to our MLS best bets, the top play to make on this game is San Jose to win.

These picks are based on our probabilities matched against the implied probabilities from the current available odds.

Correct score projections

Here are the top three most likely final scores according to our model, with a 1-1 draw being the most probable:

• San Jose 1-1 Salt Lake (10.2% probability)
• San Jose 2-1 Salt Lake (9%)
• San Jose 1-2 Salt Lake (7.5%)

These predictions are based on each team's average score according to our machine learning model, meaning the most likely correct score may differ from our predicted winner.

Game info & kickoff details

Saturday's MLS game between San Jose and Salt Lake in MLS at PayPal Park is scheduled to begin at 5:00 PM ET.

• Who: San Jose Earthquakes vs. Real Salt Lake
• Date: Saturday, October 31, 2026
• Time: 5:00 PM ET/2:00 PM PT
• Venue: PayPal Park

Conclusion

According to our computer model, San Jose has a 44.6% win probability on Saturday, Salt Lake has a 32.3% win probability, and there is a 23.1% chance that the game will end in a draw.

Additional tools and information for betting safely can be found in our Responsible Gambling hub.

This article's predictions and probabilities are generated by Dimers' proprietary MLS prediction model. Our editorial team reviews the resulting content for accuracy and presentation before publication.