Real Salt Lake (13-6-8) travel to face off against Houston Dynamo (11-8-8) on Saturday, September 14th. This match will be played at Shell Energy Stadium in Houston, TX. Real Salt Lake is coming off a win in their previous match, while Houston Dynamo played to a draw vs. Real Salt Lake. The match is scheduled for 8:30 PM ET.
Real Salt Lake vs Houston Dynamo
Real Salt Lake Is Coming Off A Win
In their last match, Real Salt Lake hosted the New England Revolution. The RSL went into this match as the favorite, with a money line of -186. They picked up the 2-0 win, and the two combined goals fell short of the over/under goal line of 3.5 goals.
Real Salt Lake’s offensive attack took a total of 20 shots, five of which came from Anderson Julio and Philip Quinton. Julio and Quinton didn’t waste their opportunities, with each finding the net on their respective shot attempts.
On the defensive end, Real Salt Lake intercepted 12 passes and blocked four shots. Goalies Gavin Beavers made two saves on the Revolution’s two shots on goal, and he picked up a clean sheet for his efforts.
Real Salt Lake is currently in 3rd place in the Western Conference, just one point behind Los Angeles FC. They have a record of 13-6-8 and have struggled on the road, going just 4-3-7. Over their last four matches, they have just one win, with a loss and a draw. After this match, they will return home to take on FC Dallas on September 19th. Overall, they have been favored in 14 matches, going 8-3-3, while going 5-3-5 as the underdog.
Houston Dynamo Is Coming Off A Draw
The Houston Dynamo will be looking to get back in the win column after playing to a 0-0 draw in their last match. This draw came on their home pitch and they were a slight favorite at -113, despite taking on Los Angeles FC. The offensive unit of the Dynamo will look to be more aggressive, as the match only had a total of three shots on goal.
Houston’s offense was held scoreless on 12 total shots, which included three shots on goal. The club also had six corner kicks, but like the rest of the offense, they couldn’t convert on any of these. The over/under line for the match was 2.5 goals, so the clubs fell significantly short of this mark.
On the defensive end, Houston did a good job of keeping the action in front of them, as LA FC took just two shots on goal and five corner kicks. Overall, the Dynamo’s defense blocked two shots and the club’s intercepting 13 passes.
In the Western Conference, the Houston Dynamo are currently in 7th place, just one point behind the Vancouver Whitecaps FC. Over their last six matches, they have gone 3-1-2, including a draw against the 2nd-ranked Los Angeles FC. Overall, they have a record of 11-8-8, and they have been favored in 15 of their 27 matches. After this match against Real Salt Lake, they will be back at home on September 19th vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC.
Real Salt Lake Offense Breakdown
Real Salt Lake’s offense has been one of the most potent in the MLS this season, ranking fourth in goals scored at 2.0 per match. Leading the way has been Cristian Arango, who is second in the league in goals scored with 17. He also leads the club in shots on goal, which is third in the MLS. Diego Luna has been the team’s top playmaker, ranking 10th in the league in assists. His eight assists are also tops on the club. Overall, Real Salt Lake is fifth in the league in passing percentage and has had more corner kicks than their opponents in 55.6% of their matches.
Houston Dynamo Offense Breakdown
Aliyu Ibrahim is the top scorer for the Houston Dynamo this season, as he has found the back of the net six times, which is good for 57th in MLS. He also leads the team in shots on goal, as he has put 25 of his shots on target, which is 25th in the league. Amine Bassi is the leader in assists for the Dynamo, as he has six on the season, which is 30th in MLS. He has also scored two goals, which is fourth on the team and 207th in the league. Houston is 20th in the league in goals scored this season, averaging 1.3 per match, and they are 13th in shots on goal. They are 21st in the league in corner kicks, and they have had more corners than their opponents in 51.9% of their matches. Their passing percentage of 86.6% is third in MLS.
Real Salt Lake Defense Breakdown
Real Salt Lake’s defense has been solid this season, allowing just 1.3 goals per match, which is 7th in the MLS. However, they are coming off a match against the 26th ranked offense in the New England Revolution, where they did not allow a goal. This was a nice bounce-back performance after giving up three goals to the Colorado Rapids SC. Keeper Zac MacMath has just four clean sheets this season, which is 20th in the MLS. He is also 18th in saves with 68.
Houston Dynamo Defense Breakdown
Heading into their match against Real Salt Lake, the Houston Dynamo’s defense is coming off back-to-back shutouts against the Los Angeles FC offense, which is ranked 7th in the MLS. Overall, they are 4th in goals allowed per match (1.1) and have the 6th most blocked shots. Steve Clark is 4th in clean sheets (7) and 16th in saves (70). However, they have struggled at times, including giving up three goals to the Vancouver Whitecaps FC offense, which is 10th in the MLS.
Real Salt Lake vs Houston Dynamo Prediction
Even though Houston comes in as the better defensive team, this match between Real Salt Lake and Houston Dynamo is predicted to end in a 2-2 draw. Coming into the match, both Real Salt Lake and Houston are near the bottom of the league in terms of shooting percentage. Our projections have both teams getting five shots on goal, with Ezequiel Ponce having the best chance to score for Houston. As for Real Salt Lake, Cristian Arango has the best odds to find the back of the net.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
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Last updated:September 10, 2024 Houston Dynamo, Real Salt Lake