Houston Dynamo vs. Real Salt Lake Prediction, Preview and Odds - 7/31/21

Real Salt Lake is coming off a solid win and in a Western Conference matchup hot the road to play a Houston team that has fell in the standings as of late.

Real Salt Lake is coming off a solid 3-0 win in their last match and in their last four matches have two wins, a loss, and a draw. They are in the middle of the pack in the seventh spot in the West three points clear of Houston.

Houston is winless in their last eight matches, and they have played to a draw in six of them including their last two. The issue for the club on the season has been their attack and that is especially the case as of late.

These teams played to a 1-1 draw at Salt Lake City in late June.

Great All-Around Match

Real Salt Lake was at home in their last match where they played well on both sides of the pitch in a 3-0 win over Colorado. They had a 2-0 lead after the 30th minute and William Yarbrough, Bobby Wood, and Rubio Rubin all tickled the twine. The club scored three goals on only two shots on target with one coming on an own goal. Real Salt Lake only has one road win this season.

Salt Lake has a goal differential of +8 and they have scored five goals in their last two matches. Damir Kreilach and Rubin are the big guns up front for the club combining for 12 goals and Rubin has a goal and an assist in the last two matches. FW Andrew Brody is out for this match for undisclosed reasons and fellow FW Douglas Martìnez is also out due to international duty.

Attack Has Struggled

In the last six matches for Houston, they have failed to score more than one goal and they have only scored one goal in their last three matches. That goal came in their last match, which was a 1-1 road draw with San Jose. In that match Matías Vera scored the lone goal and Dynamo secured the draw even though they lost time of possession 65% to 35%.

Maximiliano Urruti leads Houston with six goals and Tyler Pasher has three goals with no other player having more than two. Creating scoring chances in the midfield has been an issue all season and the team leaders in assists are Pasker and Fabrice Picaultwith only two assists apiece. Houston will be shorthanded in this match, as Pasher and four other players are out due to international duty and DF Ethan Bartlow is listed as questionable with a thigh injury.

Pick: Draw +250

These teams played to a 1-1 draw in late June, and I am leaning towards the draw in this match. Houston is winless in their last eight matches and six of them have ended in a draw. While Real Salt Lake, has scored five goals in their last two matches both were at home and they only have one road win on the season. Each team has a decent midfield, but Houston has not created scoring chances in their last few matches. Look for that to continue but they will play good D at home and this match will end in a draw.

Total: Under 2.5 goals

I am leaning towards the Under in this match, which was the winning pick in the 1-1 draw between these clubs in late June. Real has tickled the twine five times in their last two matches but both of them were at home. They will be thwarted on the attack by a Houston team that only gave up one goal in their last match. On the other side of the coin, the Dynamo will not do much on the attack and they only have one goal in their last three matches. Defense will be the name of the game in this conference encounter, which is why the Under is the pick.