The fact of the matter is that the Los Angeles Galaxy (4-5-4, 17 Points) are merely an average team in a really good Western Conference this season. Still, the defending MLS Cup champs are easily the right choices when they are playing at home as they are on Wednesday night against Real Salt Lake (4-5-3, 17 Points).
ODDS ANALYSIS
The oddsmakers have caught up with the Galaxy and their home form. They're the biggest favorites in the midweek fixtures, favored by a -170 margin against Real Salt Lake, and for good reason. LA has yet to lose a game this season at home.
The argument though, could be made that Real is every bit as good of a team as Los Angeles is, which might make that +525 moneyline choice on the visitors an equally sharp one.
The total is relatively low by MLS standards at 2.5 (under -133).
KEY INJURIES
If you're going to get the Galaxy, you'd better get them soon. Robbie Keane is back in the lineup from his groin strain which has cost him most of this season, while Steven Gerrard is probably just a few weeks away from getting into the fold now that his time at Liverpool is finished.
The offense for Real could be improved in this duel as well. Joao Plata, who has been out all season long, as well as Sebastian Jaime, who has been missing games with a leg issue, could be back in LA.
QUOTE TO NOTE
"It was nice to be back. I've been looking forward to it for a while, so it was nice to get back in the swing of things. I'm not a player that eases into things. As soon as I'm ready, I want to jump right in and help the team as much as I can." – LA striker Robbie Keane after his return to the pitch over the weekend against Houston
RECENT FORM
The Galaxy badly needed the stoppage time winner which beat Houston last Friday. They were crushed in consecutive road matches 4-0 by Orlando City and 2-1 against FC Dallas, and they hadn't won a duel since April 18.
RSL has won two of its last three matches, and it has only been beaten once since April 25. The problem that Real has had though, is that its losses have been brutal. The last two losses against New England and Montreal were by a combined score of 8-1.
TALKING TOTALS
The under is 4-2 in Los Angeles' last six games overall, though we have a feeling that the offensive players coming back into the lineup and getting back into the swing of things might ultimately pay big time dividends for patient over bettors.
When Real Salt Lake is playing its best defensively, under matches are really easy to come by. However, it's like when this defense gives up one goal, a flood is coming. Two of the team's last four matches have ended with clean sheets, including a scoreless draw against the Galaxy at the beginning of the month. However, the other two games were both easy overs due to the fact that the defense conceded six times.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
With Keane back, the Galaxy really look like a much better team, and Alan Houston could be back in form as well now that the best offensive player the club has to bring to the table is back on the pitch.
These two ended in a scoreless draw a few weeks ago, and we think we are going to see a similar result again in this one. The difference is that Keane is in the lineup, unlike for that game earlier in May.
With Keane playing, the Galaxy will end up notching the important goal to take the three points in what could be a huge duel in the Western Conference.
Los Angeles 1, Real Salt Lake 0
BookMaker has MLS lines for every match of the season. The Los Angeles Galaxy are lined as a -170 moneyline favorite, while the total is set at 2.5 (under -133). You can make a futures bet and predict the champion, wager on head-to-head matchups or use BookMaker’s live betting feature to gamble while the match is happening.
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook! The fixture between the Los Angeles Galaxy and Real Salt Lake is scheduled for Wednesday, May 27, 2015, at 10:30 p.m. ET at the StubHub Center in Carson, CA. The match will be televised live on MLS Live.
