The MLS playoff race is heating up as the season winds down, and things are getting tight in the Western Conference. There are just 10 points separating first place from eighth place, and there is plenty of room for movement over the final couple months of the season. We’ll have some midweek action this Wednesday, when Los Angeles FC host Real Salt Lake in a clash between the teams that are currently in fourth- and sixth-place in the conference.
Don't miss the Major League Soccer action from Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles, California at 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday, August 15, 2018. Catch every moment of the match live on ESPN2.
MLS Betting at BookMaker.eu
Real Salt Lake +361
Los Angeles FC -153
Draw +341
Over/Under 3 and 3.5
Odds Analysis
Los Angeles FC had one of the hottest starts you’ll ever see out of an expansion team. They went into Seattle and shocked the defending Western Conference champions in their first match, and they hung around the top of the table for the first part of the season.
However, as the season has progressed, LAFC’s form has deteriorated. The club’s last MLS win came back on July 7, when they knocked off lowly Orlando City at home. Since then, they have played three home matches and two road matches, and they have picked up just two draws. They again blew a multiple goal lead late against arch rival Los Angeles Galaxy, and the U.S. Open Cup is no longer a possibility either. Last Wednesday, they fell to the Houston Dynamo in the semifinals of the competition.
Real Salt Lake have slowly improved over the course of the season. At the end of June, they were near the bottom of the Western Conference, but they sent a shot across the bow shortly afterwards. They were able to knock off conference leaders Sporting Kansas City and FC Dallas in consecutive matches, and they have lost just once in their last seven games.
This team wants to start getting three points instead of just one though. Real Salt Lake has played the dregs of the MLS over the last few weeks, and they don’t want to look back at what could have been if they miss out on the postseason again. They blew a two-goal lead to draw against Colorado, drew against San Jose and Montreal, and lost to Minnesota United in that span. All of those teams are out of the playoff picture and stand little chance of playing themselves into the race.
Key Absences
LAFC will not have a couple players coming into this match. Backup goalkeeper Quillan Roberts is out for the season with a fractured right leg, and midfielder Mark-Anthony Kaye fractured his ankle and was declared out for the season a couple weeks ago. The club is hoping that forward Adama Diomande will be back in action though. He has been dealing with hamstring issues in recent weeks.
It’s been a rough season for Real Salt Lake on the injury front. Reserve goalkeepers Alex Horwath and Connor Sparrow are out for this one, and Horwath is essentially sidelined for the rest of the year. Midfielders Jordan Allen and Luke Mulholland have been declared out, and so have defenders Tony Beltran and David Horst. Forward Ricky Lopez-Espin will be sidelined for this one too. That’s quite a long list, but the good news is that Beltran, Allen, and Lopez-Espin should be returning soon.
Free Soccer Betting Pick
When these two teams met in Salt Lake City earlier in the year, it was all LAFC. Real Salt Lake scored the first goal, but then LAFC knocked in the next five in a 5-1 win.
It feels like the draw is the right play here. It’s true to form for what both teams have done lately, and it’s a nice price too. LAFC have a good home field advantage, but this will also be their fourth match in 11 days, so fatigue will mitigate that home advantage somewhat.
Major League Soccer Odds: Los Angeles FC 1, Real Salt Lake 1
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