Houston Dynamo vs Real Salt Lake Prediction & Betting Tips - Major League Soccer

Prediction published on 29/10/2023, 06:00  by Steve Ashfield | Modified on 29/10/2023 at 07:00 in Major League Soccer Predictions

Houston Dynamo host Real Salt Lake in the MLS play-offs. This is a round one match in the Western Conference and rather uniquely it's a best-of-three series. The winners will take on either St Louis or Sporting Kansas in the Conference semi-finals that are decided by a single match. Houston finished fourth in the main season, a place and a point ahead of their opponents. They ended the main season in good form with an unbeaten run of five games in all competitions. Their most recent game was a 3-1 win at Portland Timbers (who finished 10th and missed out on the play-offs) with Griffin Dorsey scoring twice. That followed a 5-1 home thrashing of Colorado Rapids (bottom of the Western Conference) with five different scorers. That win confirmed Houston as the side in the Western Conference with the most home points, 37 in 17 games. They won 11 of their 17 home MLS fixtures, only losing two. Dynamo come into this game without a loss in their last seven home league and cup games. August saw them beat Real Salt Lake 3-1 at home in the US Open Cup

If this tie goes to a deciding match Real Salt Lake will have to go to Houston twice. The pressure is on them therefore and they aren't in such good form as their opponents. Only one of their last three games has been won. They lost 3-2 at home to Sporting Kansas City but arriving at the 81st minute Real Salt Lake were 3-0 down. That was followed by a 2-2 draw at LA Galaxy, this time coming back from 2-0 down. Their last match saw them win 1-0 at Colorado Rapids. Their away form was the best in the Western Conference with eight wins but they were beaten five times. They are unbeaten in their last three away fixtures but had lost the four played before that. We go for Houston to win this game.