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Seattle Sounders will be hoping to shake off the draw specialists tag when they host Real Salt Lake in Major League Soccer on Thursday, September 24, at Lumen Field.
Both teams are still within touching distance of the playoff spots in the Western Conference, just three points behind Portland Timbers, who currently occupy ninth spot in the standings.
The hosts have two games in hand over the Timbers, highlighting the need for them to put a stop to their recent sequence of stalemates and turn those matches into maximum pointers.
Interestingly, the visitors currently sit higher than Seattle in the conference, based solely on Salt Lake winning the home leg of this fixture back in March.
Read our prediction, preview and betting tips for the game below, and make sure to check out our today's betting tips page for more of our expert predictions.
Seattle Sounders vs. Real Salt Lake key stats
- Seattle Sounders are on a 13-game winless run in the league.
- The hosts are unbeaten across their last five MLS matches.
- Real Salt Lake have put together a 12-game winless run in the league.
- The visitors have yet to keep a clean sheet away from home.
Seattle Sounders vs. Real Salt Lake preview: Ending the winless streak
Seattle Sounders vs Real Salt Lake — Tale of the Tape
| Seattle Sounders | vs | Real Salt Lake |
|---|---|---|
| 13th | Position | 12th |
| 29 | Points | 29 |
| 28 | Goals For | 37 |
| 33 | Goals Against | 42 |
| 6 | Clean Sheets | 2 |
| 13th (H) | Home / Away Rank | 15 (A) |
After finishing the last three seasons in a row in a playoff spot, the pressure is on for Seattle to make up ground in their final 10 matches of the MLS season, and claiming victory over a team rivalling them for that spot is crucial.
Brian Schmetzer has been at the Seattle helm since 2001 and had a six-year hiatus before returning in 2016 for his second stint at the club, which has been relatively successful.
The home side have been going through a tough time lately, drawing each of their last five MLS matches, which is part of a broader sequence of 13 games in this competition without a win.
Seattle's list of injured players does not help their cause, as Pedro de la Vega, Jesus Ferreira, Nikola Petkovic and Paul Rothrock are all ruled out of this fixture, with Yeimar Gomez Andrade in doubt due to a calf strain.
The good news for the home faithful is that their team are unbeaten against Real Salt Lake in each of the last three head-to-heads that they have hosted, which should give them the confidence to get over the line on Thursday.
The visitors have been stable under the guidance of Pablo Mastroeni, who has led them to a playoff spot in each of the last five seasons, but that record is in danger of crashing out if they continue with their current trend.
The Claret-and-Cobalt have not won a league game across their previous dozen fixtures, but it is their away record that is far more concerning, as they rank bottom of the conference for points on the road.
Additionally, RSL have yet to keep a clean sheet away from their home base, and it does not seem as if that will start this weekend, considering that they have conceded at least once in eight of their last nine visits to Seattle.
Seattle Sounders vs. Real Salt Lake form guide & betting tips
| Seattle Sounders | vs | Real Salt Lake |
|---|---|---|
DDDDD |
Form | LDLLL |
| 5 | Points | 1 |
| 19th | Form Table | 29th |
| 7 | Goals For | 3 |
| 7 | Goals Against | 10 |
DDDDD |
Form (All Comps) | LDLLL |
Whispers predicts: Seattle Sounders 2-1 Real Salt Lake
The home side have had some tough luck in recent weeks, but they can overcome that against a team that have not won at this venue in their last three attempts, which is why backing the hosts to win at 1.87 odds is a decent option.
Considering that RSL have not yet kept a clean sheet on the road, it is likely that the hosts will score; however, Seattle have seen both teams score in 64% of their home MLS games, while the visitors experienced the same outcome in 83% of their away dates, making a case for BTTS – Yes at 1.51, but the real value comes in a combination of Seattle to win and BTTS – Yes at 3.15 odds.
The top scorer for the hosts is Dejan Joveljic with 11 goals in the MLS this term, and he scored the last time out against Colorado Rapids, making it worthwhile backing him to score anytime at 2.28 odds.
Alternatively, it is worth exploring the opposition's top scorer, Sergi Solans, to find the back of the net, but since he is on a five-game drought, he is priced a little higher at 3.15 odds to score.
> Both teams to score at 1.51 | Likelihood: High
> 1×2 – Seattle Sounders at 1.87 | Likelihood: High
> 1×2 & BTTS – Yes at 3.15 | Likelihood: Medium
> Anytime goalscorer – Dejan Joveljic at 2.28 | Likelihood: Low
> Anytime goalscorer – Sergi Solans at 3.15 | Likelihood: Long shot