Talk about a sports bettor's seven-course meal. Let's get into the nitty-gritty of this Major League Soccer matchup between Real Salt Lake and Atlanta United FC, shall we?
Brad Guzan is guarding the net for United FC, pulling out a cool 7.32 rating with 20 saves. Let's remember, however, he's up against Salt Lake's dynamic duo, Gavin Beavers and Zac MacMath, sporting an 8.10 and 6.87 rating, respectively. The scales seem tipped in Real Salt Lake's favor here, wouldn't you agree?
In the roster of top players, Thiago Almada and Daniel Rios are a couple of United FC's most notable names. Almada is on a good streak with a 7.33 rating and 2 goals to his name. Meanwhile, Rios is doing a great little number with a 7.06 rating and 3 goals. However, they're likely to miss the company of their teammates Edwin Mosquera and Jamal Thiaré due to injuries. There goes a joke or two about a busted knee, I guess.
Over at Real Salt Lake, we're seeing Andrés Gómez and Diego Luna as the central figures. Gómez brings to the table a pretty impressive 7.85 rating and 3 goals. Luna isn't too far behind, holding down a 7.38 rating and 1 goal. They'll have to do without Kevin Bonilla, Marcelo Silva, Erik Holt, Pablo Ruiz, and Justen Glad on the field, thanks to the injury fairy. If you could see me now, I'm pouring one out for them.
Looking over their track records, Real Salt Lake boasts a solid 11-7-3, compared to United FC's slightly less impressive 6-6-9. Goes to show that winning isn't everything, unless you're betting, of course.
Taking a quick peek at recent results makes for an interesting dietary supplement. Real Salt Lake have been serving up a relatively commendable plate while United FC have had a bit more of a mixed bag in its performance.
All in all, it seems the odds favor a certain team, but remember folks, the ball is round and has a knack for surprising us all.
So without further ado, the prediction:
Albert’s Prediction: Real Salt Lake by 2