FC Dallas vs. Real Salt Lake – MLS, May 22, 2021

Having only managed to claim one win in five games this year, FC Dallas will hope to secure a much-needed victory when Real Salt Lake comes to town this Saturday, May 22.

Freddy Juarez men have only played four matches this season, but they currently find themselves two points ahead of Dallas in the Western Conference. RSL has already beaten Minnesota and Sporting KC in 2021 and picked up an impressive draw with Nashville last weekend.

After looking at the MLS odds and analyzing the teams, I will provide you with my FC Dallas vs. Real Salt Lake prediction and pick.

The eye-catching price for the RSL win is bound to attract plenty of attention here, given that Juarez’s side has made a promising start to the 2021 MLS season. Still, the leading online sportsbooks view Dallas as the favorite to win on Saturday.

On paper, the Texas side boasts a stronger line-up than the Utah outfit. But that doesn’t mean to say that RSL can’t upset the MLS odds this weekend.

In fact, the high prices for the draw bet and the away win are very tempting.

After taking just a single point from their opening two matches this year, Dallas thrashed Portland 4-1 in Week 3 – swiftly ending any early-season nerves. The Texans were expected to kick-start their campaign from there, but they have since made very little progress.

Jader Obrian scored in back-to-back games to rescue a point for his side against Houston. However, Dallas swiftly returned to losing ways last weekend.

Despite controlling large spells of their encounter with Minnesota, Luchi Gonzalez’s men failed to make the most of their dominance and ended up conceding deep into stoppage time.

The Toros may have enjoyed the lion’s share of possession against the Loons, yet they only managed to register two attempts on target. By contrast, Minnesota racked up 27 shots.

During the early stages of the season, Real Salt Lake has looked almost unrecognizable from the team that finished second from bottom in the 2020 Western Conference standings.

The Claret & Cobalt won just five of their 22 matches last year and finished the previous campaign as the lowest scorers in the division. This time around, they already have two wins to their name – and they have only played four games.

RSL stunned everyone by securing a 2-1 victory over Minnesota before picking up another unexpected 3-1 win against SKC. Juarez’s men were unlucky to lose to San Jose, but they were able to register a respectable draw with Nashville last time out.

The Utah side enjoyed plenty of the ball in Week 5 but couldn’t find a way through Nashville’s sturdy backline.

Rubio Rubin already has three goals and two assists under his belt this year, while Anderon Julio (two goals) and Damir Kreilach (one goal, three assists) have also impressed.

In my eyes, the price for the home win isn’t high enough here. After all, the Texans have only managed to win one of their five games this season and have looked toothless in attack so far.

Meanwhile, RSL has surprised a lot of people already this year. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Utah club’s in-form trio (Rubin, Julio, and Kreilach) heaps more misery on Dallas this weekend.

The odds for the RSL win seem too good to miss – and that’s why the away win is my FC Dallas vs. Real Salt Lake prediction.