Wednesday Football Tips: Make Martinez your main bet in Atlanta

Atlanta United v Real Salt Lake
Thursday 12 July
00:30 BST kick-off

For Wednesday's bet we're not only heading over to the USA but also heading technically into Thursday to take in Atlanta United's home game against Real Salt Lake.

It's only just after midnight in the UK and very much still Wednesday over at the imposing Mercedes-Benz Stadium where Atlanta badly need a victory to turn their season around.

They're 11th in the Eastern Conference with just five wins from 18, no win in four and just two home wins in their last seven games in their own backyard.

Real Salt Lake sit up in third in the Western Conference but are just having a bit of a slump with just one win in five - and just one victory in their last eight away games.

The biggest eye-catcher in the betting is simply the match odds, with Real a massive price considering where they sit in their conference and how bad Atlanta's form has been.

The Five Stripes are at home but you've got to feel a bit nervous backing such short-priced favourites who have won just two of their last 13 in MLS and have conceded twice in seven of their last eight.

Real have had similar problems defensively, conceding in 10 of their last 12 games, and letting in two or more in six of those.

Both teams scoring goals, or rather both teams letting in goals, is perhaps all you can trust these two with after their recent runs.

Atlanta are second in the entire MLS for games going over 2.5 goals, and while Real are more middle of the road, recently they've seen nine goals go in during their last two games.

And as for who gets the goals, for Atlanta it just has to be Josef Martinez, who has four goals in his last six games after coming back from injury.

Martinez has been heavily involved since his return too - and even in Atlanta's 3-0 defeat to Austin last time out he registered two shots on target from three attempts.

Against a porous defence in Real's then he's the go-to guy for a goal in Georgia.