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Official MLS 2024 Betting Guide

By · Updated 4 years ago
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Major League Soccer or MLS for short is the U.S. top tier soccer competitive league created to accommodate the growing popularity of the sport in the country. Following the U.S. women’s soccer team victory in the 2019 World Cup, interest in the sport has skyrocketed. This and the fact that the federal ban on sports betting has been rescinded creates the perfect ecosystem for MLS betting opportunities.

All sports fans can now place a wager based on the latest MLS betting tips and consult professional tipsters who are keen on providing you with the most accurate predictions and insights.

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MLS Betting Odds and Lines

The MLS is no different than any of the other betting contests you have placed a wager on and you will most commonly get to pick from three types of bets, and specifically:

  • Moneyline – Denoting the outright winner of an event and similar to 1×2 betting popular elsewhere in the world.
  • Spread – Indicating by what point difference a winner has to win in order to complete the condition of the bet as per the spread.
  • Over/under – Similarly known as totals and placed on the total number of goals scored during a regular match of soccer.   

Each of these bet types can come in many different forms, but they will usually all accompany each game of the regular 2020 MLS Season. Since soccer is only now gathering momentum in the U.S. this allows for some value betting opportunities.

Other types of bets on soccer events include parlays and live betting or in-play betting as this type of betting is also known. When you bet on parlays, you are basically placing a wager on two or more game outcomes.

In order for the parlay to pan out, you need to predict every outcome successfully. In-play, as the name suggests, allows you to bet during a live game using specific live odds listed at sportsbooks.

What MLS Betting Predictions to Trust?

Reading the odds is your best ally in determining which teams seem to be more likely to win. Yet, lines alone won’t do the trick for you. What you need is a deeper understanding of the game itself, and that’s why we encourage you to pay attention to the home field of competitors.

Surely, MLS doesn’t stir up quite the same level of excitement as the English Premier League (EPL), Bundesliga, or Serie A, and yet, the teams are only now beginning to find their foothold and North American has a lot of potentially when it comes to soccer.

To be able to pinpoint the outcomes of MLS matches, though, you will have to make sure you understand the game and the current standing of the teams, and ultimately make accurate predictions. The most popular types of MLS prediction have to do with the:

  • MLS Cup Winner – You can bet on the team you think will be the most likely winner of the season. Early bets give you a better yield, but they also carry a far greater risk.
  • Golden Boot – Every competitive league has an award for the most valuable player in the season. MLS is no different and you can bet on individual athletes.

You can always turn your knowledge of the sport into a high-paying bet providing you place your bet early enough. But even if you stick around and wait until late in the season, you still stand to benefit.

Similar to other competitions, MLS can introduce quite a few interesting markets around it. Beyond the established wagers, there are a number of other markets well worth considering. During an in-play contest, for example, you will want to bet on next goal.

Other interesting markets include corner props, half time and full-time results, as well as exact score.  The MLS also has increased to 26 franchises split into two groups, to name Eastern and Western Conference, which allows you to focus on teams that are closer to home.

2020 MLS Betting Season – Odds

TeamOdds
Colorado Rapidsn/a
FC Dallasn/a
Houston Dynamon/a
LA Galaxyn/a
Los Angeles FCn/a
Minnesota United FCn/a
Nashville SCn/a
Portland Timbersn/a
Real Salt Laken/a
San Jose Earthquakesn/a
Seattle Sounders FCn/a
Sporting Kansas Cityn/a
Vancouver Whitecaps FCn/a
Atlanta United FCn/a
Chicago Fire FCn/a
FC Cincinnatin/a
Columbus Crew SCn/a
D.C. Unitedn/a
Inter Miami CFn/a
Montreal Impactn/a
New England Revolutionn/a
New York City FCn/a
New York Red Bullsn/a
Orland City SCn/a
Philadelphia Unionn/a
Toronto FCn/a

Golden Boot Odds

As we are only preparing for the 2020 Season, the exact names of the soccer players who will compete for the distinction this year haven’t been announced. You can rest assured, however, that we will post you right up as soon as the lines become available.

Betting Tips: How to Place a Successful MLS Wager?

There are numerous ways you can be a little more successful placing your next wager on the 2020 MLS Season. For starters, following a Conference you feel familiar with is your best bet. Even if the MLS favorites are in the other Conference, you can still turn a hefty profit focusing on those games you understand best. Here are several time-tested approaches that will allow you to get your next MLS bet right or in the very least – close.

Bet on the Moneyline

One of the most popular strategies remains betting on the Moneyline. Instead of trying to predict somewhat arbitrary outcomes, such as the spread, totals or half time result, you might as well focus your attention on the better team.

Look for MLS betting odds that allow you to add value to your wager – whether by preemptively placing a wager the sportsbooks haven’t realized they gave unnecessarily long odds to, or by tapping into your knowledge of the sport.

Home Team Advantage

The home venue could bring you extra rewards this year, so don’t hesitate to pay closer attention to the league and where the match is played. Admittedly, the league may not pack the same interest as the English Premier League, but then again, distances in the United States tend to be somewhat more formidable.

Some venues have even established themselves as historically more likely to bring victory to their team, to name Kansas City, Portland and Seattle. With a bit of foresight and analyzing the current teams and their recent performance, you could turn a few successful wagers by focusing on the home team advantage.

MLS Odds and Standings
Odds will change all the time throughout the season, and a professional MLS sports bettor will tell you to always wait a bit before you start betting. This is a good advice, but you can also consider the overall standings of a team. For instance, LA Galaxy and D.C. United presently hold the most MLS Cups.

However, United’s last title was won back in 2004, and since that time many other promising franchises have managed to claim the title. Since the mid-2000s, several franchises have also managed to seal a title, including:

  • Sporting Kansas City – 2000, 2013
  • Seattle Founders FC – 2016, 2019
  • Houston Dynamo – 2006, 2007

Presently, Dynamo and Galaxy are the only back-to-back MLS Cup winners, too.

Injury Reports

Injury reports are equally important and you definitely shouldn’t miss out on those. Yet, most sportsbooks will most likely reflect any development that impacts a team in the odds. Then again, Team B’s have been known to pull off some big upsets.

Sounders FC managed to pull off an amazing game against Los Angeles for a historic victory, overcoming odds that gave LA 81% chance of winning the game outright. Keeping a close eye on the teams always pays off.

Weather Conditions

The United States’ is an enormous country comfortable located in multiple climates. While the Eastern Conference generally has less to travel around, the Western Conference is often in a hard spot especially when Portland and Seattle are half a continent away from venues such as Dallas and Houston.

Yet, apart from the great distances, the weather conditions can be equally important in trying to determine which team has the edge. Changing from hot to cold climate and vice versa usually results in poorer play, so keep this in mind when placing your next wagers.

Former MLS Cup Winners

Just like any other soccer competition around the globe, you will find a handful of soccer teams that just tend to fare better in the MLS. They have both the track record and team composition to make it to the finals once again. Here is a list of the past MLS Cup winners in the past 12 years:

YearTeam
2019Seattle Sounders
2018Atlanta United FC
2017Toronto FC
2016Seattle Sounders FC
2015Portland Timbers
2014Los Angeles Galaxy
2013Sporting Kansas City
2012Los Angeles Galaxy
2011Los Angeles Galaxy
2010Colorado Rapids
2009Real Salt Lake
2008Columbus Crew

 
The Seattle Sounders could yet have a chance to establish their reputation, after already clinching the 2019 title in a dramatic fashion and having won before that in 2016. The team packs a powerful punch under Brian Schmetzer who is coaching the team presently.

As the largest franchise in the Wester Conference – with a stadium that can accommodate up to 39,419 people – the Sanders are definitely going to make it to the top and the Playoffs this year.

If you can find a bet that the Sanders will qualify into the Playoffs, it’s never too late to place your money on that outcome.

Top Players Who Are Still Active

The MLS is full with talent and you might want to gravitate around these players when making a bet. Several names stand out in the 2020 Season and they include Chris Wondolowski who is listed as the league’s player with the most goals and still counting and presently plays for the San Jose Earthquakes.

Kei Kamara took a short break from the MLS but returned with the Colorado Rapids in 2015 and is still active. He has 126 goals so far and is 35 years old. While he remains a strong contender, he may not be the league’s best player right now.

Another great pick is Tim Melia who presently plays for Kansas City and fills in the role of a goalie. Speaking of goalkeepers, there are quite a few notable picks in the MLS, including Luis Robles and Zack Steffen who have both proven to be quite the capable players.  

Aaron Long is another great pick and he plays for the New York Red Bulls. He was also the captain of the U.S. squad in a friendly game in 2018 against Panama. Overall, there are quite a few decent soccer players here and as the season unfolds, we will keep you posted about who the promising teams and players are.

The MLS Playoffs

After a whole season of playing, the Playoffs finally arrive and with them seven of the best teams in each conference play against each other in a single-match elimination format. The top seed of each Conference is granted an automatic bye, saving it the first round of the fray. Once only two teams are left, they progress to the MLS Cup finals and a new MLS champion is elected.

2020 Season Upon Us

This year’s season is fast-approaching and it promises to be a new chapter in the league’s history. After the total number of teams has reached 26 and at least four new franchises are planned to join in 2021 and 2022, the league is gathering new momentum.

Overall, the live attendance numbers aren’t too bad with 20,000 people on average and sportsbooks are also beginning to pick up on the popularity of the sport as is. MLS betting sites are already covering the main types of wagers out there.

Of course, each season is its own, but we can already spot the trends and team most likely to make it to the Playoffs. The MLS Cup title match will definitely be highly contested, so it’s too early to call the winners there just yet.

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