MLS Betting Odds

The MLS is a professional league consisting of teams from the US and Canada. Founded in preparation for the 1994 World Cup, it’s undergone a vast array of positive changes in the years since. Today, Major League Soccer stands among the most popular sports leagues in the US. 

This guide will show you where to find competitive MLS odds, provide details on betting lines and popular markets, and run all you need to know about the league. Give our walkthrough a quick read, then check out and compare the best betting sites reviewed by BettingOdds.com. 

2023 MLS Betting Odds

The 2023 MLS season got underway in February, with 29 franchises battling it out to take home the trophy that currently belongs to LAFC, who won their first championship last season. 

In this section, we’ll discuss the ins and outs of the MLS, from the competition’s format to this year’s playoff favorites. You’ll also catch the latest odds across a plethora of markets, so stay tuned while we help you pick your next wagers. 

The Format

Major League Soccer is a unique specimen in world football. Unlike Europe’s top leagues, the MLS regular season opens in February and plays through the summer months.

Consisting of 29 teams, the MLS is split in two; Eastern Conference and Western Conference. Similar to the NBA and the NFL, the best-performing teams from both conferences advance to the MLS Cup playoffs later in the campaign. Every competing side plays a total of 34 matches, and the team with the best record at the end of the league season is awarded a trophy for their efforts – called the ‘Supporters’ Shield’. With four championships each, DC United and LA Galaxy hold the record for the most number of Shields, but Los Angeles FC is crawling up the standings having won two in the last four years. FC Cincinnati looks a good bet for the 2023 Shield, as Pat Noonan’s outfit leads the Eastern Conference. 

There are plenty of options when it comes to betting on MLS. When the regular season concludes and the MLS Cup begins in October, 18 teams take to the field in an attempt to qualify for the final. In each of these straight-knockout ties — bar Round One — the team with the highest number of points from the regular season gets home advantage. 

The Wild Card Round, Conference Semifinals, Conference Finals, and the MLS Cup Final then ensue.

Dates

Nashville SC and New York City FC kicked off the 2023 MLS campaign on February 25th at GEODIS Park, with the hosts winning 2-0. 

In contrast to the Premier League — which ends for the summer — Major League Soccer continues during June, July, and August. In 2023, the league paused for the Leagues Cup from late July until the end of August, while additional breaks were announced for international friendlies. The regular season finishes on October 21st. Keep an eye on the 2026 World Cup schedule, as the tournament will be taking place across North America and the MLS season is expected to endure significant disruption.

The 2023 MLS playoffs are due to begin on October 25th and end on December 9th.

New Signings

On June 7th 2023, Inter Miami acquired Lionel Messi. This transfer could shape the future of the league by attracting a plethora of new fans from all over the world. The Argentine’s arrival skyrocketed the MLS odds for Inter Miami, and David Beckham’s side are now among the favorites for the MLS Cup despite having one of the worst records in the league.

Messi wasn’t the only signing to get fans off their feet. Fellow Barcelona legends Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba were flown in as free agents.

Elsewhere, former Blackburn Rovers and QPR attacker, Junior Hoilett, signed for the Vancouver Whitecaps in September. The 33-year-old scored just six goals in the English Championship over the last three seasons – so he’ll be hoping for a turn in fortunes in Canada, whom he represents at international level.  

LA Galaxy have made some moves of their own, the biggest of which is signing Sheffield United hero Billy Sharp over the summer. Sharp is the English Championship’s all-time leading goalscorer, and has already scored three goals in his first five outings. 

Southampton supporters will remember Japanese defender Maya Yoshida, whom the Saints signed from VVV-Venlo over a decade ago. Like his current teammate, Billy Sharp, Yoshida journeyed to the Galaxy in August. 

Best Players

Lionel Messi is arguably the best player the world’s ever seen. He’s won every major tournament in Europe — and internationally — and has scored over 800 goals for club and country. He’s likely to impact the league more than any other player in MLS history. 

Yet, as he’s only in his first season, the little magician isn’t our main point of focus here. Instead, we’re going to focus on the individuals that have had the biggest influence on the league in recent years. 

Georgios Giakoumakis, Denis Bouanga, and Hany Mukhtar have been the standout attackers in 2023. Giakoumakis has bagged more than two dozen goals – and incredibly, none of those strikes have come from the penalty spot. 

Away from goalscorer statistics, this season’s MLS has seen a variety of creative players display their passing prowess. Thiago Almada has set up more goals than anybody else as of September, while teammate and USA-international Brooks Lennon is joint-second on the assists chart.

Who Will Make the Playoffs?

In the Eastern Conference, Orlando City, Philadelphia Union, New England Revolution, Columbus Crew, and Atlanta United look like good picks for your playoff bet slip. Of course, you also can’t rule out Messi’s Inter Miami. 

Montreal are right on the cusp of falling out of the top nine, with only a few points separating them from outsiders. Notably, the New York Red Bulls have had a wholly forgettable 2023. The same goes for Toronto FC, who look set to end the year with fewer than 30 points. 

In terms of the disparity between sides at the top and bottom, the Western Conference paints a similar picture as its Eastern counterpart. St. Louis City are on course to win the division, followed by LAFC, Seattle Sounders, Vancouver Whitecaps, and Houston Dynamo. Also riding the wave of potential qualification is Real Salt Lake, despite their poor defensive record. 

Sporting Kansas City and Austin FC could make the top nine if they hit a solid run of form. However, betting sites seem to prefer Portland Timbers for making the playoffs.

MLS Cup Favorites

After their victorious 2022 season, LAFC fans expect more of the same from the 8-year-old franchise, and the sports betting odds remain slightly in their favor as the playoffs draw nearer.

Cincinnati, however, are the clear bookies’ favorite this year. They have a fair bit of breathing room at the top of the Eastern Conference, and the best record in the league as of September, so have a great chance to earn their first MLS Cup gold medal. 

Inter Miami is a pick to look out for, too. Despite being almost ten points from ninth in September,  the MLS betting odds at certain sportsbooks have them as third or even second favorites to take home the title.

MLS Betting Lines and Odds

MLS odds work in much the same way as other sports in North America. The sportsbook sets betting lines, and you choose whether to take selections at that price. If your pick is correct, your bet wins. 

Using Inter Miami vs Toronto FC as an example, let’s take a look at some of the betting options open to bettors. 

Moneyline

Two-way moneylines have two possible outcomes for the bettor – a win or a loss. To better explain this line, here’s an example of how American moneyline odds for Inter Miami vs Toronto FC might look. 

• Inter Miami to beat Toronto at -800
• Toronto to beat Inter Miami at +500

A $100 wager on Toronto would return $500 as they’re the underdog, represented by the ‘+’ symbol. With Inter Miami strong favorites at the sportsbook — indicated by the ‘-’ symbol — you’d need to bet $800 just to get $100 back from an Inter Miami punt. If the affair ends in a stalemate, you’ll get your stake back as a ‘push’.

Three-way moneylines incorporate a new outcome: the draw. This simply means you can bet on a win for either team, as well as a draw. A ‘push’ isn’t possible with this selection.

Point Spreads

This bet type gives one team an advantage over the other. In doing so, the odds for point spreads — also known as goal line — can vary significantly. See an example below.

• Inter Miami (-2.5) at +215
• Toronto (+2.5) at -310

The numbers in brackets tell us how many goals have been added to or deducted from both teams’ final scores. If Inter Miami clears Toronto by three or more goals, bets on that selection win. Should Toronto lose by no more than two goals or win the game outright, bettors with the Canadian side in their betslip win. 

Totals

Commonly referred to as the ‘over/under’ market, this is one of the most popular options for betting on MLS. 

Your job is to predict whether there’ll be more than or fewer than the stated number of goals. For instance, let’s look at the Inter Miami vs Toronto FC matchup.

• Under 2.5 goals at +185
• Over 2.5 goals at -230

The ‘under’ market wins if zero, one, or two goals are scored in the game. On the flip side, bets on ‘over’ win if either team scores three goals or more.

Other MLS Bet Types

Sportsbooks offering MLS odds are jam-packed with unique ways to wager. We’ve already taken a look at the most popular bet types – now, let’s glance over some other available markets.

• Double Chance — A bet with two chances to win. You can wager on Team A to win or draw, Team B to win or draw, or either team to win.
• Player Props — This is a wager on a player-specific outcome. For example, bets on Lionel Messi to score first, last, or anytime against Toronto FC count as a player prop bet.
• Team Props — Like player props, this bet type generally has nothing to do with the final result of a match. You can bet on the total number of team goals, clean sheets, a team to score/miss a penalty, and more. 
• Game Props — You can bet on the exact correct score, number of corners,both teams to score, the winning margin, and when goals are scored. Unlike team and player props, this market takes both sides into account.
• Parlays — Parlays consist of multiple bets from different games thrown into one selection. Same-game parlays are also available, where you wager on various outcomes from one match.
• Asian Handicap — Standard Asian handicaps put one team at a disadvantage – e.g. -1, or -1.5. In this way, Asian handicaps work like point spreads. Quarter/split Asian handicaps are also available, where half-wins and half-losses are possible due to the inclusion of fractional selections – like +0.25, +1.75, etc. A bet on Toronto with a split Asian handicap of +0.25 would win if the Canadian side came out on top. A draw would see half of the stake returned, while a Toronto defeat would result in the bet being lost.
• Futures — Futures bets are wagers on a major outcome at the end of a season. For example, backing LAFC to win the MLS Cup is an MLS futures bet.
• Live Betting — Also known as ‘in-play’ betting. Any bet where you back an outcome while a match is active falls under the ‘live betting’ category.

Compare MLS Odds and Sign Up to an MLS Sportsbook

Now you know the structure of North America’s top soccer league and the types of bets available, why not check out the sportsbooks that support betting on MLS markets? There are plenty of sportsbooks to choose from, with many providing bonuses for new and existing bettors. Scroll back up to the top of the page to compare MLS odds and betting sites. 

As always, if you or someone you know suffers from a gambling problem, please refer to one of our responsible gambling pages. 

Frequently Asked Questions