Betting on MLS games is growing in popularity after dozens of states decided to legalize online sports wagering. It can really boost the excitement you experience when watching your favorite teams in action, but the odds can be a little bewildering for beginners.
The MLS is North America’s version of the Premier League and is a perfect platform to kick off your MLS betting journey. Typically, each team plays 34 regular-season games prior to the playoffs, with 14 top-tier American and Canadian clubs competing for the MLS cup which is normally decided in early November.
A great way to heighten the thrill is to bet on the exciting world of the MLS. You’ll find below everything you need to know related to MLS betting, from MLS odds to different types of bets to help you make strategic MLS predictions and smart MLS picks and how to bet on major league soccer.
How to Bet On The MLS
As well as offering a fantastic diversity of playing styles, MLS serves up a rich and dense variety of betting markets to inject a myriad of excitement into the game, So, how do you use these markets to bet on the MLS? Let’s have a look at the most popular MLS betting markets.
Outright Winner
If you’re a novice at MLS betting, then the simplest bet to kick-start your betting journey is the outright winner market. All you will have to do is pick the team you believe is more likely to prevail in an MLS match. Sportsbooks understand how popular MLS betting has become, so they’ve worked hard on providing the best outright markets possible. With expert odds compilers by your side, they will make a fair assessment of both teams and offer the most realistic price for you to wager on.
For example, San Jose Earthquakes were installed as the 12/5 favorite to beat newcomers Austin FC. If you were to have a $20 outright win on San Jose Earthquakes and they prevailed, you would see a return of $68. Simply put, for every £5 you would receive $17 back if the bet wins. Outright betting is a great way to immerse yourself in a new betting experience.
MLS Betting Lines and Odds
Reading American odds can be slightly harder than the traditional fractional format, but they are equally as exciting. American odds are typically presented in the format of -150, +150, or even (which is equal to +100). A negative number means that you’ll win less money than you’re wagering, while a positive number will net you more than your wager. The favorite in a game is signified by a lower number.
For example, if you were to wager on Real Salt Lake +250 to beat New York City FC, you would know that if you were to wager $100 then you’d see $250 profit if your bet were to come in.
Point Spread
The point spread market is simple, effectively you gamble on whether a team will win or lose by a certain number of goals. This market is very popular across the majority of American sports. The main prospect here is to equalize uneven teams and make the underdog a more attractive bet. For example, if you decide to back Seattle Sounders (-2.5) then you assume they will win by 3 or more goals. But if support the opposition Nashville (+2.5) then you believe it will lose by less than two goals.
Totals
The MLS totals market doesn’t require you to predict the outcome of the match in terms of the result, but how many goals will be scored. The sportsbook you decide to wager with will set the total and you would bet that the actual total number of goals will be over or under that figure.
For example, if you wagered $100 on over 2.5 goals (-185) and the game finished 2-1, you would win $54.05. If the game finished 2-0, you’d lose your bet. The total goals market is a great way to bet if you believe a game will be either filled with goals or a stalemate with very few goals in the game.
First Goal Scorer
Another simplistic bet to aid you in your MLS betting journey. The first goalscorer market involves placing a bet on a specific player to score the very first goal of the game. If anyone other than the player you backed scores first then your bet loses.
Futures
Each year, odds are released before the season commences and these are called MLS futures or MLS outright. They are wagers you’d place on a team you believe will emerge victorious over an entire season. Sportsbooks usually offer sports bettors higher odds on futures betting as the outcome is less likely over a longer period of time. If you do predict a correct futures bet, the payout can be huge.