MLS is where Europe's soccer stars sign their last contract or two. Zlatan Ibrahimovic is still on AC Milan's squad, but soccer fans across the Ocean are already impatient to see him in a live MLS live game.
And when the atomic trio - Messi, Ronaldo, and Neymar - hits the MLS stadiums in two or three years, local sportsbooks will be overwhelmed by a soaring number of bets on all MLS markets.
Before the soccer rush has started, let's look at the most useful MLS betting tips and strategies and which US sportsbooks give the best odds.
How to Bet on MLS Matches & Win
Here are the basics of soccer betting: bet types, the different odd formats, and the most common prop bets.
2. Most popular MLS bets
Statistically, home-turf advantage plays a significant role in MLS money lines. If the gap isn't too wide, you can bet on the home-playing underdog. Draws are the highest-paying lines in Association football.
Future bets
Right now, you'll pocket $450 with a wager of just $1 if you guess that Brazil will win the FIFA World Cup in Qatar. England is the runner-up with chances of +550, and Argentina is the third most likely winner at +600.
And while sports betting in California is waiting for the green light, MLS fans can travel to a neighboring state and take advantage of the lucrative odds above.
Number of goals
Once you gain more experience guessing match winners, you can try to predict how many goals the two sides will score. The average number is two.
Exact score
If you have a gut feeling about tonight's MLS game, you can try to predict the exact score. You can also try to guess how the first half will end.
Point spreads
Let's look at the following example:
Toronto FC -1.5
Seattle Sounders +1.5
In Europe, these are also known as handicap bets. Obviously, Toronto will have to overcome a two-goal handicap to beat the oddsmakers, while Seattle will produce a winning bet if they win outright, or lose by less than two goals.
Same-game parlays
You can include all of the above bets in a same-game parlay ticket, and that's one of the funniest things about MLS betting.
Prop bets
The number of corner kicks is the most common prop bet in soccer games. If you know in your heart that a particular player will score in the next MLS game, go place a wager; the odds will be even higher.
Reading the odds
A typical MLS moneyline looks like this:
Team A -125
Team B +230
Draw +350
Clearly, Team A is the favorite, team B is the underdog, and the highest-paying bet is Draw. Converted to European odds, the picture changes as follows:
Team A 1.25
Team B 2.30
Draw 3.50
If your bet wins, you'll get your wager multiplied by the decimal odds.
The best MLS betting site
Bovada is currently the most popular MLS betting website, followed by BetOnline and BetUs.
