Soccer moneyline explained
Check out our easy and simple guide to soccer moneyline betting online.
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MLS online betting guide
Major League Soccer is now without doubt the most famous soccer league in North America, with 30 teams competing by 2023. Over 25 years it’s established itself as a fantastic place to watch the world game. Fans love it, and betting enthusiasts enjoy the chance to check out MLS odds and get closer to the action Stateside.
MLS Picks
Seeking out MLS picks and predictions today? Then look no further. Check out our free MLS expert picks and best bets from our soccer betting experts ahead of the upcoming Major League Soccer action.
Best MLS offers 2022
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MLS odds
Moneyline
Handicap
Total
Odds Settings
Odds updated: Jan 26, 10:58 PM UTC
MLS: Previous winners
2021 MLS
Cup winners
New York City
New York City won their first ever MLS Cup, defeating Portland Timbers 4-2 on penalties after playing out a 1-1 draw in the final. The heroes of the shootout were goalkeeper Sean Johnson, who saved two spot-kicks, and defender Alexander Callens, who put away the winning penalty.
2021 MLS Supporters
Shield winners
New England Revolution
For the first time in their history, New England Revolution won the MLS Supporters’ Shield in 2021. This title, which goes to the club with the best overall regular-season record, was claimed with three games remaining.
Revolution won the Shield with a record of 22-5-7 and 73 points.
2021 MLS
Top goalscorer
Valentín Castellanos
Argentinian striker, Valentín Castellanos, won the MLS Golden Boot for 2021.
The New York City FC player finished the season on 19 goals, as did DC United’s sharpshooter, Ola Kamara. However, Castellanos won the accolade via the MLS’ tiebreaker rule, registering eight assists throughout the season.
However, both Castellanos and Kamara will go down in history as joint-top goalscorers in the MLS for 2021.
2021 MLS
MVP
Carles Gil
New England Revolution midfielder, Carles Gil, won the 2021 Landon Donovan MLS Most Valuable Player award. The attacking midfielder inspired his side to the MLS Supporters’ Shield, with Revolution attaining a record number of points during the regular season.
Gil claimed an incredible 18 assists throughout 2021.
2021 MLS Young
Player of the Year
Ricardo Pepi
American teenager, Ricardo Pepi, became the MLS Young Player of the Year in 2021. The FC Dallas player had an incredible season, registering 13 goals and three assists for the Texas side.
The highlight of his season was undoubtedly his first MLS hat-trick, which came against LA Galaxy in July.
MLS: Most popular markets
The MLS Cup is the biggest and most important prize in North American soccer.
It is won by the side that manages to qualify, and then navigate, the MLS’ end-of-season playoffs.
Unlike a regular league format, which is used in most European countries, the MLS shifts to a knockout stage for its end-of-season play. This can lead to excellent odds within MLS betting sites for those of you looking for value.
New York City FC took home their first ever MLS Cup in 2021. However, it should be noted that no team has retained the title since LA Galaxy in 2012. Predicting the winner of the MLS Cup can be a difficult task, with the playoffs regularly providing unforeseen shocks and upsets.
It is a system that ensures that no one team dominates the tournament. MLS betting reflects this, with greater odds and value available for bettors.
In what is one of the most open markets in MLS betting online, the top goalscorer market offers value to bettors looking to make a speculative punt.
It should be noted that the MLS Golden Boot and the MLS’ top goalscorer aren’t necessarily the same thing. If there are players tied on the number of goals scored throughout a season, those players are joint top goalscorers.
However, there can be only one Golden Boot winner in the MLS, so the winner of this accolade is decided upon by an assist tiebreaker.
This happened in 2021, when Argentinian striker, Valentín Castellanos, was tied on goals scored with Norwegian sharpshooter, Ola Kamara. Castellanos won the Golden Boot as he had more assists throughout the season.
If you are betting on who will be the top goalscorer on an MLS betting site, then the overall winner of the Golden Boot is irrelevant.
Before betting on the MLS, you should note that this tournament is different to most soccer leagues around the world.
It is split into two conferences, Eastern and Western, with the top teams in the regular season going into a knockout style competition, which is known as the playoffs. It is the top seven clubs in each conference who qualify for the playoffs.
The race to compete in this stage of the MLS can be heated and exciting, particularly as the sides around the cut-off point make their final push to challenge for the MLS Cup.
Of course, if betting on the MLS, you should study the form and choose sides who have recruited well during the off-season. It can also be worthwhile to wait until the playoffs to make your overall pick for the MLS Cup, as at this stage you will have a decent idea of who the genuine challengers are.
The Supporters’ Shield is a market for those of you who prefer to bet on European style leagues, as it is the title handed out to the side that has the most points after the regular season is over.
Its holders, New England Revolution, claimed the first Supporters’ Shield title in the history of the club in 2021. After an excellent run of results for the side, they had this trophy wrapped up with three games remaining in the regular season.
The likes of the LA Galaxy and DC United have excellent records when it comes to winning the Supporters’ Shield.
If you are considering doubling up your bets for the Supporters’ Shield and the MLS Cup, then you should think again. That is because only three teams have ever won them both in the same season during the 26-year history of the MLS.
Soccer bets explained
Moneyline
Aka match result odds, the moneyline is the most straightforward bet available if we are looking to wager on a soccer match – which team do we think is going to win? We decide and place our bet accordingly. Important to note in soccer, unlike many other sports, the moneyline can also include the third option of betting on the tie (draw).
Handicap Betting
In a handicap bet, the sportsbook gives one side a notional head start. If one team starts 1.5 goals ahead, that means the other has to win by two or more for a bet on them to pay out. Handicaps are usually expressed to half a goal to remove the possibility of a tie/draw.
Over/Under
In an over/under bet, the sportsbook predicts a total for a particular statistic in a match. It is most often total number of goals scored in a game, but it could be total number of corners, yellow cards, tackles, or assists. We decide whether we think the total will be more (over) or less (under) than the given number and bet accordingly.
Parlay
If you have an opinion on the results of several matches rather than just one, you can combine those predicted outcomes in a parlay. If all the results go your way, the odds are multiplied and you could be looking at a significant payout. You can use our bet calculator to work out your potential parlay returns.
Correct Score
No hidden meaning, this bet is exactly as it sounds. If we want to predict the exact scoreline of a match, we are able to wager on that outcome on soccer betting websites. This is not an easy bet to get right, but that means if we do, our return should be substantial.
First/anytime Goalscorer
When we believe a player will score during a match, we can bet on that outcome. The betting odds for them being the scorer of the first goal of the game will be longer. If we think they will score at any time, our chances increase but the odds shorten.
Both Teams to Score
Both Teams to Score, also known as BTTS, is an extremely popular bet among fans of soccer betting. This is a simple yes or no wager – do we think both sides in a particular match will score a goal or not? It is a particular favorite of bettors who like to combine several games in a BTTS accumulator.
Draw No Bet
This bet removes the option of the tie (draw). We bet on one side to win and if they duly triumph, we will pick up a payout. If they lose, we lose, too. But if the result of the match is a draw we will get our stake back.
Double Chance
A Double Chance bet enables you to cover two out of the three outcomes of a soccer match. For instance, if we stake our money on “Home team and draw”, we will win the bet unless the away team wins the game.
Scorecast
To win with a Scorecast bet, we need to correctly predict both the first goalscorer and the final score of a match. The soccer odds for scorecasts will always look very attractive – but that’s because there are two outcomes, which makes this a difficult bet to win.
Shots on Target
We can bet on one player having more or fewer shots on target in a match than a number set by the sportsbook. Alternatively, we can bet on the total shots on target of one or both teams. Take care to check out the definition of a shot on target on the soccer betting sites you use – this can sometimes get complicated.
Shots
This bet allows us to wager on one player, one team or both teams having more or fewer shots at goal (whether the shot is on target or not) than a number set by the sportsbook.
Multi-Scorer
If we believe a particular player is going to score more than one goal in a match, this is the market we want. We will be able to find soccer odds about that player scoring two, three or even more goals during the game.
Assists
This is similar to a goalscorer bet, in that we wager on a player to assist – i.e. directly set up – a goal any time in the match. Many soccer betting websites also allow us to bet on a player to assist more or fewer than a certain number of goals over a season.
Transfer Specials
Soccer fans love the buzz generated by rumors of possible player transfers between clubs. Many soccer betting apps now offer the chance to put money on the likelihood of Player X joining Club Y before the end of a particular date, usually the closure of a transfer window.
Yellow/Red Cards
This is an over/under bet with a certain number of points awarded for each booking and sending-off. The sportsbook then sets the total it thinks will be racked up in a particular game. If we think plenty of yellow/red cards will be awarded, we would bet on the over, and vice versa if we think the game will have a lower number than the given total. Booking points for a yellow or red can differ between sportsbooks, so it's always smart to check before betting.
Tackles
Tackling is a particular skill in football. Some players are very good at dispossessing the opposition and we can bet on them carrying out more or fewer tackles in a match than a total set by the sportsbook. We can also bet on a team’s total tackles. It’s always best to check the definition of a tackle on the soccer betting websites you use – this can differ between sportsbooks and stat sites.
Corners
There is a wide variety of bets that can be placed relating to corner kicks. These include betting over or under on the total number of corners in a match, or on one team being awarded more than their opponents, or there being more in the first half than the second.
MLS betting promotions
Want to learn more about soccer betting?
Soccer handicap explained
Handicap betting can add lots more excitement to a match. Find out how it works with our guide.
Learn about soccer handicaps
Soccer over/under explained
Find out why betting over/unders, AKA totals betting, is an important skill for any online bettor.
Learn about soccer over/unders
Soccer parlays explained
Get bigger odds and bigger returns - learn how to make the most of parlays.
Learn about soccer parlays
MLS betting FAQs
Is MLS betting legal?
Yes, MLS betting is completely legal – provided you are of the legal age in a territory where betting is allowed. You should also check that the sportsbook you want to use is licensed to operate in your location.
What are the most popular MLS bets to make?
Bettors have a huge choice of betting markets on the best of the North American action. However, as well as the match-by-match action, MLS Cup odds are always worth checking out, as are the MLS playoff odds if you think you know who is going to have a stellar season.
Can I bet on the MLS on my mobile?
Yes. The vast majority of modern sportsbooks have a customer-friendly mobile offering. This means you can bet on MLS while you are on the go. It’s possible to enjoy MLS betting online wherever you are located – provided betting is legal in that territory.
What is the best site to bet on the MLS?
The good news is that there is now an enormous choice of MLS betting sites. Look for a leading sportsbook with a sound reputation. It’s also worth checking out their customer experience and the number of bonuses they offer for new and existing customers.