Betting on MLS: What You Need to Know

Soccer might be extremely popular world-wide but if you’re new to Betting on MLS, you’ll want to read this carefully. It affects the team’s calendar, playing schedule and available bets, so it’s a major factor to planning your bets and predicting results.

The MLS is divided into two conferences: Eastern and Western. Each conference has its own set of teams. During regular season, teams play a total of 34 games where they can earn 3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, and 0 points for a loss. The team with the best regular-season record gets the Supporter’s Shield award.

Great, now let’s talk playoffs:

The MLS Cup is pretty straightforward: top teams from the regular season enter a knockout-style playoff, which end in a final match to get a champion. It’s all about performing well during the regular season to get a good seed and home advantage in the playoffs.

Playoff Qualification

• MLS is split into two conferences: Eastern and Western.
• The top seven teams from each conference qualify for the playoffs.

Seeding: Teams are seeded based on their regular-season performance. The top seed in each conference gets a bye in the first round.

Playoff Rounds

First Round: The second to seventh seeds in each conference play in a single-elimination match. Plus, the higher seed hosts the match.

Conference Semifinals:

• The first seed (which had a bye) plays the lowest remaining seed.
• The other two winners from the first round play each other and,
• Both of these are single-elimination matches.

Conference Finals:

The two winners from the semifinals face off. (Again, it’s a single-elimination match, with the higher seed hosting).

MLS Cup Final

Champions from Each Conference play each other in a single match. The winner is crowned the MLS Cup champion.

• Important: The team with the better regular-season record hosts the final.

The MLS Cup Timeline

• Regular Season Ends in October
• Playoffs Begin in Late October and,
• The MLS Cup Final is played in early December

As you can tell, these are a lot of games and that can negatively affect top teams that want to win everything. Teams with older rosters tend to suffer the most, as well as teams with limited quality outside of their starting 11.

Now it’s time we learn everything about MLS bets: which bets you can place, how to read their odds and figure out how to make the most money. We’ll use practical examples too, so don’t worry if you don’t get it at first.

A Two-Way Moneyline bet is a straightforward bet where you pick which team you think will win the match. In this type of bet, there is no option to bet for a draw – if the match ends in a draw, you lose your bet.

Making This Bet:

Let’s say the match is between Inter Miami and L.A. Galaxy but Messi and Luis Suarez aren’t playing. What are your options if you bet $80?

The Odds:

• Inter Miami to Win: +150
• L.A. Galaxy to Win: -110

When to Go for Two-Way Moneyline Betting on MLS

Go for a Two-Way Moneyline bet when you’re confident in a team’s chances of winning. Its definitely a “black and white” type of bet so make sure to do your due diligence when picking a team!

Three-Way Moneyline bets on MLS are pretty straightforward: choose a team to win, or bet on a draw. MLS matches tend to be pretty even, but sometimes outside circumstances convince you on a specific outcome.

Let’s say the match is between Inter Miami and L.A. Galaxy. Again, Messi and Luis Suarez aren’t playing, so what are your options for an $80 bet?

Inter Miami to Win: +150

• Draw: +200
• L.A. Galaxy to Win: -100

When to Go for Three-Way Moneyline Betting on MLS

Three-Way Moneyline bets are great if you’re confident in a specific outcome. These predictions can be tricky, but if you’re keen on statistics and have solid insight into team performance and specific match dynamics, then you can pick a clear winner (or a draw) and get a nice payout.

First things first: Two-Way Moneyline bets and Full-Time Moneyline Bets are interchangeable terms, so don’t feel too confused if other gamblers use it as such.

The second thing is that these bets are usually reserved for other competitions where extra-time is available. Technically, you can do a Full-Time Moneyline Bet on a hypothetical tie-breaker between two teams that drew their playoffs games, but it’s a niche scenario. You’ll mostly place Two-Way Moneyline bets.

Let’s say the match is between Nashville SC and New York City FC. You want to place an $80 bet. The odds are:

• Nashville SC to Win: +150
• Draw: +200
• New York City FC to Win: +100

When to Go for Full-Time Moneyline Betting on MLS

Go for a Full-Time Moneyline bet when you’re confident in a team’s ability to win outright, or if you anticipate a draw during regular time. What happens after that is not covered by this bet.

This bet is all about predicting which team will be leading at halftime. Since you’re betting on the outcome of the first 45 minutes plus stoppage time (and not the full game!), you’ll want to save these for teams that start off strong very regularly.

Let’s say the match is between L.A. Galaxy and the Seattle Sounders, and you want to place an $80 bet. The odds are:

• L.A. Galaxy to Win First Half: +150
• Draw at First Half: +200
• Seattle Sounders to Win First Half: +120

When to Go for First Half Moneyline Betting on MLS

Go for First Half Moneyline betting when a team is known for strong starts, has key players starting, or when you expect an evenly matched game with cautious play. It’s also useful to hedge full-time bets by covering early game outcomes.

A Second Half Moneyline bet is a wager on which team will win the second half of the match, regardless of the first half score. You’re betting on the outcome of the second 45 minutes plus stoppage time, not the full game. It’s a pretty good bet for teams that are known to turn games around regularly (can’t help to think of Real Madrid on UCL a few years back, they were famous for that).

Teams that tend to save their strongest players for the second half are also good choices for these bets. Let’s say the match is between Inter Miami and L.A. Galaxy, and you want to place an $80 bet. Messi and Luis Suarez are expected to play for Miami, making them the favorites. The odds are:

• Inter Miami to Win Second Half: -120
• Draw in the Second Half: +250
• L.A. Galaxy to Win Second Half: +200

When to Go for Second Half Moneyline Betting on MLS

Second Half Moneyline betting is about predicting which team will win the second half. It’s ideal when you know a team finishes strong, or when the first half was slow and you expect more action later.

A Draw No Bet (DNB) is a type of bet where you pick a team to win, and if the match ends in a draw, your stake is refunded. The payouts aren’t as great compared to other moneylines, but they eliminate the risk of a draw, so they’re a far safer option. We talk more about this bet and how make money with it on our Soccer Betting Lines Explained post, so feel free to visit that after you’re done here.

Let’s say the match is between Nashville SC and New York City FC. You want to place an $80 bet. The odds are:

• Nashville SC (DNB): -110
• New York City FC (DNB): +100

When to Go for Draw No Bet (DNB) Betting on MLS

Generally speaking, a Draw No Bet (DNB) is a safer betting option that eliminates the risk of a draw. You win if your team wins, and if the match ends in a draw, your stake is refunded. It’s a good idea in closely matched games or when you want to minimize risk, because nothing hurts more than seeing the rival team tie a game at the last minute.

Live/In-Play Moneyline betting allows you to place bets on a match while it’s happening. The odds constantly change based on the current state of the game, like the score, time remaining, and team performance.

These types of bets are super exciting for those who like to live on the edge throughout matches and of course, when you can leverage in-game insights, hedge pre-match bets, or if you dig taking advantage of fluctuating odds (beyond soccer betting).

Let’s say the match is between L.A. Galaxy and the Seattle Sounders. The game starts, and you’re watching it unfold. At halftime, the score is 1-1, and you decide to place an $80 bet.

During the Game

Current Odds:

At halftime, the odds might look like this based on the game situation:

• A. Galaxy to Win: +150
• Draw: +200
• Seattle Sounders to Win: +180

Deciding When to Bet:

• You can place your bet at any time during the game. Let’s say you decide to bet at halftime.

When to Go for Live/In-Play Moneyline Betting on MLS

Go for Live/In-Play Moneyline betting when you can watch the game and notice momentum shifts, key player performances, or strategic changes. Keep an eye on key players performance during the game, are they exploiting the rivals’ defensive shortcomings? Do any of the coaches readjusted the team tactics or subbed any players to gain the upper hand?

These bets are better for veterans that understand the ebb and flow of the game, and can adjust accordingly. Wouldn’t recommend them to a beginner.

Extra Time Moneyline betting is about predicting which team will win during the extra time period, not during regular time. It’s ideal in knockout stages when matches go into extra time. These are only available when the match officially goes into extra time, after a draw during regular time. It’s only available during knockout stages or playoff games, not regular league matches.

Let’s say the match is in a knockout stage, and it ends in a draw after regular time, so it goes into extra time. You decide to place an $80 bet during extra time.

The Odds:

• Nashville SC to Win in Extra Time: +150
• Draw at End of Extra Time: +200
• New York City FC to Win in Extra Time: +180

When to Go for Extra Time Moneyline Betting on MLS

Try to go for an Extra Time Moneyline bet during knockout stage matches when you expect the game to be closely contested. It’s ideal if you have insights into which team has better stamina, key substitutions, or strong extra time performance. This bet is useful when the regular time ends in a draw and you anticipate a decisive outcome in during those last few extra minutes of a game.

So, just to be on the same page: Point Spread betting (also known as Handicap betting) levels the playing field between two teams. A favorite team is given a negative point spread, and the underdog a positive point spread.

To win the bet, the favorite must win by more than the spread, while the underdog can lose by less than the spread or win outright. So, the underdog has an advantage and the favorite has to rally and beat the spread, which turns boring games into real nail-biters.

Example Match: Inter Miami vs. L.A. Galaxy

Let’s say the match is between Inter Miami and L.A. Galaxy, and you want to place an $80 bet. Messi and Luis Suarez are expected to play for Inter Miami, making them the favorites. The point spread might look like this:

• Inter Miami -1.5: -110
• L.A. Galaxy +1.5: +100

When to Go for Point Spread Moneyline Betting on MLS

Go for a Point Spread bet when you believe the favorite will win by a significant margin or the underdog will keep the game close. It’s ideal for managing risk and getting better odds. Remember that this bet is useful when you expect a clear difference in performance between the teams.

Its important to clarify first that PK (Pick’em) Spreads betting and Draw No Bets are interchangeable terms, since they’re functionally are the same thing. This is because there’s no handicap given to either team, so you just pick a winner and get a push if they draw. Simple enough.

We talk more about these bets in our What Does Pk Mean In Soccer Betting? Piece, so feel free to check that out.

Let’s say the match is between L.A. Galaxy and the Seattle Sounders. You want to place an $80 bet on the PK Spread.

The Odds:

• L.A. Galaxy (PK): -110
• Seattle Sounders (PK): +100

When to Go for Point Spread Moneyline Betting on MLS

In general, go for a PK Spreads bet when you expect a closely matched game and want to avoid the risk of a draw. It’s ideal when you have strong confidence in one team winning but want your stake refunded if the match ends in a draw. This bet is useful for minimizing risk in evenly contested matches.

Quarter Lines betting splits your bet into two halves with different handicaps, offering a way to manage risk and potentially win or minimize losses. It’s mostly used by veterans that really want to add strategic depth to each bet.

These are also known as Asian Handicap Quarter Lines, splits your bet into two halves, each with a different handicap. It helps manage risk by giving you a chance to win half your bet or minimize losses. These bets typically come in the form of 0.25, 0.75, 1.25, etc.

They’re great if you know what you’re doing and have the tactical insight to back up your predictions, so not really something I’d advice beginners to jump into from day one. But hey, the sooner you learn the better right? Let’s look at an example.

Example Match: L.A. Galaxy vs. Seattle Sounders

Let’s say the match is between L.A. Galaxy and the Seattle Sounders. You decide to place an $80 bet on a Quarter Line. The odds and handicaps might look like this:

• L.A. Galaxy -0.25: -110
• Seattle Sounders +0.25: +100

Betting on Seattle Sounders +0.25

Odds: +100

What It Means: Your $80 bet is split into two $40 bets:

• $40 on Seattle Sounders +0 (Draw No Bet)
• $40 on Seattle Sounders +0.5

Round Robin betting is a way to place multiple parlays at once. It allows you to cover different combinations of bets, reducing your risk. Instead of betting on one parlay, you’re betting on multiple smaller parlays.

Lengthy but detailed Example: Inter Miami vs. L.A. Galaxy

Let’s say you want to bet on several outcomes in this game. You decide to place an $80 Round Robin bet involving three different selections:

1. Inter Miami to Win
2. Over 2.5 Goals
3. Messi to Score Anytime

Placing the Bet

1. Total Bet Amount: $80
2. Number of Selections: 3 (Inter Miami to win, Over 2.5 Goals, Messi to Score Anytime)
3. Type of Round Robin: Let’s say you choose a “2-pick” Round Robin, meaning your bets are placed on combinations of two out of the three selections.

Breakdown of Bets

Your $80 is divided among the different parlays. In this example, you’re creating three different 2-pick parlays:

1. Parlay 1: Inter Miami to Win + Over 2.5 Goals
2. Parlay 2: Inter Miami to Win + Messi to Score Anytime
3. Parlay 3: Over 2.5 Goals + Messi to Score Anytime

Bet Allocation

• Total Bet Amount: $80
• Number of Parlays: 3
• Amount per Parlay: $80 / 3 ≈ $26.67 per parlay

How It Pays Out

Parlay 1: Inter Miami to Win + Over 2.5 Goals

• Odds Example:
  • Inter Miami to Win: -150
  • Over 2.5 Goals: +100
• Combined Odds Calculation: (-150 * +100) = (1.67 * 2.00) = 3.34
• Payout Calculation: $26.67 x 3.34 ≈ $89

Parlay 2: Inter Miami to Win + Messi to Score Anytime

• Odds Example:
  • Inter Miami to Win: -150
  • Messi to Score Anytime: +120
• Payout Calculation: $26.67 * 3.67 ≈ $98

Parlay 3: Over 2.5 Goals + Messi to Score Anytime

• Odds Example:
  • Over 2.5 Goals: +100
  • Messi to Score Anytime: +120
• Combined Odds Calculation: (+100 * +120) = (2.00 * 2.20) = 4.40
• Payout Calculation: $26.67 * 4.40 ≈ $117

Possible Outcomes:

All Three Parlays Win

Two Parlays Win

One Parlay Wins

No Parlays Win (kind of an obvious one but just to be thorough):

When to Go for Round Robin Betting on MLS

Go for these when you have multiple strong predictions and want to spread your risk. It’s ideal for covering different outcomes and increasing your chances of winning. If you’re confident in several bets but want to avoid losing everything on one parlay, Round Robin bets allow you to profit even if not all your choices win, it’s the kind of bet that gives you some creative leeway so to speak.

Asian Handicap betting is a way to level the playing field between two teams by giving a handicap to the favorite and an advantage to the underdog. This type of betting eliminates the possibility of a draw, reducing the bet to two possible outcomes.

Again, just like Quarter Line bets, Asian Handicaps are pretty great if you have the chops for it. You’re betting on very specific outcomes with certain handicaps, so you’d probably steer clear from these if you’re new to MLS betting. For now, let’s take a look at how these bets work though.

Let’s say the match is between Nashville SC and New York City FC, and you decide to place an $80 bet. The odds might look like this:

• Nashville SC -0.5: +100
• New York City FC +0.5: -110

Betting on New York City FC +0.5

Odds: -110

• What It Means: You win the bet if New York City FC wins or the match ends in a draw. If Nashville SC wins, you lose the bet.
• Your Bet: You bet $80 on New York City FC +0.5.

When to Go for Asian Handicap Betting on MLS

Go for Asian Handicap betting when teams are closely matched to manage risk or if you’re confident in a favorite’s win for better odds. It’s ideal to minimize the draw risk and find value in tight games. Analyze team form, recent performances, and key player impacts to make an informed decision.

Over-Under betting, (or Total Goals betting, these are interchangeable) allow you to predict whether the total number of goals scored in a match will be over or under a specified number. The sports betting platform sets a goal line and you pretty much bet whether the actual goals will be more or less than the line they’ve set.

The bookmakers use all sorts of internal calculations and variables to set these lines, and part of betting on MLS is knowing how to shop for these lines. Getting the best line is a whole process we’ll discuss in the future, for now let’s look at an example.

Example: L.A. Galaxy vs. Seattle Sounders

Let’s say the match is between L.A. Galaxy and the Seattle Sounders, and you want to place an $80 bet. The bookmaker sets the goal line at 2.5 goals.

Betting on Under 2.5 Goals

Odds: -110

• What It Means: You win the bet if the total goals scored by both teams is 2 or fewer. If the total is 3 or more, you lose the bet.
• Your Bet: You bet $80 on Under 2.5 goals.

When to Go for Over/Under (Total Goals) Betting on MLS

In general terms, when you expect either a high-scoring or defensive match. Bet on “Over” if both teams have strong offenses and weak defenses, and “Under” if they have strong defenses or play conservatively.

Analyze recent performances, head-to-head records, and player availability to make an informed decision as always.

This one is pretty straightforward as well. It revolves around predicting whether both teams will score at least one goal during the match. It doesn’t matter who wins or what the final score is, as long as both teams score you’ll see some green coming your way.

Example: Nashville SC vs. New York City FC

Let’s say the match is between Nashville SC and New York City FC, and you want to place an $80 bet on BTTS.

Betting on BTTS – Yes

Odds: -120

• What It Means: You win the bet if both Nashville SC and New York City FC score at least one goal each.
• Your Bet: You bet $80 on BTTS – Yes.

Betting on BTTS – No

Odds: +100

• What It Means: You win the bet if either Nashville SC or New York City FC does not score.
• Your Bet: You bet $80 on BTTS – No.

When to Go for Both Teams to Score (BTTS) Betting on MLS

Both Teams to Score (BTTS) bets are a decent bet when both teams have strong offenses and regularly score. If any key defenders got expelled or injured, that’s also a factor to consider into your bets.

Double Chance betting pretty much covers two out of three possible outcomes, so you can already suspect that payouts aren’t going to be as juicy as, say, a moneyline bet. But, it’s still a safer bet that risk-adverse players will appreciate.

Let’s say the match is between Inter Miami and L.A. Galaxy. Messi and Luis Suarez are expected to play, making Miami the favorites. You decide to place an $80 bet on a Double Chance bet.

Your Double Chance Options

1. Inter Miami and Draw (1X): You win if Inter Miami wins or the match ends in a draw.
2. L.A. Galaxy and Draw (X2): You win if L.A. Galaxy wins or the match ends in a draw.
3. Inter Miami and L.A. Galaxy (12): You win if either team wins (no draw).

Let’s say you choose Inter Miami and Draw (1X) with odds of -300.

Odds: -300

• What It Means: You win the bet if Inter Miami wins or if the match ends in a draw.
• Your Bet: You bet $80 on Inter Miami and Draw (1X).

When to Go for Double Chance Betting on MLS

Remember that these are always good when you want to minimize risk, especially in closely matched games or when you’re confident one team won’t lose. It’s ideal for unpredictable matches or when betting on underdogs.

Now this bet involves predicting the precise final score of a match. It’s ideal when you have a strong prediction and are seeking high payouts. This is a type of bet where you predict the precise final score of a match so it’s a bit challenging but it does offers high payouts because of this.

Let’s say the match is between Nashville SC and New York City FC, and you want to place an $80 bet on the exact score.

You decide to bet that the final score will be Nashville SC 2 – 1 New York City FC. The odds for this exact score might be +800.

Odds: +800

• What It Means: You win the bet if the final score is exactly 2-1 in favor of Nashville SC.
• Your Bet: You bet $80 on Nashville SC to win 2-1.

When To Go for Exact Score Betting on MLS

Go for them when you have a lot of knowledge on the matchup, and each of the teams’ current forms, season’s performance, head-to-head records, and player availability. Use this bet whenever you’re confident in the likely scoreline and looking for a big return on a small wager.

Predicting which player will score the first goal in a match is a pretty specific thing to do. It’s a really popular bet due to its payouts, but it’s definitely not an easy one to get right. It requires doing a serious analysis and the team’s season performance and lineups and a nice dose of good ole luck.

Let’s say the match is between L.A. Galaxy and the Seattle Sounders, and you want to place an $80 bet on the first goal scorer. You decide to bet on Dejan Joveljic from L.A. Galaxy to score the first goal.

• Player: Dejan Joveljic
• Odds: +600

In other words: You win the bet if Joveljic scores the first goal of the match. If any other player scores first, or if there are no goals, you lose the bet.

When to Use First Goal Scorer Betting on MLS

First Goal Scorer bets are ideal when you have insights on key players. If you know a particular player is in good form or has a good record against the opposing team, this type of bet can give you a big pay.

For instance, if Joveljic has been scoring consistently, betting on him to score first is a good idea. Try to also keep in mind which players are likely to be in attacking positions early in the game. If L.A. Galaxy tends to start strong, picking one of their forwards might be a smart choice for a first goal scorer.