Major League Soccer (MLS) is the highest level of football – or soccer as the locals call it – in the United States of America. MLS inaugurated its first season in 1996. That first year saw 10 teams competing and DC United claiming the MLS Cup. Today, MLS features 29 teams and is widely regarded as the USA’s fourth most popular team sport.
MLS has gone from strength to strength, especially in recent seasons, attracting big names from around the world (including a certain Lionel Messi) and exhibiting some of the most skillful and exciting football you’ll find in a top domestic league. MLS is a great league to follow and bet on, offering a wealth of online betting opportunities with frequent upsets.
Here we’ll cover USA MLS betting and how it works. We’ll explain how you can bet on MLS with BoyleSports and how MLS odds work. Plus, we’ll give you our top tips for betting on MLS.
How Do I Bet on MLS with BoyleSports?
Just as you’d expect from our football betting, we offer a wide selection of MLS betting markets. Our most popular MLS bets include:
● Match Betting: Bet on the home side to win, the away side, or a draw.
● Match Handicap: Bet on a home win, away win, or a draw, but with a handicap applied, such as minus two goals.
● Half-time Result: Bet whether the home or away side will be winning at half-time, or whether it will be a draw.
● Correct Score: Bet on what you think the final score will be for a given match.
● Total Goals Over / Under: Bet on the total goals scored in a match being over or under a certain amount, such as over or under 2.5.
● First Team to Score: Bet on whether the home or away side will score first.
To make your first MLS bet with us, first sign up for a BoyleSports account. Find a match you want to bet on, then click the link below the initial odds to see our full list of MLS betting markets available. Select a bet by clicking on its odds to add it to your betslip.
Your betslip will be shown to the upper right of this page and will include all the MLS bets you’ve selected. You can add your stake (the amount you want to wager) in the box next to each bet. You’ll see your Total Stake at the bottom of your betslip (the total amount of money you’re wagering) and your Total Potential Return (the total amount you’ll win if all your bets are successful). Click on the button below your betslip to place your bets.
To ensure your MLS betting stays rewarding, make sure you gamble responsibly by:
● Understanding the MLS matches you’re betting on.
● Understanding the MLS bets you’re making, including being clear on how you win them.
● Setting yourself a betting limit (a bankroll), and making sure you stick to this limit.
● Never gambling with money you can’t afford to lose.
● Never gambling when you’re intoxicated or otherwise not in a clear frame of mind.
● Seeking help if you think your gambling is becoming a problem for you.
How Do Odds Work on MLS?
You’ll see all of our MLS odds written as fractional odds, like 10/1. Ten to one (10/1) odds mean that if your bet is successful, you’d get 10 times what you staked back (plus your original bet). If you placed a successful £1 bet at 10/1, you’d win £10 back. You would then also get your £1 stake back, for a total of £11.
Fractional odds will often be more complicated than 10/1 odds, but they always work in the same way. For example, if you made a successful £3 bet at 10/3 odds, you’d win £10 as well as having your £3 stake returned to you, for a total of £13. If you placed a successful £1 bet at 10/3, you’d win £3.33 back as well as your £3 stake, for a total of £6.66.
Take a look at these other examples of fractional odds and their payouts to make sure they’re clear to you before you place any bets:
For a £1 stake at 10/1 odds, the winnings are £10. With the stake returned, the total winnings are £11.
For a £1 stake at 5/1 odds, the winnings are £5. With the stake returned, the total winnings are £6.
For a £1 stake at 10/3 odds, the winnings are £3.33. With the stake returned, the total winnings are £4.33.
For a £1 stake at 21/10 odds, the winnings are £2.10. With the stake returned, the total winnings are £3.10.
For a £1 stake at 6/11 odds, the winnings are £0.55. With the stake returned, the total winnings are £1.55.
The MLS odds we quote for each MLS bet are an estimation of how likely that bet is to happen. Bets that are more likely will have shorter odds, whilst bets that are less likely will have longer odds. Our MLS odds are estimated based on a range of factors, including:
● Team league position
● The current form of teams and key players
● Records of past head-to-head results
● Home advantage
● Playing style matchups
● Match importance
Tips for MLS Betting
As well as benefiting from our great USA MLS betting & odds, follow these football betting tips to boost your chances of betting successfully:
● Understand the match you’re betting on: Follow MLS and make sure you know what kind of match is being played and what the stakes are for each team. If one side is competing for a playoff position, and the other’s season is effectively over, motivations will differ.
● Understand the bet you’re placing: Make sure you know how a bet works and how you win it, before you put any money down.
● Keep an eye on league position and current form: League standing will give a good indication of how a club is performing, but pay attention to form and especially the form of key players. An underdog in good form may be a good bet against a higher placed side that’s hit a bad patch.
● Look at past head-to-head results: The history of past matches between two sides may reveal that one is very much a bogey team for the other.
● Be aware of the MLS derbies: MLS has several keen rivalries that can lead to unpredictable results, like Seattle Sounders vs. Portland Timbers, LA Galaxy vs. LAFC, and FC Dallas vs. Houston Dynamo.
● Consider home advantage: The home advantage is often considerable in MLS, more so than in plenty of other football leagues.
● Consider underdogs for value: Due to the league's relative parity, upsets are relatively common. It can be profitable to back underdogs when they’re playing at home or in a strong run of form.
Bet on the MLS at BOYLE Sports
If you’re interested in getting into MLS betting, you’ll find everything you need right here at BoyleSports. We have competitive football outright odds and a great selection of MLS betting markets for every MLS match. If you're also interested in betting on domestic leagues, rather than MLS betting, you can also find the Premier League odds and Champions League odds too.
