MLS Predictions & Betting tips

Find our free MLS prediction on the overall standings, as well as our expert predictions on all Major League Soccer matches (2024). Lots of information for your sports betting!

MLS presentation - Soccer

Major League Soccer is the football championship of the United States. Each season, the best American franchises compete for the MLS Cup, the trophy awarded to the team that successfully navigates the MLS Cup Playoffs at the end of the season. The MLS is a championship that has been evolving more and more in recent years. Football, or 'soccer' as it is known over there, was clearly not one of the first sports to be played and watched in the United States just a few years ago. However, that’s no longer the case as the quality of play in the MLS has rapidly improved in the last handful of seasons. Thanks to the recruitment of a number of talented youngsters (particularly from South America), as well as the ability to draw some of the world’s most recognizable names, Major League Soccer is fast becoming must-see TV for football enthusiasts around the world. Naturally, this has also led to an explosion in betting popularity on the league which doesn’t look like slowing down any time soon.

Many of football’s royalty have opted to end their careers in the States over the years including: David Beckham, David Villa, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Steven Gerrard, Kaka, Pirlo, Thierry Henry and Gareth Bale. More recently, however, the MLS has benefitted from smart recruitment of young talent, as we mentioned earlier. Players such as Thiago Almada, Facundo Torres, Cucho Hernandez, Pedro de la Vega (recently signed) and Talles Magno are all players that opted for a move to the MLS and have as such seen their transfer value significantly increase. Along with the young talent, there are also a number of football’s most famous names, none bigger than Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi. Messi’s arrival is a huge boon to the league and will attract more attention than ever. He’s joined by Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets as the ex-Barcelona players look to win Inter Miami (the club founded by David Beckham) its first ever MLS Cup.

Want to bet on the US league? Here are our MLS predictions for the long term. For the matches, go to the top of the page.

Check out the MLS odds at Bet365

Our free predictions for the 2024 season

As the regular season in the MLS can often be unpredictable, it’s advisable to wait until closer to the playoffs to have a better idea of each team. However, we believe we’ve identified a bet that we believe has value early on.

The Columbus Crew were hugely impressive last season and have all the tools for a repeat MLS Cup performance. They have arguably the best head coach in the league in Wilfried Nancy and one of the premier goalscorers in the division in Cucho Hernandez, who is sure to challenge for the golden boot. While they experienced something of a "championship hangover" early on in the 2024 season so far, they are really finding their stride as of late and are up to third in the East with two games in hand over their opponents.

The Crew have seen a massive improvement in their form since concluding their CONCACAF Champions League duties, winnieight of their 11 league fixtures since then. If they can maintain this type of form heading into the playoffs, it will spell bad news for the rest of the MLS.

Therefore the Columbus Crew is our selection to win the 2024 MLS Cup! Do you agree? Do you have another prediction in mind? Place your bets!

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MLS Cup prediction - Odds on the favourites for the title

Sports betting sites are offering you some very interesting odds on the future winner of the 2024 MLS Cup, the football championship in the United States. If you've already made your choice, don't hesitate to lock in your bet! Below are the most recent odds for some of the top contenders to lift the cup:

• Inter Miami - 2.50
• LA Galaxy - 4.50
• Columbus Crew - 7.50
• Los Angeles FC - 8.00
• Seattle Sounders - 17.00
• FC Cincinnati - 21.00
• Real Salt Lake - 21.00
• Houston Dynamo - 34.00
• New York City - 41.00
• Orlando City - 41.00
• Colorado Rapids - 51.00

Odds taken from Bet365

You can check out all of the latest MLS odds by heading over to our MLS Betting Odds page.

Make your MLS selections

Betting on the MLS top scorer: which player to choose?

Former Aston Villa and Liverpool striker Christian Benteke was a different class in the 2024 MLS regular season. After notching 14 goals in his first full season in Major League Soccer, the powerful Belgian number nine followed that up by scoring 23 goals in 29 league games so far for DC United. With the next highest amount coming in at 19 (Juan Hernandez and Denis Bouanga), Benteke has all but guaranteed himself the golden boot barring some last day insanity.

Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez both impressed this season as well, lifting Inter Miami to the Supporters' Shield. Unfortunately for both of them, missing out on a number of games throughout the season made it tough to keep up with Benteke's scoring consistency. Messi scored 17 goals in 18 league fixtures, while Suarez bagged himself 18 goals in 26 league fixtures. 

MLS Prediction - Top Scorer Odds

• Christian Benteke (DC United) - 1.002
• Denis Bouanga (LAFC) - 67.00
• Cucho Hernandez (Columbus) - 101.00

Odds taken from Bet365

MLS: discover the best odds at VBET!

Which team will win the MLS Western Conference?

The parity of the MLS means that there are often surprising results from season to season (see expansion side St. Louis City SC last season). The 2024 campaign so far has some unexpected teams currently towards the top of the Western Conference standings. The Galaxy, who finished 13th last year season, are having a brilliant campaign as well as the similarly impressive Real Salt Lake who find themselves in first and third place, respectively in the standings. Colorado have perhaps underwent one of the most dramatic changes from as they currently sit fourth despite finishing with the second-lowest points total in the 2023 season. Meanwhile, teams expected to challenge for the top spot are struggling in the form of Seattle, St. Louis City and to a lesser extent, Sporting KC.

Despite a somewhat inconsistent start, the Black and Gold have picked things up as of late and now find themselves five points off the top and having three games in hand. With Olivier Giroud having recently joined up with his new LAFC teammates, expectations will be high for the rest of the season. You can still get a great price on LAFC to finish top of the West which could prove profitable come the end of the campaign.

MLS Prediction - Western Conference winner odds

• LA Galaxy - 1.25
• LAFC - 3.75

Odds taken from Bet365

Which team will win the MLS Eastern Conference?

Two of the top three favourites for the MLS Cup hail from the Eastern Conference and it has overall been quite competitive this year. Even towards the bottom of the standings, the bottom-placed side finds itself just five points off a potential spot in the play-in. Last season's Supporters' Shield winners FC Cincinnati are having another strong season and continue to churn out positive results. However, it's been the superstar squad of Inter Miami that has stolen the show.

Lionel Messi and his Barcelona compatriots have been a popular pick all season among fans both to win the Conference and to win the MLS Cup, and it's easy to see why. They are the top-scoring side in the league with an impressive average of 2.30 goals scored per match. Inter Miami have now built up an eight-point lead over second-place Cincinnati as we enter into the home stretch of the regular season. It's looking like reigning MLS Cup champions Columbus Crew are the only team that can challenge Miami for the Eastern Conference crown, as they possess two games in hand meaning they could potentially cut the lead to four points should they take full advantage. With that being said, we don't expect Tata Martino's men to let this lead slip. Our MLS Eastern Conference winner prediction: Inter Miami!

MLS Prediction - Eastern Conference winner odds

The odds for the East winner are currently not available as Inter Miami has already claimed the top spot. Check out Bet365 to see what other betting markets are available!

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Beginner sports bettors - how does MLS work?

As with most American competitions, and in particular the highly reputed NBA, Major League Soccer is played first in the form of a regular season (two conferences), before a play-off at the end of the tournament. The distribution of teams is slightly different between the two conferences, with 15 teams in the Eastern Conference and 14 teams in the Western Conference. This will only be for one more season though, as the newest MLS franchise San Diego FC officially enters the Western Conference in 2025.

The Major League Soccer finals are played out as follows: the top 7 teams in each conference qualify for the 1st round of the Playoffs. The 8th and 9th-placed teams play a play-off match to reach this stage.

In the 1st round, the teams play each other over two legs. In the event of a draw, there is no extra time, but a penalty shoot-out is held to decide between the teams. From the conference semi-finals onwards, the duels are played over a single match, with the team with the higher ranking receiving the match. In the event of a tie at the end of regulation time, extra time is played, followed by a penalty shoot-out if the teams have still not managed to settle the tie at the end of extra time. At the end of the competition, the final between the champions of the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference is held, to crown the champion team of the United States.

At the end of the regular phase, here are the places that matter:

• The top 7 in each conference qualify for the 1st round of the finals
• The 8th and 9th teams in each conference play off for a place in the 1st round of the play-offs.
• No relegation system, so no relegation to a lower league (closed league)

To bet on the highly-exciting MLS in 2024, visit Bet365, one of the best sites for Major League Soccer betting. Sign up via this link and enjoy a nice bonus!

Check out the MLS markets at William Hill

Expert advice for your MLS predictions

To help you bet on this exciting league, we’ve compiled a few tips to help you out. Our competition specialists have selected the most important criteria to take into account before validating your betting slips. They will undoubtedly help you place more reliable bets: 

• Observe the form of key players
• Beware of low-stakes matches in the United States
• Analyse the latest Major League Soccer matches
• Take the time to compare MLS odds between bookmakers

The figures and statistics that will be revealed to you below are of great importance, but obviously do not do everything to make the right MLS bets. You also need to be aware of all the parameters you need to take into account. Here are the most important ones in our opinion.

Observe the form of key MLS players

Firstly, and probably most importantly, it is necessary to analyse the form of the key players who are preparing to play in the match that you wish to bet on. In the United States more than elsewhere, in addition to almost all sports, we speak of a “franchise player”, i.e. the most important player on a team. There can sometimes be several of them, and it is then necessary to identify them.

Their latest performances and their current form will be decisive for your predictions. For example, last year, Denis Bouanga finished as the top scorer in MLS, and helped LAFC finish in third-place in the Western Conference!

Beware of low-stakes matches in the USA

It is very important to be aware of what is really at stake in the match you are about to bet on. For example, if a club has already qualified for the playoffs at the end of the season, but is no longer in contention for top spot, it could afford to rest some of its key players in order to be fresh for the second half of the season. The same goes for a club that can no longer qualify for the play-offs and has nothing left to play for at the end of the season, and could probably play the last few games without being 100% focused.

Before betting on the US football championship, you need to take a good look at the official standings and see what is really at stake for a team this season. For example, there is no relegation, so there is no real pressure on the teams at the bottom of the table.

Check out the MLS markets at Bet365

Analyze the latest Major League Soccer matches

When betting on MLS, it's essential to understand how key players have performed in recent matches, particularly in matches similar to the one you want to bet on. Players who are in good form will be more likely to maintain their high level of play in upcoming matches, which is why the absence of several of these key players could drastically alter their team's performance.

So always analyse the teams' recent matches and check that the team's in-form players are not absent for the match you are considering betting on.

Take the time to compare MLS odds between bookmakers

inally, and this will have a direct impact on your net winnings, we strongly advise you to compare the MLS odds offered by the different bookmakers before placing a bet. It often happens that there is a big difference between two bookmakers for the same type of bet. For example, a big match like Los Angeles FC vs Seattle Sounders might see Unibet offering the home side a win at 1.80, while Vbet will only offer it at 1.70.

At first glance, this may not seem to have much of an impact, but these differences start to add up over the long term. We therefore advise you to sign up with as many bookmakers as possible to guarantee yourself the best odds on the market. What's more, you'll be able to take advantage of the fantastic welcome bonuses offered by the various sports betting sites!

Check out the MLS odds at Bet365

What Not to Do For Your MLS Predictions

In addition to the advice you have been given on how to make the most of your MLS betting, here are some things you should avoid doing as a bettor. Eliminating them from your betting process will help to optimise your results in this competition. Here's what you shouldn't do before placing a bet on an MLS match:

• Ignore the specifics of the American league
• Ignore the statistics and other important MLS figures
• Bet amounts you're not prepared to lose
• Betting on an MLS team that has nothing to play for at the end of the season
• Overvaluing a team because it has a star in its squad
• Not taking into account the home advantage in Major League Soccer

Now you know what mistakes you shouldn't make when betting on MLS. There may be one that you often make without realizing it, so try not to make it again - it's bound to benefit you.

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2024 MLS Prediction: Statistics You Need to Know

In order to increase your chances of success in your Major League Soccer bets, you may find some data on the league useful. Below we’ve compiled some of the most useful statistics, note that these figures are from the current 2024 edition:

• Home win percentage: 44%
• Draw percentage: 25%
• Away win percentage: 31%
• Average goals: 3.13 goals per game
• Average home goals: 1.73 goals per game
• Average away goals: 1.41 goals per game
• Quarter-hour with most goals: 76-90 (23%)
• Most frequent exact score: 2-1 (9.6%)
• Exact score 0-0: 6.3% of matches
• Most frequent exact half-time score: 0-0 (25.3%)
• Over 1.5 goals: 82%
• Over 2.5 goals: 62%
• Over 3.5 goals: 39%
• "Both teams score: yes": 63%

The MLS is a pretty spectacular league, which improves year on year and generally puts on a great show. In any case, it's a way of life in the United States. It's clearly the land of excess and show, and soccer is now part of that too. We've seen an increase in the average goals scored per match this year, going from 2.74 in 2023 to 3.13 in 2024. This has also resulted in a significant increase in the Over 2.5 goals betting market, with nearly two-thirds of matches seeing at least three goals scored! 

Away teams also proved to put up more of a challenge this year, raising the winning percentage for the road team from 23% last season to 31% this season. The average away goals scored has also seen a notable uptick, going from 1.07 to 1.41 goals per game this year!

Make your MLS selections

In short: how do you bet on the MLS and make successful predictions?

If you want to make reliable football predictions this year in MLS, remember to take into account the advice given on this page by our tipsters. An in-depth analysis of each match is necessary, and the key figures on the competition are there to help you. 

It is also useful to familiarise yourself with the general workings of the league and to bear in mind its special features, which make it unique in the world. Happy betting on American Major League Soccer!

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MLS: best odds