Major League Soccer Betting

It took a long time for soccer to catch on the United States. The American Soccer League, North American Soccer League, and Major Indoor Soccer League all folded before the sport finally caught on after the enormous success of the 1994 World Cup. Major League Soccer was founded two years later, and it has now been in operation for over 25 years. The league continues to expand into new markets, ensuring that soccer finally has a foothold in the US.

Betting on Major League Soccer

Although betting on the MLS isn’t as prevalent as other leagues, it is still one of the most bet sports over the summer in the United States. There are multiple ways to bet on the MLS from game lines to futures to props.
Betting on the moneyline or three-way line are the most common ways to wager on individual games, but you will find totals and props available too. Also, there are futures odds available prior to and during the season.

MLS History

MLS Winners Since 2000

The first MLS dynasty was D.C. United. The club in the nation’s capital won the very first MLS Cup and played in the championship game for each of the first four seasons. D.C. United went on to win three of those four MLS Cups, as Jaime Moreno, Marco Etcheverry, John Harkes, and Richie Williams all etched their names in club lore.

The Black and Red won their fourth MLS Cup in 2004, but they have not claimed the top honor since that season. D.C. United came close with Wayne Rooney, yet they failed to make it back to that point.

While D.C. United were the first dynasty, the Los Angeles Galaxy have long been the MLS’ most dominant team. The Galaxy failed to win the MLS Cup in their first three trips to that game, but they have since won five titles and have appeared in this game nine times (both records).

Los Angeles has been able to pull in more talent than any other club due to its location and branding. That started when David Beckham signed a massive deal with the Galaxy, and we have also seen stars like Carlos Ruiz, Landon Donovan, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and Chicharito play for this team.

New England has been the most hard-luck franchise in the MLS. The Revolution have played in the MLS Cup five times, but they have yet to claim the title. They appeared in the title game in three straight seasons from 2005 to 2007, yet they couldn’t break through. Their first two losses were in extra time with the Galaxy finding a goal after 100 minutes, and the third loss was in penalties to the Houston Dynamo.

Atlanta United FC looked to be a potential juggernaut in the late 2010s. However, the Five Stripes could only win the 2018 MLS Cup before Miguel Almiron left to play in the Premier League and Josef Martinez suffered a major knee injury. This is one of the most well-supported clubs in the league though.

The Galaxy’s El Trafico rival has had a lot of success in a short time too. Los Angeles FC put together the best regular season we’ve ever seen in 2019, and LAFC were the team to beat entering the 2019 and 2020 postseason. However, they were unable to follow through on their immense regular season success despite having offensive weapons like Carlos Vela, Diego Rossi, and Adama Diomande.

Seattle has made the postseason for each of its first 12 seasons. The Sounders have had enormous success in their relatively short existence with four U.S. Open Cup wins, two MLS Cup wins, and two other runner-up appearances. They have yet to finish lower than fourth in the Western Conference standings.