MLS Futures

MLS Futures

Major League Soccer (which is the professional soccer league in the United States) futures markets hold an identical premise to alternative sports betting future wagers. The bets you place from a futures market won’t be resolved in the immediate future, unlike some other betting types, but instead focus on the team or player’s season-long accomplishment, such as the MLS Cup winner, the winner of a respective conference’s title match and Golden Boot winner.

MLS futures are readily available before the beginning of a regular season of soccer games, and the available odds are naturally more lucrative due to the difficulty of predicting an outcome of the future of the various American league soccer teams, such as San Jose Earthquakes, Seattle Sounders FC, Sporting Kansas City, Atlanta United FC or DC United.

The oddsmakers and data software will alter the available future odds throughout the duration of an MLS season. If a team is anticipated to deliver a poor performance and their pre-season future odds are high in value, but they exceed expectations and perform well, the available odds will change as they rise or drop in the ranks. The same applies to players competing for the top goalscorer award (Golden Boot).

Major League Soccer Expansion Teams

As the MLS is relatively young compared to other professional soccer divisions, it should be no surprise if the league makes additions to its competing roster. Known as an expansion team, this term is used to describe a brand-new MLS franchise that’s been added to the league, with the most recent addition being Charlotte FC in 2022.

MLS expansion plans for 2023 have been confirmed, as the city of St. Louis, Missouri, will be the latest edition arriving to the top-tier soccer league in North America. And over the previous seven years, the MLS has added nine expansion clubs in total.

The latest MLS expansion teams:

• NYC & Orlando City (2015)
• Atlanta United & Minnesota (2017)

• Los Angeles (2018)
• Cincinnati (2019)
• Inter Miami & Nashville (2020)
• Austin (2021)
• Charlotte (2022)

As the MLS organization continues adding to its roster, future bettors should be aware of the new teams making their season debut.

While the lack of experience from expansion candidates can be detrimental to their success, we must recognize the heavy investments that can be involved in these additional franchises, and Austin FC are proof of this.

After one year’s experience, Austin placed second in the MLS Western Conference standings of 2022. This club has found immediate success and should be considered a strong contender when making MLS futures bets.

Major League Soccer Cup Outright Winner Odds

One of the most popular MLS futures bets is the MLS Cup Winner. The top teams from the Western and Eastern Conference regular season games are placed into a playoff competition, and the team that wins the MLS Cup is crowned as the Major League Soccer champions.

Futures soccer odds on the MLS Cup winner market will change during the season. It’s sometimes easier to find the best prices pre-season, but you can also find betting value in this market up until the playoffs or beyond.

Projected Favorites to Win the Major League Soccer Cup

Whichever team the top online sportsbooks (such as BetMGM Sportsbook or DraftKings Sportsbook) expect to win the season’s final game is known as the MLS Cup favorites. Past successes determine the odds for this favorable betting position, previous season success, team fitness, potential transfer signings, national team form, and sometimes the betting lines are moved when soccer fans make a significant number of wagers on a particular team or large stakes are placed. These factors are often fed into an algorithm and the odds are projected using computational methods, which are known as computer picks.

MLS Soccer Top Goalscorer Odds

The MLS Golden Boot award is gifted to the player who scores the most goals in an entire season. Last season saw Hany Mukhtar of Nashville SC win the top goalscorer award. You can expect the German player to achieve a favorable betting position heading into the 2023 MLS season.

While defensive records are essential for a team’s success, the limelight shines on MLS top goalscorer odds each season. The Major Leagues in the United States often receive a lot of wagering action on a team’s offensive players.

However, bettors should be cautious when betting on top goalscorers, as many factors can alter a player’s season trajectory. If placing a pre-season top goalscorer bet, be wary of potential injuries that could stunt or prevent a player from competing in the MLS altogether. This also applies to mid-season or end-of-season wagers; if a player’s fitness is in question or there have been transfer rumors, apply these factors into your betting strategy when evaluating the value of a potential top goalscorer wager.

Major League Soccer Cup Playoffs Match Format

Unlike their European counterparts, a team that places first in the MLS domestic league isn’t crowned as the champions. Like most professional North American sports leagues, a postseason playoff tournament is implemented.

Fourteen of the 29 MLS teams qualify for the postseason elimination tournament of Major League Soccer, made up of the top seven placed clubs from the Eastern Conference and Western Conference. During the regular season, teams compete for points and the seven highest-placed teams from each conference move on to the MLS Cup playoffs. The MLS does, however, award the regular-season champions of each conference with the Supporters’ Shield.

Betting on the MLS Cup Playoffs differs from a regular season game because a winner must be decided. While you can still bet on a 90-minute tie game, extra time and penalties are used if the team scores are tied after the 90 minutes.

MLS Futures Betting Tips

When approaching an MLS soccer futures market at the best betting sites, a crucial first step is to have the ability to read the MLS betting odds.

If Los Angeles is the betting favorite to win the MLS Cup with odds of -150, but New York City FC is priced at +150, you may be confused with the symbolism.

Favored bets like the Los Angeles FC price above start with a negative number (-), and they tell you what’s needed to bet to win $100. So, with a price of -150, you need to bet $150 to win $100. However, this doesn’t reflect the minimum stake you can wager; betting $15 would win $10.

Odds labeled with a plus sign (+) are referred to as underdog bets. Plus-odds describe how much profit you can make from a $100 bet. A $100 wager on the above New York City FC price of +150 would return $150 profit, including your original $100 stake.

Should the Los Angeles FC betting line move to -200, you need to wager $200 to win $100 with these soccer odds. This is why professional handicappers highlight the importance of beating the line movement. Long-term bettors will lose the best available value if they don’t find the best soccer odds and beat others to the best price. However, this can work in reverse, as betting lines can move either way. So, you must anticipate the line movement, but this ability will come with experience in knowing what factors shift the odds.

Bankroll management in MLS soccer future bets is also essential. Predicting season-long outcomes can go from good to bad in an instant, so keeping your stakes flat and similar is vital for protecting your bankroll.

Major League Soccer Futures Betting FAQ

Is Major League Soccer a part of the international leagues?

Major League Soccer is internationally recognized as the top-tier professional soccer league sanctioned by the US Soccer Federation, and it represents the sport’s highest level in North America.

Five professional leagues of soccer teams are sanctioned by the USSF in total. MLS I is the top-level league, and the second level is the USL Championship.

When do the Major League Soccer Cup Playoffs take place?

The MLS Playoffs usually begin in mid-October and are concluded with the MLS Cup at the beginning of November. Before this, the regular season format takes place between February and October.

What is the method for placing a futures bet for MLS soccer matches?

The best approach to wagering on MLS futures bets begins with finding the best available soccer odds. Don’t settle for the first price you see; shop around at the best sportsbooks and compare prices. Once you’ve created an account, find the future market you wish to wager on, and begin to research the data that supports the best likely outcome for whichever MLS futures bet you’re interested in.

Where can I place MLS futures bets at?

The best betting sites, such as BetMGM Sportsbook, Caesars Sportsbook, Bet365, PointsBet, FanDuel, and DraftKings, provide MLS futures markets all season long. You’ll also find MLS futures betting markets before the season has started so that you can get in on the action early.

Who has won the most MLS Cups?

Los Angeles FC is the reigning MLS cup-holders after conquering the Philadelphia Union in the 2022 final. However, their inter-state rivals Los Angeles Galaxy are the most successful MLS cup-winning team. From their nine MLS Cup appearances, the Galaxy has won the cup on five occasions.