Liga MX is the premier soccer division in Mexico. It is regarded as the strongest professional soccer division in North America and among the strongest in all of the Americas.
Based on statistics recorded by CONCACAF, Liga MX’s clubs draw the biggest crowds on average of any football league in the Americas and the third largest crowds of all professional sports leagues in North America. The National Football League (NFL) and Major League Baseball are the only American sports leagues that draw larger crowds.
Its popularity has stemmed over to the top online sportsbooks, and their available Liga MX betting lines are readily available to wager on. That said, we’ll dive deeper into the Mexican soccer betting odds, how to read them, the significant events in Liga MX, and which bets are the most popular.
Soccer has long reigned as the most popular sport worldwide, so, understandably, it’s evolving as America’s most prominent betting market. As its popularity grows in America, it’s starting to bring in the same attention and soccer odds that it does in Europe.
Understanding soccer odds for Liga MX isn’t as complicated as it may sound. The odds are presented in an American format where a (-) symbol represents the favorable betting line, and a (+) sign denotes the lesser-expect outcome or the betting underdog in some cases.
Whether it’s a moneyline, OVER/UNDER, future, or prop bet, Liga MX odds in an American format will always be represented with the (-) and (+) symbolism.
A moneyline wager is the most popular of all soccer bets. You’re simply tasked with picking a winner, as a set of odds will be presented for each team. Each game’s favorite and underdog are based on the implied probability of them winning the game, thus creating a favorite (-) and an underdog (+).
That said, and unlike other sports leagues in America, soccer is a low-scoring game and can result in a tie game. This is where the 3-way money – the most common soccer moneyline – comes into play. Betting action on the 3-way moneyline involves the potential of drawing. You can pick either side to win or wager on the draw. You’ll often see this format displayed as 1X2, where you have a win for Team 1 (1), a draw (X), or a win for Team 2 (2).
Oddsmakers will provide each team with the odds to win depending on how each club matches up, the probability of a team winning, and the odds of the game ending in a draw (tie).
In the above example, the odds favor Monterrey as -130; this would require a $130 stake to win $100, or something similar, like a $13 to win $10. As tie games (draws) are the least expected outcome, the oddsmakers often provide longer odds in and around the +200 region.
From our example, betting on a tie game would net $220 of profit if you wagered $100. The oddsmakers view Monterrey as the betting favorite but also see a drawn game being less likely than either team winning outright. With underdog odds of +160, wagering $100 on Tigres would return $160 profit.
Betting action on the OVER/UNDER of Liga MX is no different than any other major American sport like the NFL or NBA. The oddsmakers set a projected number of total goals for a game, and you simply place a bet on whether the available totals go Over or Under.
In the example above, oddsmakers have provided a total of 2.5 goals – the typical total for most soccer games. With an over 2.5 price of -125, sportsbooks believe the most likely outcome of the match will involve three or more goals. If the under 2.5 owned the higher probability, it would take the position as the favorable odds (-), and two or fewer goals in the game would cash the bet.
Alternatively, most books provide various totals, from 1.5, 3.5 and 4.5. You can also wager on team totals, where you’re betting on a single team’s total goals scored over or under.
Future bets are a fun, entertaining way to turn your Liga MX knowledge into high profits. Futures wagers are long-running markets that are usually released before a season or tournament begins and updated after each matchday or round once the league commences. Liga MX soccer future odds will change during the season or event, adjusting to favor the results while considering injuries and trends.
Liga MX bettors will find various futures wagers in multiple markets, such as team results and individual accomplishments. Commonly, future markets involved winners of competitions, relegation, outright winners of a league or cup, and which player will score the most goals throughout a season or competition (Golden Boot).
Props bets are also called propositional bets, and these are sports bets that you can place on things that don’t impact the outcome of the game.
Common props bets that you’ll see include betting on if the game will require extra time, or what the margin of victory will be after the match.
Props odds can change after every match, if team performance struggles or if there are any player injuries, and even in response to betting action.
One of the best betting tips that we can offer is to make sure that you always do your research.
When you’re looking for an online sportsbook, you should look at the different betting odds and markets available; you should always shop for the best odds before you place a bet.
Another key part of doing your research is paying attention to injury reports; player injuries in major soccer leagues can have a huge impact on the betting odds.
It’s also good to learn about things like player statistics and keep track of team performance throughout the entire season if you’re planning on placing any futures bets.
For example, Club América has racked up 13 championship titles over the years. It’s no surprise that they’re typically the betting favorite for the title, but late injuries in the season could completely derail their chances at clinching the championship trophy again, or at least make for a much more complicated match.
It’s also always a good idea for beginners to take a cautious approach, and don’t wager any more than they are willing to lose when placing sports bets.
Liga MX is the highest division in Mexican soccer, with two tournaments, Apertura and Clausura, each played yearly. These tournaments are split into two – the regular season, followed by a mini-league of playoffs known as the Liguilla.
Liga MX’s teams compete to become Mexico’s champion but also play in two other notable tournaments throughout their regular season – the Copa MX and the Campeon de Campeones.
The Copa MX is the most sought-after cup competition in Mexican professional soccer. It consists of 27 teams from Liga MX and Ascenso MX, placed into nine groups of 3. Group stages are played between July and December, and the playoffs are contested in January and April.
Campeon de Campeones (Champion of Champions) is an annual competition that puts the respective Liga MX and Liga MX Femenil season winners against one another.
Mexican professional soccer teams also compete in the CONCACAF Champions League, similar to the European Champions League; this tournament puts the best of American teams in a group setting and then in an elimination-style tournament.
Both the Apertura and Clausura phases of Liga MX see 17 teams play each other twice, home and away. The top 12 teams from these standings enter the playoff stage. The top four of the second stage then qualify for the Liguilla, the end-of-season tournament.
The Leagues Cup is an annual World Cup-style tournament between the top clubs of Liga MX and Major League Soccer (MLS).
Drifting from its original format of four teams from each league, the 2023 edition of the Leagues Cup will include all teams from MLS and Liga MX, as it will be the regional cup for the North American zone within CONCACAF, as the top three teams performances will qualify for the CONCACAF Champions League.