MLS 2024: Bettors All Over Messi and Inter Miami

Article By Mark Keast

Last Updated: 2024 Feb 19

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MLS 2024: Bettors All Over Messi and Inter Miami

This Wednesday night it all gets real on the Major League Soccer (MLS) front, as Lionel Messi-led Inter Miami CF hosts Real Salt Lake at DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale.

Game time is 8 p.m., available for broadcast on Apple TV.

For those betting online, odds at 888 Sport this morning for the game: 1.57 on a Miami win, 4.00 on a tie, 5.00 on a Salt Lake win.

The Messi effect on the Miami team and MLS in general is for real. Off the back of winning the 2022 FIFA World Cup with Argentina and winning the 2022-23 Ligue 1 title with Paris Saint-Germain, Messi debuted last summer for Miami in Leagues Cup 2023 play, and scored in all but one game, finishing as the tournament’s top goal scorer, with ten, earning Best Player honours. That was Inter Miami’s first-ever trophy as an MLS club.

Plenty of Messi Markets for Wednesday

The 2024 MLS regular season will be Messi’s first full season in Miami. The club will compete in the Concacaf Champions Cup for the first time in club history at the beginning of the year – Miami could become the first MLS club to win the tournament.

Messi’s name is going to be in MLS All-Star, Golden Boot and MVP conversations from the start and providing he remains healthy, the spotlight is going to shine most brightly on him.

And there’s plenty of MLS betting markets across sportsbooks for Wednesday’s game to choose from: 888 Sport has the odds that Messi scores a header in the 90 minutes at 9.75; 4.20 that he scores from outside the box in the 90 minutes, 7.40 that he scores from outside the box in the first half. FanDuel has the odds 18.00 that he scores a hat-trick, 5.10 that he scores two or more goals, 4.00 that he’s the first goal scorer, 1.80 that he’s an anytime goal scorer.

⭐ Bet on Major League Soccer at FanDuel ⭐

Bettors are taking note about Miami. According to BetMGM, the Inter Miami line has move from 3.00 to 3.50 for MLS League Winner, followed by the Columbia Crew (13.00 to 10.00). Miami is generating the highest in tickets (15.0 per cent), followed by the Columbus Crew (13.2 per cent) and FC Cincinnati (10.7 per cent. ON the handle front, It’s Columbus (17.1 per cent), Miami (15.1 per cent) and Orlando City (10.4 per cent).

Miami currently has the shortest odds there to win the MLS League Cup (3.50), followed by Los Angeles FC (9.00), Columbus (10.00), FC Cincinnati (13.00), Philadelphia Union (15.00), New York Red Bulls and Seattle Sounders (both at 17.00).

Not a Lot of Optimism for Canadian Clubs

It’s not that optimistic on the Canadian MLS front – the Vancouver Whitecaps are at 41.00, then CF Montreal at 67.00 and Toronto FC, under new coach Jon Herdman, at 81.00. TFC is generating 1.7 per cent of tickets, 1.5 per cent of handle at BetMGM.

All 29 MLS will play 34 regular season games, with the majority of matches played Saturdays and select Wednesdays, with local start times of 7:30 p.m. All matches available on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.

The final matchday of the MLS regular season with postseason implications on the line – Decision Day 2024 – is Saturday October 19, a slate of 14 matches with the Eastern Conference matches kicking off at 6 p.m. EST and the Western Conference matches following at 9 p.m. EST. The MLS Cup champion will be crowned Saturday December 7.