Best MLS Betting Sites & Apps for 2024 | MLS Online Betting Tips

Latest MLS Betting News 

• 🗓️ March 21: MLS faces criticism for its reputation amid ongoing referee lockout. The 2024 season begins with controversy over perceived errors by inexperienced officials, casting doubt on league credibility.
• 🗓️ March 18: Inter Miami faces New York Red Bulls at Red Bull Arena on March 23rd. Miami leads the Eastern Conference with a star-studded lineup including Messi and Suarez. Red Bulls seek to improve their offensive performance.
• 🗓️ March 12: Inter Miami CF leads MLS Cup Futures betting odds as the favorite to win, with odds set at +270.

Best MLS Betting Sites Reviewed

Established in 1996, Major League Soccer (MLS) is a premier destination for professional soccer in the US and Canada, with 29 teams, including new and legacy clubs. It showcases a blend of international stars, local talent, and emerging players, making matches exciting for fans and bettors.

Key betting options in MLS include moneylines, spreads, futures, and prop bets. Fans can also enjoy fantasy leagues or betting pools for added fun.

This guide focuses on the best sportsbooks for MLS betting, highlighting their features, app usability, soccer markets, and user experience. Operating in various states, these legal sportsbooks cater to fans nationwide, enhancing your MLS betting journey whether you're seasoned or new to the scene.

Check Out: NJ Sports Betting | PA Sports Betting sites for your MLS Betting.

Top MLS Betting Tips and Strategy

There are no guarantees in the sports betting world. However, one of the best MLS tips you can remember is to keep things simple. Scorecasts offer great odds, but trying to pick goal scorers and predict the correct score isn't easy. You can also win a lot from multi-leg bets. However, predicting the result of multiple matches is extremely difficult.

Therefore, the most effective MLS betting strategy, particularly if you're a novice, is to focus on general outcomes. So, instead of a scorecast, make a straight win bet. Instead of parlays, try singles or doubles. These bets aren't guaranteed to provide positive returns, but they're easier to win than wagers that focus on multiple outcomes.

Finding the Best Soccer Betting Sites

Major League Soccer Betting is not only fun but can be rewarding. However, for the best gambling experience, choosing the best MLS betting site for your needs should be your main priority. These are sites that offer competitive odds for events and also provide several betting options. Here are the essential factors we consider when ranking the best MLS betting sites.

How to Sign up at MLS Sportsbook

1. Read our online sportsbook reviews. (We only review and recommend legal sportsbooks)
2. Choose one or more MLS betting sites and use our secure sign-up links. (You need to be 21+ and in a state that offers legal online sports betting)
3. Allow the app's geolocation software to verify your location.
4. Complete the registration process, make a deposit, and claim any bonus amount you're entitled to.

How to Bet on MLS Games Online

To start betting, you need to understand how the odds work. Then just follow these steps:

1. Choose a licensed and reputable sportsbook.
2. Deposit money into your betting account using one of the supported banking methods.
3. Click on MLS in the sports section of the gambling site.
4. Select the match you want to bet on.
5. Choose your predictions and betting markets.
6. Enter the amount you want to bet and place the bet.

Best MLS Team to Bet on this Season

• New York City FC
• Seattle Sounders FC
• New England Revolution

Betting MLS Home Teams

Home advantage is a real thing in soccer. Of course, if one team is significantly better than another, it doesn't matter where a match takes place. However, if the skill discrepancy is relatively small, playing at home can make a difference.

Jim Albert and Ruud H. Koning analyzed 9,000 international soccer matches from 1993 to 2004. They found that home teams won 50.5% of the time. Away teams won 24.5% of the time, and matches ended in a draw 25% of the time. Based on this, one of the best tips we can give you is to pay attention to home teams.

More MLS Betting Promos and MLS Bonus Bets

• Bonus Bets - MLS betting sites give you bonus bets when you make deposits, hit certain wagering targets, and earn loyalty rewards. Bonus bets can't be withdrawn, but they allow you to win cash prizes that are yours to keep.
• First Bet Insurance - The best MLS betting sites insure your first bet. New players can make an opening MLS bet and, if it loses, you'll get your stake back (up to a certain amount).

MLS Betting Lines Explained

You can't devise a sensible betting strategy without understanding how odds work. When bookmakers create a soccer betting market, they're assessing the likelihood of an outcome. In soccer, there are hundreds of potential outcomes in a match. There are team vs. team outcomes, player vs. player outcomes, and individual outcomes.

Whatever outcome, the oddsmakers assess a range of variables to determine how likely or unlikely it is. Once they've done that, they'll apply odds to it. From this, you need to determine whether or not a bet is worth taking.

What is the Juice when betting on MLS?

When you bet on MLS online, there will be a small fee built into the odds. This fee is known as the juice or vig. We've called it a fee because it's what bookmakers charge for offering a service. The important thing to note here is that you won't notice this fee, so don't feel as though you're not getting a fair service. Juice is standard in sports betting.

Juice is standard in the gambling industry and it's mostly used for spread bets. The reason for juice is so you can't bet on two opposing outcomes without any risk. In other words, juice means the odds aren't even on both sides. If they are even on both sides, e.g. -140 and +140, you could bet on both without any risk. There has to be some risk when it comes to sports betting, which is why both sides of a bet don't line up.

For example, instead of -140 vs. +140, an MLS betting line would be -140 vs. +150. This is what juice in sports betting is. You can't avoid it, but you can limit the amount of juice you pay by shopping around. Using multiple sportsbooks gives you the ability to compare odds and, in turn, get the best value possible.

Popular MLS Soccer Bets

MLS betting markets include regular markets that have to do with the overall outcome of the game and proposition markets. The betting markets have a big influence on the odds and potential winnings of a match. These are the most common betting odds and markets.

Point Spread:

Point spread betting, otherwise referred to as goal line betting, is also popular among players when betting on games. A point spread gives the underdog team an advantage in points to balance the odds difference. Due to the low-scoring nature of soccer, points spread often does not go beyond a +/- 3 goals difference. The higher the point spread, the bigger the underdog.

MLS Moneyline:

Moneyline betting is probably the most common option on Major League Soccer games at MLS online sportsbooks. The three-way moneyline bet involves betting on which team will win a match or if the outcome will end as a tie. For instance, you can bet on New England Revolution to win, Philadelphia Union to win, or the outcome to result in a tie.

Total Goals Scored:

Betting on over/under is another popular market that most sportsbooks offer. Here, you are simply betting on the total number of goals to be scored in a game by both teams collectively to be under or over a value specified by the gambling operator. For example, if NYC is hosting Columbus Crew at home in a game, you can bet on the total goals to be scored by both teams to be under or over 3.5. If the score ends up being 4-3, the total would have gone over, and if the score was 1-1, the total would have gone under.

MLS Prop Bets:

Betting on some occurrence in a match or the league itself. Note that most player-specific bets are prop bets, and the good thing about this betting market is that it has higher odds. There are player and team prop bets and some will have even odds, such as Over/Under, and some will have inflated odds. Some of the popular prop betting markets available include:

• Player to win man of the match
• Team to score the first goal
• Player to score the most goal throughout the competition
• will there be over or under three yellow cards in a game

MLS Futures Betting:

Bets on the winner of a league or conference - which team will win the MLS Cup, the Eastern Conference, Western Conference, and which team will finish with the most points. You can make futures bets before and during the season with the odds changing depending on how the season is unfolding - like injuries, suspensions, and other reports. Once the odds change, it will directly affect the potential payout opportunity, but they're the ones you're locked into.

Parlays:

At most betting sites, you can combine multiple events into a single bet slip which gives you a chance to win bigger, however, they come at a greater risk.

Live Betting:

Live betting in Major League Soccer refers to betting on an MLS game that is currently in play. Many bettors love this kind of bet because they can use the current happenings in the game to determine the possible outcome. In live betting, you will have several betting markets depending on the match and sportsbook. The odds change quickly depending on what is happening in the game.

How to Bet on MLS

You have many different options on what you can bet on the MLS. From the simple moneyline (predicting who will win or a draw), over/under bets (if the total number of goals in a match will be over or under a specific amount) or you can also wager on player specific bets like the anytime scorer (if a particular player will be scoring at anytime in the match). In certain soccer matches, especially cup games where extra time is possible, make sure that the betting pick "extra time scorer" counts as a scorer in the particular bet. 

Once you decide on which match you would like to bet on and which type of bet, read carefully the odds to understand the risk and the rewards of the particular bet. The odds will be presented this way

The table above explains that if you bet $100 on Charlotte FC you will get back a total of $225 which are made up of your $100 wager and $125 profit. In the case of a draw you will get back a total of $335 and if you bet that Atlanta Utd win and they do you will get back $295.

When betting on the moneyline, try to keep in mind the soccer moneyline rules to be sure that you are betting on the right bet.

Betting on MLS

There is a huge number of betting options you can play on the Major Soccer League. We can categorize these in these 3 categories

Futures

Futures Bets are quite popular in MLS betting and these are bets which you can make weeks or even month prior to a particular event. Such futures bets include:

• Who will win the MLS?
• Who will be the top goalscorer?
• Who will be the MLS MVP?
• Which teams will advance to the play-offs?

Pre-match

Pre-match bets are bets that are wagered before the match starts. The odds of these bets are affected by a number of factors: players forms, previous results, current team form etc. Some example of pre-match betting include:

• Moneyline
• Draw no Bet
• Total Goals (Over/Under)
• Spread
• Both teams to score
• Correct Score
• Double Chance

In-Play

The opportunites of betting on a particular match won't stop with the first referee whistle. You can have the chance to bet on a particular match also during the match itself. Whereas the pre-match odds are based on statistics and factors before the start of the match, the in-play market is very dynamic and is continuously changing depending on the result, the players forms at the time and whatever is happening in the stadium that can affect the match. 

MLS Playoffs Betting and MLS Cup

Following the regular season, a playoff tournament is hosted where 14 teams play against each other, and the champion is decided. The teams qualify for the tournament based on their points during the regular season. The first seven teams of each conference make up the playoffs, and all games are played in a single-match elimination format. The top seed from each of the conferences will receive a first-round bye. The teams will battle it out leading up to the MLS Cup final.

But what happens if two top teams finish with the same points in the regular season? In that case, a tie-breaking procedure comes to play. The following will be considered to determine which of the teams feature in the playoffs.

• Most wins
• Goals scored
• Goals differential
• Away goals scored
• Away goals differential
• Fewer disciplinary points
• Home goals scored
• Home goals differential
• Coin toss if two teams are involved or drawing of lots if it’s three or more teams

Payment Methods at the Best MLS Sportsbook

Making Deposits and Withdrawals

The minimum deposit using any betting payment methods should be between $10 and $20. The same limits apply to withdrawals. At these levels, even newbies with small bankrolls can bet on MLS soccer matches, as well as games happening elsewhere in the world.

In terms of processing times, deposits should be credited to your account instantly. On the way out, you shouldn't have to wait more than 72 hours for withdrawal requests to be processed. Finally, you should be able to pay with a variety of reputable banking methods, including Visa, MasterCard, PayPal, Play+, PayNearMe, and ACH.

How to Make Payments at MLS Betting Sites

1. Join one of our recommended betting sites by clicking BET NOW on this page.
2. Complete the registration process by following the steps and filling in all the fields.
3. Log into your account and go to the cashier page.
4. Choose a banking option.
5. Enter an amount equal to or greater than the minimum deposit/withdrawal limit.
6. Confirm the transaction and wait.

About Major League Soccer

The league began in December 1988, when the US Soccer Federation pledged to create a Division 1 professional league. By 1995, the league was officially formed, and the first game was played in 1996. At the time, only 10 teams played in the league. However, in 1998, the number increased to 12. Presently, 29 teams play in the league, with 26 teams from the US and three from Canada. There are also plans to expand the number of participating teams to 30 in the future.

Teams in the MLS are geographically divided into conferences - Eastern and Western Conferences. Each team will play against the other teams in its conference in a double-round robin format. The league typically runs from late February or early March till mid-October. The MLS Cup Playoff is also played among the top teams to determine the league champion.

Which States Allow Legal MLS Betting?

Why MLS Bet using Gambling.com?

• Exclusive bonuses and promotions to get you started
• Many different online sportsbooks compared for all MLS bettors
• All our recommended sportsbooks are thoroughly reviewed and tested

You've come to the right place. We offer reviews of and odds from fully-licensed, legal bookies proven to be reliable. That means we have ZERO offshore bookies featured. So you can be 100% confident in our best MLS betting sites reviewed and recommended by our experts. Keep in mind, you don’t need to pick just one MLS betting site. Multiple accounts means being able to compare soccer betting odds and promotional top gambling offers during MLS season.

Throughout this comprehensive guide, we have explained all the essential things to know about MLS betting. At Gambling.com, we provide detailed and honest reviews of the best betting sites that you can use for betting on the Major Soccer League and other sports. Remember that choosing a top sports betting site with good soccer odds can go a long way to give you the best online gambling site experience.

MLS Online Betting Glossary:

• Parlay - Otherwise known as an accumulator, accas are parlay bets where the aim is to predict the result of multiple matches.
• Half-time/Full-time Betting - These bets require you to predict what the result will be at half-time and full-time.
• Scorecast - This soccer bet requires you to predict the first, last, or anytime goalscorer, as well as the final score.
• Teasers - These allow you to combine events from two matches and adjust the spread.
• Void Bet - A void bet is when you receive your stake back because a match has been canceled due to unforeseen circumstances.

Safety, Trust and Customer Support

Before you join any gambling platform, players’ safety and security should be one of the essential things you should check. Ensure the platform is SSL-secured, trusted, and licensed by the appropriate regulatory bodies in US states. 

You should never bet on soccer matches if you can't afford it. In fact, this idea applies to all forms of gambling. The good news is that online MLS sportsbooks give you the tools required to bet responsibly. As well as problem gambling FAQs, you can set deposit, betting, and time limits.  Soccer betting sites also allow you to take a timeout or close your account permanently. Finally, all apps have contact details for problem gambling organizations*.