Major League Soccer (MLS) is growing at a phenomenal rate. The recent influx of star players has boosted TV audiences, drawn fans to the stadiums and got the sponsors drooling. Expansion teams have emerged and the league is thriving from the southernmost parts of the USA to Canada.
Following in the footsteps of Frank Lampard, Andreas Pirlo, Steven Gerrard and David Villa, Zlatan Ibrahimovic is the latest soccer superstar to take the league by storm. And how! The Swedish striker, formerly of Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus, scored twice on his debut, including a spectacular long-range effort to seal a 4-3 win for LA Galaxy over city rivals LAFC.
With all this interest in Major League Soccer comes a rise in wagering activity as bettors look to back their favorite teams and players. If you want to bet on the MLS, here are a few tips to get you started.
Knowledge is power
Those who want to maximize their chances of winning, need to know their subject, so don’t just bet blind – do your research! Putting a little time and effort into learning about the league, the players, the rules and the different betting markets is essential.
To help you with this, you can get help from award-winning betting tips websites that specialize in US sports including the MLS. More and more sites are dedicating whole sections to the league and many will offer statistics that can be used to identify high-value bets.
For basic information about the league, you can also refer to the official MLS website. There, you can watch highlights of the matches and subscribers can even watch the action live. Other places to find out information include podcasts and fan blogs.
The differences between MLS and European soccer
Fans of European soccer (or football) should be aware of some key differences at MLS level. One of those is the playoff system. Play-offs are a huge part of US sports such as NFL and involve a post-season period in which the overall champion is decided.
In Major League Soccer, the league is split into an East and West conference. After the regular season, 12 teams progress to the playoffs which culminate in a final championship game.
Betting tips
The league set-up can provide value to those looking to wager in the overall winners market, as a team only has to finish in the top six to progress to the playoffs. From there, any of the 12 can win the championship. In other leagues around the world, the team that finishes top of the league is declared champion. Therefore, if you back a team early and they finish sixth in the league, you could still end up a winner.
The knockout format of the playoffs can produce unexpected results and the favorites do not always come out on top. If you know your stuff, you can identify teams that might not storm the league but will thrive in a knockout situation.
Absent players
As the league runs from March to October, there will be times when players are called away on international duty. Many international tournaments are held in June and July when other leagues are in the offseason. So you should be aware of teams that might have to operate without their top players for a month or so.
Different mindset
Bettors should also be aware that the playoff system creates a different dynamic in the league compared to other countries. Teams are more focused on retaining a place in the top six than winning the league so their focus can change and players may be rested accordingly.
As a result, the MLS appears to be much more competitive, with not much separating the top six teams. And with no relegation to worry about, those at the bottom can have little left to play for come the end of the regular season.