The Best MLS Betting Sites for 2024

Deposit Bonus

This type of bonus rewards you for making a deposit into your account. These are typically match bonuses.

For instance, if a betting site offers you a 100% match up to $100, that means that for each dollar you put in your account, you’ll get a dollar in bonus funds as well – up to the maximum of $100.

Deposit bonuses are common when you open your account, but they are also be offered as reload bonuses to reward existing players.

Free Bets

Free bets give you the chance to win a wager with absolutely no risk. You’ll be able to put down a bet with the sportsbook’s own money, and if you win, the money will go right into your account.

Odds Boosts

Some betting sites will offer you the chance to make a legitimate bet, but with greatly improved odds. These promotions aren’t guaranteed to go your way, but typically allow you to bet on a favorite with a huge payout, giving you a chance to quickly build your bankroll.

These are just a few of the most common types of MLS betting bonuses. You can find these and other promotions at each of our recommended sites.

Moneyline

A moneyline bet is a simple wager on the result of a soccer match. You can bet on either team winning, or on the game ending in a draw. A typical moneyline market will look something like this:

• New York Red Bulls: -200
• Draw: +330
• Philadelphia Union: +430

Be aware that you must get the result exactly right to win; otherwise, the bet is a loss. This is different than in many sports, where a tie or a draw results in a push.

Keep in mind that soccer bets normally pay out based on the 90 minutes of normal play plus any stoppage time; any extra time periods or shootouts are not considered.

Spread Betting

In spread betting, one team is given a handicap that will be applied to the final score. Here’s a quick example:

• Seattle Sounders (-1): +160
• Handicap Draw: +250
• Vancouver Whitecaps (+1): +150

In this example, a bet on Seattle only wins if the Sounders win by at least two goals. Meanwhile, a bet on Vancouver wins if the Whitecaps either win the game or draw. The handicap draw would pay out if Seattle wins by exactly one goal.

Spreads sometimes include half-goals (such as -1.5) in order to avoid the possibility of a draw.

Totals (Over/Under)

In an over/under bet, you must predict whether the total number of goals will be over or under the listed total. For instance:

• Over 2.5 Goals: -150
• Under 2.5 Goals: +125

If three or more goals are scored, the over wins; if two or less are scored, the under wins.

Futures

Future bets ask you to predict the outcome of a tournament or season. For instance, you might see the following market for the winner of the MLS Cup:

• LAFC: +500
• Toronto FC: +600
• Atlanta United: +750
• Seattle Sounders: +800
• Philadelphia Union: +1000

These futures odds will change throughout the season, based on how teams are performing, injuries, and other factors.

A League of Parity

Most major soccer leagues worldwide have a few big clubs that dominate the rest of the competition. That’s not the case in MLS, where competitive balance rules keep teams on relatively equal footing. That means you should be wary of big favorites in most cases, as upsets are common.

Travel Concerns

While home field advantage matters in all soccer leagues, it can be critical in MLS, where teams may have to fly thousands of miles from coast to coast to play away matches. If a team has been traveling a lot in recent weeks, it’s worth considering that when evaluating the odds on a game.

The Playoff Push

Unlike European leagues, the team with the best record doesn’t necessarily win at the end of the MLS season. Instead, clubs then compete in a playoff for the MLS Cup. Teams will run out their best possible lineups for all playoff matches, and you should expect maximum effort – meaning the best squads are more likely to come out on top.