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MLS Cup odds: Messi, Inter Miami jumping up oddsboard, title futures
Major League Soccer has been on a month-long hiatus for the Leagues Cup, but that hasn’t stopped the MLS Cup odds from moving.
Most notably, the addition of superstar Lionel Messi and his scoring ways has captured the hearts of fans and bettors alike.
Can Inter Miami do the impossible and climb out of the basement to win the Cup? Or will another team take home the prestigious trophy this season?
Let's take a look at some betting options for North America's top men's soccer league:
ODDS TO WIN THE MLS CUP*
FC Cincinnati +500 (bet $10 to win $60)
LAFC +600 (bet $10 to win $70)
Philadelphia Union +750 (bet $10 to win $85)
Inter Miami CF +750 (bet $10 to win $85)
Saint Louis City SC +1000 (bet $10 to win $110)
New England Revolution +1100 (bet $10 to win $120)
Seattle Sounders +1400 (bet $10 to win $150))
Nashville SC +1400 (bet $10 to win $150)
Atlanta United +1600 (bet $10 to win $170)
Columbus Crew +2000 (bet $10 to win $210)
Orlando City SC +2200 (bet $10 to win $230)
Austin FC +2800 (bet $10 to win $290)
Real Salt Lake +3500 (bet $10 to win $360)
FC Dallas +4000 (bet $10 to win $410)
San Jose Earthquakes +4000 (bet $10 to win $410)
Houston Dynamo +5000 (bet $10 to win $510)
CF Montreal +6500 (bet $10 to win $660)
Minnesota United +6500 (bet $10 to win $660)
LA Galaxy +8000 (bet $10 to win $810)
New York Red Bulls +8000 (bet $10 to win $810)
Vancouver Whitecaps +8000 (bet $10 to win $810)
NYCFC +10000 (bet $10 to win $1,010)
Chicago Fire +10000 (bet $10 to win $1,010)
Portland Timbers +10000 (bet $10 to win $1,010)
Charlotte FC +10000 (bet $10 to win $1,010)
D.C. United +10000 (bet $10 to win $1,010)
Sporting Kansas City +13000 (bet $10 to win $1,310)
Toronto FC +50000 (bet $10 to win $5.010)
Colorado Rapids +50000 (bet $10 to win $5.010)
*Odds as of 8/25/2023
RELATED: Lionel Messi Inter Miami stats tracker
Alexi reacts to Lionel Messi, Inter Miami's THRILLING MLS Leagues Cup victory
Since he brought his talents to South Beach, Lionel Messi and Inter Miami have made quite the splash. All Inter Miami has done is win (win, win, no matter what), with Messi leading the way by racking up ten goals and five assists in eight appearances. Not surprisingly, Inter Miami is 8-0-0 in these games.
In response to those wins, there has been a drastic shortening of the odds for Inter Miami. The team's odds stood at +3300 to win the MLS Cup before La Pulga’s Miami debut. Those odds fell to +2500 after his first two League Cup games. Now that Inter Miami has won the Leagues Cup and made the finals of the U.S. Open Cup, those odds have shortened all the way to +750, and it now has the third-lowest odds to take home the MLS Cup. All of this has come despite being at the bottom of the standings (5-14-3, 18 points).
That's the power of Messi, right?
In the second half of the season, all eyes will be on Inter Miami, as it attempts to make MLS history. A lot of bettors will be watching, too, as they look to cash in if history is made.
As for the rest of the oddsboard, after opening at +2500, FC Cincinnati now finds itself at +500 and is the betting favorite to win the 2023 MLS Cup. It went 15-2-6 in the first half and look to continue this stellar play into the second half of the season. FC Cincinnati currently has an eight-point lead over New England in the Eastern Conference.
Last year’s MLS Cup winners, LAFC, sit at +600 and only trail FC Cincinnati in the odds. It won 10 of their first 23 games with seven draws and six losses. LAFC trails West leaders St. Louis by four points and will look to round into form over the season’s second half.
MLS announced changes to its playoff format. A pair of single-elimination wild-card matches on Oct. 25-26 were added, and Round 1 will be a best-of-three format from Oct. 28-Nov. 12.
The MLS Cup is Dec. 9.
The top seven finishers in each conference get a bye into Round 1. The eighth and ninth seeds in each conference will play in the wild-card matches.
The LA Galaxy have won the MLS Cup a record five times (2002, ‘05, ’11, ‘12 and ’14). D.C. United is second with four titles (1996-99, 2004).
Team Heartbreak in MLS? It might be the New England Revolution, which are 0-5 in MLS Cup title matches (2002, ‘05-’07, '14).
Here are the past 10 MLS Cup winners:
2022 LAFC *
2021 New York City FC
2020 Columbus Crew
2019 Seattle Sounders
2018 Atlanta United FC
2017 Toronto FC *
2016 Seattle Sounders
2015 Portland Timbers
2014 Los Angeles Galaxy
2013 Sporting KC
Here are the past 10 Supporters' Shield winners:
2022 LAFC
2021 New England Revolution
2020 Philadelphia Union
2019 Los Angeles FC
2018 New York Red Bulls
2017 Toronto FC
2016 FC Dallas
2015 New York Red Bulls
2014 Seattle Sounders
2013 New York Red Bulls
* = swept MLS Cup and Supporters' Shield
Follow along on FOX Sports for the latest on MLS and other soccer news.
