Major League Soccer Predictions

What Makes Major League Soccer Betting Unique?

Major League Soccer, or the MLS, is a unique division which stands apart from the rest of world football. For one, the title is decided in a play off fashion, instead of being gifted to the side with the most point across the season, introducing an element of danger to even the best squads in the league.

As the league is held throughout the USA and Canada, there are also huge distances to cover away sides - New York Red Bulls travel to Los Angeles FC at least once a year, a distance of more than 2 ‘400 miles. Similarly, different sides play at different altitudes - for example, Colorado Rapids home stadium is situated at a height of 1 ‘600 metres, other sides, such as the sea level Vancouver Whitecaps, would struggle to play here, particularly early in the season when they haven’t achieved full match fitness.

Many sides also boast a heavy international influence (predominantly from South America), and are thus impacted by international breaks. This means that certain sides are weakened when international football is played, due to a lack of strong first team players - this is the perfect time to bet on underdog sides with less international influence.

How Does Major League Soccer Work?

The MLS is split into two sections, the Eastern and the Western, with 15 teams in each. In both divisions, the top nine spots are qualification places for the end of season play-offs, which is when and how the league title is decided.

There is also an entity called the Supporters Shield, which is effectively the Eastern and Western Section combined together, with the top 18 teams across both divisions heading to the play-offs. They play in separate brackets (e.g. western section sides play other western section sides), and the wild card round, Conference Semifinals and Conference Finals are all there to narrow down the sides to just one team from each section. These two sides face each other in a one off match to crown the MLS Champions.

When is Each Stage of Major League Soccer?

The regular MLS season regularly runs from early March through to October, with each side playing 34 games in total (due to sporadic inter-section fixtures).

The MLS often does not observe international breaks - this means that while top European leagues break to allow their players to play for their nations, the MLS schedule continues to go ahead, resulting in some sides missing multiple personnel or key players.

Where to Watch Major League Soccer Live?

Apple TV + is the biggest supplier of MLS football anywhere, showing every single game in both the regular league stage and throughout the play-offs. With that being said, MLS football is also shown on broadcasters such as Fox Sports and TNS show selected games on their channels.

Who Has Won the MLS Title Most Often?

Given that the title is decided in an end of season, cup knockout-style play-off, the job of defending the MLS title is a difficult one. LA Galaxy boast the most MLS titles since it’s inaugural season in 1996 with six to their names, while D.C. United trail closely behind them with four.