Major League Soccer (MLS) is North America’s premier soccer league, and 29 teams will be competing for the coveted MLS Cup when the action gets underway in 2023.

Los Angeles FC will be looking to retain their crown this season after winning their first MLS Cup final in 2022; we’re in for an intriguing season stateside, with more teams than ever competing.

Read on to find out your range of soccer betting options for MLS 2023 and what you need to know about MLS betting lines online at Stake Sportsbook .

When is Major League Soccer 2023?

MLS 2023 began on Saturday 25th February 2023 and is set to finish on Saturday October 1st 2023. After signing a ten-year deal, all games will be shown live on Apple TV for the first time throughout the season.

History of Major League Soccer

Major League Soccer (MLS) is a USA soccer league that was formed in 1996 and was part of America’s successful bid process for the 1994 World Cup. It succeeded the North American Soccer League, and ten teams competed in the very first MLS season.

The US promised FIFA that they would establish a new premier soccer division immediately after the 1994 World Cup. MLS was created to replace the North American Soccer League that had run from 1968 until 1984.

DC United dominated the league in its early years, winning three out of the first four MLS Cups up for grabs. Despite some financial difficulties in the late 1990s and early 2000s, MLS endured, and several franchises were added to strengthen the league.

Who is Playing in MLS 2023?

DC United, Kansas City Wiz (now Sporting Kansas City) and Los Angeles Galaxy were among the league’s founding members, with new franchises like Orlando City and Seattle Sounders following in subsequent years, swelling the numbers from 10 to 29 teams today.

After a difficult first five years, MLS has gone from strength to strength, with 29 franchises competing in the 2023 season, and Louis City SC will be making their bow in this year’s competition. Three Canadian teams are also playing in MLS – CF Montreal, Toronto FC, and Vancouver Whitecaps.

LAFC will hope to add to their 2022 triumph, while their arch “El Trafico” rivals, LA Galaxy, will be hoping to add to their record five MLS Cups when the action gets underway.

Format & Schedule of Major League Soccer

MLS is split into two phases – the regular season and the postseason. During the regular season, each team will play 34 matches, 17 at home and 17 away. There are 15 teams in the Eastern Conference and 14 in the Western Conference.

The top 14 teams (top 7 in East and West, respectively) qualify for the post-season playoffs, with the winner of the playoff games receiving the MLS Cup.

Awards are also given to the Leagues Cup winners, the MLS Supporters Shield winners, and the winners of the two respective conferences during the regular season.

How to Bet on USA MLS & Bet Types

Soccer betting on Stake.com couldn’t be easier, and there are lots of MLS bet types to choose from:

1x2: This is a standard moneyline soccer bet where 1 refers to the home win, x refers to the draw, and 2 refers to the away win.
Draw no bet: If the match ends in a draw (tie), a no bet is declared, and you get your stake back.
Asian total: In an Asian total bet, you place a wager on the total number of goals you think will be scored in a game, over or under a specific number.
Asian handicap: An Asian handicap applies a handicap to the favourite and provides a headstart to the underdog as a way of levelling the playing field.
Double chance: A double chance lets you bet on two outcomes at once – such as a home win and a tie, for instance.
1st goal: Place a bet on the team (or the player) that you think will score first in a match.
Correct score: In a correct score bet, your job is to accurately predict the final score, be it 1-0 or 3-4, for instance.
Both teams to score: A popular soccer bet, both teams to score wager, is a bet on the fact that both teams will score in the fixture.
Half-time/Full-time: Place a bet on which team you think will be winning at half-time and then at full-time.

You can also take your betting slip further with same game multi bets. Use our 'Bet Builder' function to place same game multi bets and place multiple selections on the single betting slip. This is an easy way to boost your odds on a specific fixture! Learn more with our same game multi betting guide .

For more information and betting tips, check out our guide on how to bet on soccer !

Live Betting Options for MLS

Stake.com is an MLS betting site with a wide selection of live betting options for soccer fans. You can bet on markets like the next team to score, the number of corners in a half, the number of cards (yellow or red) in a match, and various other bets to keep things interesting while watching your favourite teams.

MLS Betting Odds & Payouts

When you create an account at Stake.com, you can decide how you wish to see your soccer betting odds – as fractions, decimals, or in the American format. As a crypto-only sportsbook, we payout all winnings instantly in the cryptocurrency of your choice , which is another reason to choose Stake for your soccer betting this season.

MLS Betting Tips & Strategies

Betting on MLS 2023 isn’t tricky, but there are some tips that you should bear in mind when developing a soccer betting strategy:

Bet with your head and not your heart: It’s easy to get carried away when betting on the team you support, so try and stick to betting on neutral fixtures!
Be realistic: Anything can happen in a playoff game, and form often goes out of the window. So bear this in mind when it comes to post-season betting on MLS 2023.
Study statistics and form: Use statistics, form, and injuries to your advantage when picking your regular-season wagers. This can also have an impact on the sports betting odds throughout the soccer season.
Place a variety of bets: Futures bets are an excellent option for soccer fans as you can often get great odds before a ball is kicked. So, consider placing a bet on the team you fancy as the end-of-season MLS Cup champion.
Stay up to date: Keep up to date with the latest sports betting predictions and betting strategies with our elite tips online , and take advantage of our latest betting promotions .

We pride ourselves on offering the tools and information to help you be Stake safe . Learn more tips when betting online with our responsible gambling guide . You can also store your crypto funds safely and securely using our Stake vault feature .