Best Bets to Win the MLS is Back Tournament (2020)
Whether you’re new to sports betting or a betting pro, our Sports Betting Strategy and Advice page is for you. You can get started with our 101 section — including 10 Sports Betting Tips for Beginners — or head to more advanced strategy — like Key Numbers When Betting Against the Spread — to learn more.
Major League Soccer is poised to be the first major U.S. sports league to resume its 2020 season following the COVID-19 hiatus with the commencement of the MLS is Back Tournament. All 26 MLS franchises have gathered in Orlando for the month-long event that will take place at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. For sports bettors who are starved for action, the MLS is Back Tournament is ripe and ready to be devoured.
The tournament will run very similar to the World Cup. The teams have been split into six groups, A-F, and will all participate in three Group Stage games. From there, 16 teams will advance to the Knockout Stage, where the tournament becomes single elimination for all games through the quarterfinals and semifinals. The MLS is Back Tournament champion will be crowned in the final on August 11th.
Ahead of the tournament, bettors have the opportunity to get in on the action through various futures offerings. One such opportunity involves picking the outright winner of the entire MLS is Back Tournament. Here are my three best value picks to get the job done.
Odds courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook
Sign up at BetMGM and get a Deposit Match up to $500 >>
Atlanta United FC +1200
The 2018 MLS Cup Champions overcame a rocky start to last season and finished second in the Eastern Conference with 58 regular-season points. The hopes of a repeat championship were alive up until the Eastern Conference Finals when the Five Stripes fell at home to Toronto FC. Even so, it has to be considered a successful first season at the helm for coach Frank de Boer. The 2020 season presents him with the challenge of integrating several new starters. Apart from the two games played before COVID-19, that work begins at the MLS is Back Tournament.
Josef Martinez remains the star piece for Atlanta United. The prolific goal scorer is joined up front by Pity Martinez and Ezequiel Barco. The former will look to rebound from a rough first season with the club while the latter will look to take the next steps as a consistent producer at just 20 years old. The new starters that de Boer must integrate include center back Fernando Meza, right back/winger Brooks Lennon, and midfielder Matheus Rossetto.
Atlanta United reside in Group E in the MLS is Back Tournament. They are set to play a round-robin against the New York Red Bulls (+1400), Columbus Crew SC (+2000), and FC Cincinnati (+6600). With the top two teams in the group assured of advancement, the Five Stripes should have no trouble getting through to the Knockout Stage even if they wind up on the wrong end of their game against the Red Bulls. From there, the tournament will be wide open, thanks to the single-game elimination format. At 12-1 odds, Atlanta United is as strong a team to back as any to take the tournament crown.
Seattle Sounders FC +1600
When it comes to championship pedigree and experience, the Seattle Sounders have no shortage. The defending MLS Cup Champions used one of their patented late-season surges to capture the title, finishing with 56 regular-season points and parlaying their second-place finish in the Western Conference into an MLS Cup win over Toronto FC. This year’s Sounders club is arguably even stronger than last’s. It’s impossible to bet against coach Brian Schmetzer and Seattle.
The Sounders’ big three is headed by Nicolas Lodeiro. He has already cemented his name in Seattle soccer lore as a two-time MLS Cup winner, and continue to build his case as one of the league’s all-time greats. The other two, Raul Ruidiaz and Jordan Morris, are both skilled playmakers. The Sounders will have to adjust from the loss of star defender Roman Torres to Inter Miami CF, but a pair of talented additions will join the starting lineup in deep center midfielder Joao Paulo and center back Yeimar Gomez Andrade.
The Sounders will play in Group B at the MLS is Back Tournament, a group that has been chaotic ahead of the action in Orlando. FC Dallas (+1600) has been ravaged with positive COVID-19 cases. The team’s opening match against the Vancouver Whitecaps FC (+6600) has been postponed due to the positive tests and Vancouver’s late arrival. The San Jose Earthquakes (+1600) are the fourth team in the group and Seattle’s opening opponent. A win there would all but ensure the Sounders would be in a position to advance out of the Group Stage. The team’s experience will serve them well in the Knockout Stage and beyond.
Sporting Kansas City +1600
The 2019 season saw Sporting Kansas City miss the MLS Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2010. The team only mustered 10 wins and 38 regular-season points, and they finished in 11th place in the Western Conference. For SKC, it’s all about looking forward. The signing of an elite scorer has the club poised to contend both in the MLS is Back Tournament and beyond this season.
Sporting had to dig deep into their pockets when they signed Alan Pulido in the offseason. The reigning Liga MX scoring champion will be the star attraction up front, and he should provide much-needed production at the center forward position immediately. Winger Johnny Russell and center midfielder Felipe Gutierrez figure to be even better on the attacking end with the addition of Pulido. The team also added a pair of defenders in Roberto Puncec and Winston Reid. They will be tasked with fortifying a defense that surrendered 67 goals last season.
Coach Peter Joseph Vermes and his SKC squad will compete in Group D in the tournament. Much of the value on Sporting to win the whole thing can be attributed to Group D likely being the weakest of the six. Their opponents include Real Salt Lake (+4000), Minnesota United FC (+2000), and the Colorado Rapids (+4000). Sporting Kansas City has a great chance to advance to the Knockout Stage. With a bolstered offensive attack, this club will be tough to handle in single-game eliminators.
Check out our BetMGM Sportsbook review and promo codes >>
Henry John is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Henry, check out his archive and follow him @HankTimeSports.