DraftKings Releases 2023 MLS Odds
DraftKings Releases 2023 MLS Odds
Place your bets (responsibly)
This week, DraftKings released their odds for the 2023 MLS Cup, with the New England Revolution landing at 28/1 (+2800) odds.
Defending champions LAFC have the shortest odds with a 4/1 (+400) payout on a repeat. Expansion side St. Louis City SC have the longest odds at 100/1 (+10000) if they lift the cup in their inaugural season.
In honor of celebrating the start of MLS gambling season, here's my take on the Revolution's odds, as well as one bet I'm taking and one bet I'm avoiding.
(Disclaimer: Should you listen to my advice? Well if you look at my gambling record on sports, probably not. But what if you look at my record on gambling just on MLS? Again, no, you should not take my advice. Gamble responsibly and at your own risk.)
New England Revolution Odds: (+2800)
The odds put New England in the middle of the pack, putting them with the 16th-best odds to win MLS Cup across the league, but with the 10th-best odds in the wide-open Eastern Conference.
One year removed from a record-setting season, the team was derailed by injuries, outgoing transfers, and under-performance leading to the squad missing the playoffs for the first time in Bruce Arena's tenure.
The 2023 squad can roll out multiple formations and lineups, and overall the team has a good amount of depth that leads me to believe they are making it back to the playoffs. However, like most MLS teams, the Revolution will need strong production from their designated players (and U22 initiative player Dylan Borrero).
There are too many questions surrounding those players (minus MVP candidate Carles Gil): Will Giacomo Vrioni and Dylan Borrero stay healthy? Will Vrioni find his form or did he leave that in Austria? How does Gustavo Bou fit in with this team? Add in the potential of DeJuan Jones and Djordje Petrovic moving to Europe this summer, and the Revolution have more questions for my liking for an MLS Cup investment.
There is a path to the cup for the Revolution, and maybe one of their promising youngsters breaks out similar to a 2020/2021 Tajon Buchanan, but the odds aren't long enough for me to take anything more than a small bet on the Revolution at 28/1, which I think is a very fair line overall.
Who I'm Buying
Toronto FC (+3500): Sometimes in MLS betting markets, previous year's results carry a little bit more weight than they should. I understand why a lot of gamblers aren't throwing money at a team that finished 13th in a 14-team conference, but TFC is a team on the rise.
Don't get me wrong, I'm a bit of a TFC skeptic. Buying a big name player does not mean your team will win MLS Cup (ask Chicago and Miami if that's been working out for them lately).
But TFC is a team that doesn't sit with poor results, and there's no reason to think Bob Bradley won't go full force in 2023 (and beyond) after missing the playoffs in year one of his rebuild. They've already added quality MLS veterans in Sean Johnson and Matt Hedges, and there's no reason to think they won't upgrade the roster as the year goes on.
The team already has quality designated players with the 2022 signings of Federico Bernardeschi and Lorenzo Insigne, and while those players arriving midseason didn't lead to a playoff appearance last year, a full season at TFC should make them contenders. There are still question marks, but by no means should they be priced as a borderline playoff team.
Who I'm Avoiding
CF Montreal (+1400): A repeat of 2022 seems very unlikely for CF Montreal, which has the fourth-best odds in the East and tied for seventh-best odds overall with Seattle. Djordje Mihailovic and Alistar Johnston have moved to Europe, Kei Kamara is being forced back to the team after requesting a trade, and the 2022 MLS Coach of the Year, Wilfred Nancy, left Montreal to manage Columbus. That is a lot of red flags flying.
Romell Quioto nearly doubled his career-high goal total last year with 15 goals, and CF Montreal will be relying on the 31-year-old Quioto and 38-year-old Kamara to not dip in goal production. Both players, in my opinion, should be trade candidates for teams looking to buy over the summer.
I have my doubts that Hernan Losada can match what Nancy did last year with a lesser squad. I'd be passing on Montreal at 40-1 odds and expect them to miss the playoffs altogether. At least their new club name is fitting because when it comes to the title picture, this team will have no Impact.
Full list of odds (per Draftkings as of 2/6/23):
LAFC 4/1 (+400)
Philadelphia Union 6/1 (+600)
NYCFC 8/1 (+800)
Austin FC 9/1 (+900)
Nashville SC 9/1 (+900)
LA Galaxy 10/1 (+1000)
Seattle Sounders 14/1 (+1400)
CF Montreal 14/1 (+1400)
FC Dallas 16/1 (+1600)
New York Red Bulls 16/1 (+1600)
Inter Miami 18/1 (+1800)
FC Cincinnati 20/1 (+2000)
Columbus Crew 22/1 (+2200)
Atlanta United 22/1 (+2200)
Sporting KC 22/1 (+2200)
New England Revolution 28/1 (+2800)
Toronto FC 35/1 (+3500)
Orlando City 40/1 (+4000)
Minnesota Utd 40/1 (+4000)
Colorado Rapids 40/1 (+4000)
Real Salt Lake 50/1 (+5000)
Charlotte FC 50/1 (+5000)
Portland Timbers 50/1 (+5000)
DC United 50/1 (+5000)
Chicago Fire 65/1 (+6500)
Houston Dynamo 65/1 (+6500)
Vancouver Whitecaps 65/1 (+6500)
San Jose Earthquakes 80/1 (+8000)
St. Louis City SC 100/1 (+10000)