The 18-team playoff field has been whittled down to eight teams. It’s single-elimination the rest of the way until a champion is crowned. Ahead of Round 2, here are the four bets you should prioritize on MLS Round 2!
- What: MLS Playoffs Round 2 (Conference Semi-Finals)
- When: Saturday, November 25 and Sunday, November 26
Philadelphia Union at FC Cincinnati Betting Pick
This is an exciting match featuring a usual favorite (Philly) and a Cinderella story (Cincy). In this match, we’re most interested in putting money on the Philadelphia-Cincinnati three-way moneyline. Here’s how the best betting sites for soccer have it pegged at:
Is it still fair to call Cincinnati a Cinderella team? It might not be. The way we see it, a Cinderella team lasts a few weeks — as you see in the NCAA basketball tournament. Cincy has been the best MLS team from start to finish. They won the Supporter’s Shield with 69 points then easily took care of business in Round 1, sweeping the Red Bulls. This team deserves to be here and the betting favorite.
But you can’t ever count out Union either. This team has been a consistent contender for three years now despite a somewhat letdown 2023 campaign. Still, they roared back in the last round despite losing the first game and won the decisive third game on the road. This club is full of big-game experience so they have a shot at playing spoilers.
Union or a draw seems to be a popular bet here, but we’re confidently backing Cincinnati to win in regulation. This team was near unbeatable on their home pitch, going 13-2-2 and outscoring opponents 33-13. Cinderellas no more, Cincy are true contenders and deserve the ML bet here.
Columbus Crew at Orlando City Betting Pick
Of the four playoff games, it’s this one that has the highest over/under line. As it stands, Columbus vs. Orlando City are getting three goals on the over/under, while the rest are at 2.5. Here’s the odds both ways:
Both these two teams' regular-season meetings were high-scoring affairs, which explains the over/under line. There was a 2-2 tie back in May followed by a 4-3 victory by City in September. Encore in the playoffs?
Our money says yes and the over hits. Both clubs feature top-10 playmakers. For Columbus, that’s Chucho Hernandez who netted 16 goals, fourth most in the league. Then Orlando has Facundo Torres, who assisted 16 goals and scored 14 on his own. Expect big showings from both to help push this into over territory.
Sporting Kansas City at Houston Dynamo Betting Pick
We head to the Western Conference now in what would’ve been an unlikely playoff matchup when the season started. Little was expected out of both Houston and Kansas City, yet here they are, 90 minutes away from a spot in the conference finals. We’re jumping into the Kansas City-Houston moneyline. The current odds are as follows:
Honestly, we’re shocked at just how big of an underdog Kansas City is in this one. This team pulled off the biggest shocker of the season in Round 1. Not only did they eliminate top-seeded St. Louis, but they swept them convincingly. First, they won 4-1 on the road followed by a 2-1 close-out the next game. Yet, they are +300 on the moneyline — the longest odds of any team this round.
Houston hadn’t sniffed the playoffs for five years until this brilliant turnaround under new manager Ben Olsen. He, along with some savvy veterans — including long-time Mexican national team standout, Hector Herrera — have made the Dynamo quick contenders.
We’re firm believers in “getting hot at the right time.” While Dynamo has more talent, we’re picking Kansas City to continue its hot run. This team was winless the opening 10 games of the season (with seven outright losses), but have miraculously turned things around. We’ll ride their momentum all the way to the bank in this one.
Seattle Sounders at LAFC Betting Pick
This one’s a showdown between the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds in the Western Conference. Many even believe it’s the de-facto conference title game. When betting on Seattle vs. LAFC, we’re favoring the over/under rather than the moneyline. The odds for that are below:
Honestly, we’re avoiding the moneyline because we’re not sure who will win. Both clubs are fully capable of "running the table" and very much belong in this spot. This matchup is also an interesting clash of styles — LAFC is offensive-heavy, while Seattle leans big on defense.
The only wager we’re confident in making is the under. That would be on-trend with its two prior games — a 0-0 draw then a 1-0 LAFC victory. Who knows who wins, but it won’t be easy either way.
How To Bet On MLS Playoffs?
To lock in all your MLS playoff bets, hit one of the bookmakers below. Every game, every line will be available at any one of these sites, which are rated the highest in our latest sportsbook reviews. There are even big-money sign-up bonuses available which could bankroll your bets for free. See the table below to get started right now!
