How to Bet on MLS in Ontario 2023

Sports betting MLS Ontario: An introduction

The MLS was founded back in 1996, just two short years after the US hosted the Soccer World Cup in 1994. Since then, it’s only grown in popularity - and is arguably at the peak of its power in 2023. Similarly, soccer in Canada, for both the men’s and the women’s teams has never been in better condition. This is turning a lot more attention towards the MLS and soccer in general. While placing a bet on NHL in Ontario may still be the most popular go-to, the MLS definitely isn’t far behind.

There’s also the fact that before the establishment of a fully regulated sports betting industry was established in Ontario in early 2022, overseas sportsbooks were prominent in Canada thanks to the gray market. This means that a lot of European sportsbooks were available to Ontarian and Canadian bettors. As a result, the influence of European soccer betting was inevitable.

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How to bet on MLS in Ontario

The MLS, and soccer, in general, can be one of the most exciting sports to bet on - especially in play. What the MLS offers that the major European soccer leagues often lack is a more even playing field. If we look to the likes of the EPL in England, games involving the likes of Manchester City or Liverpool can often be heavily unbalanced contests. With the MLS though, the salary cap means that there are a lot more closely-contested games, which makes for a more interesting betting landscape.

Betting on Toronto FC

As an Ontarian, you likely have a vested interest in MLS betting, with Toronto FC being the only team in the province, and one of just three MLS franchises in Canada. Toronto FC became the first Canadian team in history to win the MLS Cup after they defeated Seattle Sounders in 2017. You can find all of the latest Toronto FC MLS Cup odds for the 2023 season right here at CaptainGambling.

However, MLS Cup and playoffs betting is merely the tip of the iceberg when it comes to your MLS betting options. The most interesting betting lines are to be found with single-game and in-play betting. This article will run you through the most popular types of MLS wagers. Additionally, we’ll also help you to find the best MLS odds via our odds comparison tool.

Where can you bet on MLS in Ontario?

Previously, you will have had to look to overseas sportsbooks for MLS betting, which were legally accessible via a  loophole that led to the establishment of what’s known as the “gray market”. That all changed in August 2021, when Proline+ was launched, which is a single-game sports betting app that is operated by the OLG, Ontarios lottery.

The biggest change, however, came in early 2022, with the formation of iGaming Ontario, which now works with the government to regulate and license private sportsbooks. Thanks to the lifting of the federal ban on sports betting in Canada, you can now access a selection of US sportsbooks in 2023. If you don’t yet have a sports betting account in Ontario, you can check out the best sportsbook in Ontario for MLS betting in 2023 right here.

The most popular types of MLS bets Ontario has to offer

When it comes to betting on the MLS, you will find a lot of lines that are similar to betting on other sports and leagues. For example, moneyline points spread and over/under totals all exist in soccer betting. However, where it differs from placing a bet on NBA in Ontario, for example, is in the existence of a third outcome - the tie.

In most major North American pro sports leagues, from the NHL to the NBA and MLB, there are only two outcomes offered - either team to win. Even when you bet on NFL in Ontario, where ties are technically possible, sportsbooks generally won’t offer odds on the draw because the possibility of it happening is so remote.

However, in the MLS, and soccer in general, tied games are fairly common. In fact, in most top-flight professional leagues across the world, the average team will typically draw between 20-25% of their games. This, therefore, means that the basic betting line for soccer is slightly different from the moneyline that you may know from other US sports - so let’s take a look at how it works.

MLS 1 x 2 betting explained

If you’ve ever placed a bet on CFL in Ontario, you will be familiar with the moneyline, which shows the odds on both teams to win the game. 1 x 2 betting is exactly like that only with a third outcome, the tie, added in. The (1) represents the home team, the (2) represents the away team while the (x) represents the draw or the tie.

An example of 1 x 2 betting in the MLS is as follows: 

FC Dallas -123 | Draw +255 | Toronto FC +260

Here, we can see that FC Dallas is the favorite, while  Toronto FC is the underdog. The tie is deemed to be more likely than a Toronto FC victory in this case. The 1 x 2 betting line represents the probability of each outcome as the bookmaker sees it, with a little extra percentage being added to protect their profits. If you’re looking for a line that evens out the contest, you can take a look at the points spread, which we’ve explained for you below.

The MLS points spread

When you bet on MLS in Ontario, the points spread functions in exactly the same way as it does with NFL and NBA betting. If anything, the figures used are perhaps a little bit more similar to the puck line in the NHL - as soccer is also a low-scoring sport. The points spread in soccer is also often known as the Asian handicap.

For those totally new to the concept of the points spread, it is a betting line that evens up the contest by giving a handicap to the favorite, while giving an advantage to the underdog. The event of a tie is not included in a points spread betting line.

A points spread using the above example might look as follows: 

FC Dallas -1.5

Toronto FC +1.5

In this example, FC Dallas has been given a 1.5 goal handicap as the favorites. This means that if you were to bet on them, they would need to win by at least two goals in order for your bet to payout. Toronto FC, on the other hand, has been given a 1.5 goal handicap, meaning your bet could still pay out in the event of a Toronto loss by one goal or a tie, as they would cover the spread in this case.

MLS totals betting - Over/under

When you bet on MLS in Ontario, you don’t always have to bet on the actual outcome of the game - i.e, winner, loser, or tie. Additionally, you can also bet on the over/under line - which works pretty much the same way as in all other sports. The most common over/under line represents the total goals to be scored in the game by both teams combined.

So for example, if you see an over/under line at 2.5 and you bet the over, you are betting on the final score combining to have two goals or less. If you bet the over you are betting that there will be 3 or more total goals scored in the game. In addition to the game total, you can also bet the over/under for each individual team as well.

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Props betting on MLS in Ontario

The MLS, and soccer as a sport in general, was absolutely tailor-made for props betting. The term props betting covers all types of wagers that don’t directly influence the final outcome of the game. The total markets covered in the above section are all examples of props bets. As well as betting the over/under on total goals, you can also focus on other sites as well, such as total corners, free kicks, or yellow cards. The most interesting props bets in the MLS though, come in the form of other team or player props. Let’s take a look at some of the most common soccer props bets.

Both teams to score

Both teams to score (BTTS) is the most popular soccer prop bet and is often used in combination with a 1 x 2 bet to enhance the odds. The concept of a BTTS bet is fairly simple - you are betting on both teams to score in the game. If you bet BTTS on a game, it doesn’t matter if the game finishes 1-1 or 5-3, your bet will payout. However, if the game ends, say, 0-0 or 2-0, your bet wouldn’t payout.

First or anytime goalscorer

This is the most common example of a player prop when you bet on MLS in Ontario, and involves picking either the first player to score in the game or a player to score anytime. If you bet on a player to be the first goalscorer, then your bet will payout so long as that player does score first. Their team could then go on to lose the game 5-1, but so long as your chosen player scored first, then your wager will come up.

Anytime scorer is a safer bet, but naturally with much shorter odds. Here you are merely betting on a player to score at any point in a game. If a forward player is in good form or happens to have a good record against the team that they are playing, then a first or anytime goalscorer bet is always a good call.

Betting on MLS in Ontario - The Verdict

We’ve almost reached the final whistle with regard to this article, but for you, the real game is just about to kick off. You can now make use of our soccer sportsbook comparison in order to find the best betting sites available in Ontario for 2023. Just remember to refer back to study your wagering types. That way, you can help to ensure that you have the best possible experience when you bet on MLS in Ontario.

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Bet on MLS in Ontario FAQ