2018 MLS Season Betting Favorites, Smart Picks and Dark Horses

The 23 teams of Major League Soccer started play last weekend, a marathon that lasts all the way to the end of October before the playoffs begin. Let’s take a look at each of the squads and consider their prospects over the long haul. As you consider your online MLS betting, futures are available for the season’s champions in addition to wagering each week on head-to-head outcomes.

2018 MLS Season Betting Favorites, Smart Picks and Dark Horses

The Week 1 #MLS Goal of the Week. Congrats, Diego Rossi! 👌 pic.twitter.com/DwIKgc5Ruk

— LAFC (@LAFC) March 8, 2018

Atlanta United

This team brought in Ezequiel Barco from Argentina and spent heavily to do so, and they also got Darlington Nagbe from Portland, so their offense has upgraded big-time. However, their midfield suffered with the loss of Carlos Carmona, who returned to Chile. So if the attack turns the ball over, things could go south in a hurry.

Chicago Fire

The Windy City welcomes Bastian Schweinsteiger back, but they shipped winger David Accam to the Philadelphia Union. They did bring in Aleksandr Katai on the wing, but they still need a true No. 10 and a center-back.

Colorado Rapids

2017 was a dreadful year for this team, and so the changes came in droves — a shift to a 3-5-2 to boost scoring, and the addition of Jack Price up front. But will it make a difference in the West? We’re skeptical.

Columbus Crew SC

This team made it all the way to the Eastern Conference Championship before their Cinderella story ended. They traded away their best attackers in Ola Kamara and Justin Meram, bringing in Gyasi Zardes as a replacement despite his dimmer resume. This team will rely on defense and goaltending to grind through the season.

DC United

This side picked up Yamil Asad, Frederic Brillant, Junior Moreno and Ulises Segura –and they have a new stadium. However, they start with most of their games on the road, and then they finish the season with a dense schedule, which could lead to fatigue.

FC Dallas

The Hoops have one of the best rosters on paper, with the addition of Santiago Mosquera on the attack. However, they have a history of playing great ball until July — and then simply falling apart, and they did much the same thing last year. A Week 1 draw with Real Salt Lake and a disappointing early exit in the CONCACAF Champions League, in which they got bounced by Panamanian side Tauro FC, do not have Dallas fans optimistic.

Houston Dynamo

Houston soared to the playoffs last year — and then sold their top scorer, Erick Torres. Mauro Manotas will need to fill his shoes, and the Dynamo are a speedy team. Will it be enough?

LAFC

Bob Bradley picked up some terrific international talent in Diego Rossi and Carlos Vela for this expansion team’s first year, and he also brought in Steven Beitashour, Laurent Ciman, Walker Zimmerman and Benny Feihaber from other MLS programs to build a solid roster. But can they jell well enough in their first year?

LA Galaxy

Will Jona dos Santos and Gio live up to their star reputations? The Galaxy added a goaltender and defensive midfielder from the USMNT and a great attacker in Ola Kamara. Will it be enough to turn around the league’s worst team from 2017?

Minnesota United FC

There’s not a lot of talent on this team — there are a lot of players, but their best addition was the aging right back Tyrone Mears. Look for another long season for the Loons.

Montreal Impact

This team got younger over the offseason, dropping Blerim Dzermaili and adding Saphir Taider. Attacker Igancio Piatti is one of the most exciting talents in the entire league.

New England Revolution

The Revs have a new coach, and it looks like he’s shuffling around his starters from last year. Kelyn Rowe will be a box-to-box No. 8, and Diego Fagundez will be asked ot make plays up front. But the defense is still iffy.

New York City FC

This roster is still one of the best in MLS even after the team sold Jack Harrison to Manchester City. Yangel Herrera will get more playing time in a solid three-man midfield that could be matchless in the league.

New York Red Bulls

The Red Bulls traded their captain for the second off-season in a row. They added Kaku to bring in offensive pressure. Tyler Adams looks to contribute significantly in the central midfield. But can they surpass their crosstown rivals?

Orlando City SC

The Lions added a playmaker, a defensive midfielder from the MLS Cup champions, a winger who can start now and the league’s best assist king. They also brought a Bundesliga starter in to play center back, and the MVP/Golden Boot winner from the second-tier NASL. The challenge is to make these additions to jell, but they have a long season to do it.

Philadelphia Union

The team went out and got David Accam, the squad’s first playmaker in a while. They have four different center backs, but they’re all young, and one needs to emerge. Can their No. 10’s create scoring?

Portland Timbers

This team finished atop the West last year, but the top players (Diego Valeri, Liam Ridgewell and Diego Chara) are all well past the age of 30. If they can hold up, Portland could win the West again.

Real Salt Lake

This team was the hottest in MLS in the second half in 2017, and they opened with a draw in Dallas. They have an exciting core of Jefferson Savarino, Albert Rusnak, Danny Acosta and Brooks Lennon, all young players who bring a lot of energy. Real could contend in the West again this year.

San Jose Earthquakes

The Quakes have a new head coach from Sweden — and a Swedish striker in Magnus Eriksson. Last year, San Jose barely made the playoffs despite a -21 goal differential, so this team has a lot of work to do on the back end.

Seattle Sounders

Another big contender in the West is Seattle, who won the MLS Cup in 2016 and made it to the big game against last year, losing to Toronto. They return largely the same group in 2018 and hope to push to the final again.

Sporting KC

This team has arguably the best defense in MLS but has a hard time getting past the knockout round of the playoffs. They’re still missing an exciting striker, as Diego Rubio and Khiry Shelton haven’t shown the speed and finishing ability to make this team contend.

Toronto FC

The defending champs will have to deal with New York City FC and have a lot of non-league play to consider, with CONCACAF Champions League and U.S. Open Cup trophies to defend as well. They mostly stood pat in the offseason, hoping that fatigue does not set in. Expect this team near the top in the East again this season.

Vancouver Whitecaps

The Whitecaps need to pick a forward and stick with him. Right now it’s Kei Kamara and Kendall Waston up front — will they work out? This is a team that shreds opponents with set pieces, but they need more assertiveness on offense.