Soccer Betting Update

Soccer is the most popular sport in the world – especially in Europe, where the top leagues attract most of the world’s top players. Major League Soccer has also made great strides in North America, bringing even more hungry fans to the soccer betting lines at Bodog Sportsbook. The sport has never been bigger, and this year’s calendar will reach its peak on December 18 when the World Cup Final is played in Qatar.

But there’s more than just an ocean separating Major League Soccer from the European leagues. Promotion and relegation aren’t part of the picture; the 28 MLS teams (25 in the United States, three in Canada) are locked into the top flight, and with a strict salary cap in place, there isn’t nearly as much difference between the top and bottom clubs as there is in Europe.

There is a benefit to this system: competitiveness. While the 2022 MLS campaign will likely be fought tooth-and-nail right to the end, many of the leading European leagues were decided very early on – but not all of them. There’s even a heated race bubbling over right now in the biggest league of them all. Here’s how things stand on Bodog’s soccer odds board as we go to press.

EPL Betting Odds

The English Premier League is up for grabs. With just six matches remaining, Manchester City are still in top spot with 23 wins, four draws and three losses, but their lead over Liverpool (22-6-2) has shrunk to a single point. That leaves the Sky Blues as –225 title favorites, down from –400 last month and –1400 in January.

The Reds have improved their title odds from +275 to +175 by winning each of their last 10 matches, including five straight clean sheets heading into Sunday’s tilt (12:30 PM ET) with Manchester City at Etihad Stadium. Liverpool are +225 underdogs on Bodog’s 1x2 soccer lines for that contest, with City available at even money and the draw priced at +280. These same two teams played to a 2-2 draw at Anfield last October. Will they do it again this Sunday?

La Liga Betting Odds

Spain’s Primera Division belongs to Real Madrid (21-6-3). They’ve increased their lead over the rest of the table to 12 points, and improved their La Liga odds from –2000 to –2500 in the process. But the big story in Spain right now is the resurgence of FC Barcelona (16-9-4). Despite being mired in debt and losing Lionel Messi to Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona have climbed into a three-way tie for second place behind their bitter rivals, winning six straight to narrow their title odds from +2800 to +1200. That streak includes a 4-0 win over Real in their latest Clasico on March 20.

Serie A Betting Odds

Italy’s Serie A is as tight as a drum, with AC Milan (20-7-4) leading Napoli (20-6-5) by a single point, and Inter Milan (18-9-3) another three points behind in third with a match in hand. That extra match is enough for Inter to maintain their grip on Bodog’s soccer betting lines at –110; Napoli are next at +175, with the league leaders trailing at +250.

Bundesliga Betting Odds

They technically haven’t clinched yet, but with Bayern Munich (21-3-4) once again bossing the Bundesliga table, the German soccer futures market is now focused on which non-Bayern club will finish with the best record. Borussia Dortmund (18-3-7) are the favorites at –1250, six points ahead of Bayer Leverkusen (15-6-7) at +600 with six matches left for each side.

Ligue 1 Betting Odds

As much as Paris Saint-Germain (21-5-4) have dominated Ligue 1 this year, their title odds have actually slipped from –100000 to –50000 after three losses in their last five matches. Rennes (16-5-9) are now the second favorites at +15000, even though they’re three points behind Marseille (16-8-6, +20000) for second place on the table.

MLS Betting Odds

Could this be the year Los Angeles FC (4-1-0) finally win the MLS Cup? Former league MVP and Golden Boot winner Carlos Vela (four goals) is healthy again and focused squarely on LAFC after announcing he wouldn’t be returning to the Mexican national team. That’s promising enough to make Los Angeles the early +500 Cup favorites, ahead of the Seattle Sounders (2-1-2) at +800. Check out the soccer betting odds at Bodog Sportsbook for more details as the season unfolds.

*Odds as of April 7th, 2022