Soccer betting is more popular in the US every year. The sport might take a backseat to NFL football and basketball, but with so many different leagues, soccer markets are expanding at American sportsbooks.
With more states offering legalized online sports betting than ever before, most are home to multiple online sportsbooks that feature a variety of soccer betting odds.
Most popular leagues to bet on at legal US sportsbooks
Soccer is, by far, the world’s most popular sport overall. More than 4 billion fans follow soccer worldwide.
In Europe, there is no question of which sport is tops in popularity. Every country in Europe includes multiple professional leagues. These consist of the English Premier League, La Liga, Serie A and Bundesliga.
Besides the most wagered-on leagues, European teams play in club and international tournaments. The best club teams every year compete in the UEFA Champions League. The Euro is another top competition consisting of international clubs.
Domestically, many in the US wager on Major League Soccer, along with the top leagues in the world. The World Cup is another top event bet on everywhere.
For those who love soccer, most legal sportsbooks include odds on additional leagues. There are hundreds of soccer leagues to bet on when you consider the subdivisions and every nation with the sport. You will want to compare World Cup Odds, Premier League Odds, and more to make sure you are getting the best price.
Live Premier League odds at US online sportsbooks
See below for live odds for Premier League games as posted at US online sportsbooks. Use the drop-down menus to change your odds board or your legal betting state.
In which states can I legally bet on soccer?
The following shows the states where soccer betting is legal and markets are available at sportsbooks:
| State | Is sports betting legal? | Is online sports betting legal? |
|---|---|---|
| Arkansas | Yes | No |
| Colorado | Yes | Yes |
| Delaware | Yes | Yes, launch undetermined |
| Indiana | Yes | Yes |
| Iowa | Yes | Yes |
| Michigan | Yes | Yes |
| Mississippi | Yes | Yes, on-property only |
| Montana | Yes | Yes |
| Nevada | Yes | Yes |
| New Jersey | Yes | Yes |
| New Mexico | Yes, at multiple tribal casinos | No |
| New York | Yes | No |
| North Carolina | Yes, pending launch | No |
| Oregon | Yes | Yes |
| Pennsylvania | Yes | Yes |
| Rhode Island | Yes | Yes |
| Tennessee | Yes | Yes |
| Virginia | Yes | Yes |
| Washington DC | Yes, pending launch | Yes, pending launch |
| West Virginia | Yes | Yes |
Like with most sports, soccer matches can include a wide variety of betting markets. All sportsbooks should provide the basics: moneylines, goal lines and totals.
Odds can get much more extensive, though. Depending on the sportsbook and which match you’re looking to wager, you may find player, team, and game props.
Player props could include:
- First goalscorer
- Last goalscorer
- Will a player score?
- Will a player be carded?
- How a player scores
Team props have odds for team totals, match results, whether the team total will be odd or even, if a team wins both halves or if a team wins in a shootout.
Game props consist of picking the correct score, halftime/full-time results, winning margin or if there will be a goal in both halves.
These will vary on which betting app you’re using, and the popularity of the league and teams. MLS, along with Europe’s top leagues and tournaments, will usually feature a wide selection of betting options.
Soccer betting apps
Like with most legalized sports betting, the majority of soccer wagers are placed through mobile sports betting apps. These online sportsbooks are convenient because you’re able to bet at any time while located anywhere in your state.
Instead of traveling to the nearest retail sportsbook, you can access soccer markets from your mobile device.
Depending on which state you live in, there are plenty of great online sportsbooks. The best mobile platforms have an abundance of betting markets, including live in-game wagering.
Some of the best options available are DraftKings, FanDuel and BetMGM.
DraftKings Sportsbook
DraftKings was one of the first mobile betting apps to launch in the US. It’s had success in several states and delivers a quality sports betting product.
The DraftKings mobile app is very user-friendly and offers competitive lines for every sport. DraftKings showcases as many betting options for soccer matches as any other book in any market.
You will find every game from every league, with a range of markets for each. The online sportsbook also features extensive live betting options.
FanDuel Sportsbook
FanDuel is another top sports betting app and is among the best online sportsbooks available in any market.
Like DraftKings, FanDuel has had a lot of success and is continuing to expand. It is also available in multiple states across the US.
FanDuel’s soccer markets are intricate as well. The online sportsbook lists a bunch of odds for every game, including lots of prop bets. It even gives alternate lines for total goals.
Live betting on soccer with FanDuel is great too. You’re able to choose from plenty of markets with highly competitive odds.
BetMGM Sportsbook
BetMGM has also been successful and is popping up in additional states around the US. The mobile betting app is great for wagering on soccer, as well as many other sports.
Similar to the other apps mentioned, BetMGM provides soccer bettors everything they need. It includes odds for all types of leagues and competitions.
You can choose between many betting markets, too. Beyond the standard lines, BetMGM includes a long list of props for every game.
Its live in-game betting markets are among the best, as well.
How does betting on soccer work for US sports bettors?
Betting on soccer is a little more confusing than betting on a lot of other team sports. While you can wager strictly on a match’s outcome through a moneyline bet in most sports, that isn’t the case with soccer.
Because matches can (and often do) end in a draw, most sportsbooks provide three-way moneylines for soccer.
You’re eligible to bet on either team playing, as well as a draw. Therefore, if you pick one of the teams’ moneylines to win a match and it ends in a tie, then you lose your bet.
Even if you’ve taken the underdog with long odds, you have to bet on a draw to occur in order not to lose your wager.
In a lot of other sports, typically, a draw means that your bet pushes. However, since sportsbooks give you that option in soccer, your selection must be correct to win.
Some books will give you alternate two-way moneyline odds. Of course, the odds for each side are slightly reduced. However, a draw results in a push rather than a loss.
Another interesting part is the point spread for soccer matches, also known as the goal line.
While sports like baseball and hockey always feature the same spread for each game (-1.5) with adjustable odds, soccer is different. Despite some matches being low scoring, goal lines can drastically differ.
Usually, they’re listed around 1-2 goals, but in some cases, a team could be laying as many as 5 goals.
Like with all sports, the favorite giving the goal line must cover the spread in order for you to win the wager. It’s possible to push in this scenario as well, only if the spread is an even number (-1, -2, etc.).
Betting on totals in soccer is about the same as other sports, too. You’re able to wager on how many total goals are scored in the match by both teams.
The over/under will be set at a specific number. If there are more goals scored than the set total, then the over cashes.
Another nuance of soccer betting is that most bets are designated for full-time results. So, this means that only the scoring and outcomes from the first 90 minutes of the game count.
While this usually marks the conclusion of most matches, certain games could be eligible to go to extra time. Matches that occur in competitions, like the World Cup or Champions League, could include two extra periods of play or a penalty shootout. Typically, anything that happens during the extra time will not count toward any of the betting lines.
Outside of these common bet types, soccer wagering can include a lot of other options like team, game and player props.
Player props mostly consist of just the top players for each game. You can put action down on if a player is the first goalscorer, if they’ll score at any point in the game, or if they’ll score multiple goals.
Other props involving assists, cards and how a player scores exist.
These types of soccer bets have much better odds than the regular lines provided for matches. Obviously, it depends on the player, but the majority of goal props have plus odds and can even range well over +1000.
Live betting in soccer is just as popular as it is in other sports and sportsbooks provide more than enough options.
You’ll be able to bet on updated odds for the moneyline, goal line, total and more with most mobile platforms. A lot of the best apps include a lot of other markets, like alternates for the standard lines along with some props.
Live betting for soccer should be available at every legal online sportsbook. More important matches in the elite leagues around the world will probably have more options than others.
Which soccer leagues can I bet on right now?
UEFA Champions League
The Champions League, probably the biggest event in soccer, consists of Europe’s best club soccer teams. The competition often includes some of the best clubs in the world like Barcelona, Real Madrid, PSG, Juventus and Bayern Munich.
English Premier League
England’s top-flight league is one of the most popular and competitive soccer leagues anywhere.
La Liga
Spain’s top flight league has marquee clubs in Barcelona and Real Madrid.
Serie A
Italy’s premier league has similar powerhouses in Juventus and Inter Milan, among others
Bundesliga
The top German league is back on the field led by Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund.
Bet on the Euros/World Cup
Besides betting on individual games, a lot of soccer bettors place futures wagers on big tournaments. Two of the biggest upcoming events are the European Championship and the World Cup.
You’re able to bet on both tournaments several months in advance. Futures will include multiple options when the competitions are closer to starting. However, some sportsbooks already have odds posted for which team will win the title.
These odds are favorable since there are a lot of teams in each tournament and because they haven’t started yet. Most sportsbooks will continue to provide updated odds to win the matches as they progress, too.
Both events include several qualifying tournaments and matches teams must play in order to make the field. Once the teams are set, both competitions begin with every squad formed in groups.
Those teams play each other to determine which can advance. The group winner, as well as the runner-up, move on to the knockout stage. The standings are based on points and goal differential.
Euro 2021
The Euro 2020 won’t play until 2021, but will still be regarded as the Euro 2020 Championship. Twenty-four teams will play in 12 different host countries. The final is set for July 11, 2021, at Wembley Stadium in London.
World Cup 2022
The next World Cup is set to play in 2022; however, the location is still up in the air. It was originally scheduled to take place in Qatar, but bribery allegations have opened up discussions about relocating.
The tournament will include 32 teams. If Qatar remains the host country, the World Cup final is scheduled for Dec. 18, 2022.
Betting on MLS
The most popular soccer league played in the US is Major League Soccer. MLS first started in 1996 and has come a long way since then.
It now features 27 total teams and is attracting a lot more attention from fans and bettors. While betting on MLS doesn’t reach the handle generated for NFL betting, NBA betting, or even baseball or hockey betting, it has closed the gap.
MLS is now regarded as a respectable soccer league with a lot of quality players throughout it. Several MLS teams play in states where sports betting is now legal. Here’s a list of cities with MLS teams:
- Atlanta, Georgia
- Austin, Texas
- Chicago, Illinois
- Cincinnati, Ohio
- Columbus, Ohio
- Commerce City, Colorado
- Dallas, Texas
- Foxborough, Massachusetts
- Harrison, New Jersey
- Houston, Texas
- Kansas City, Kansas
- Los Angeles, California
- Miami, Florida
- Montreal, Quebec
- Nashville, Tennessee
- New York City, New York
- Orlando, Florida
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Portland, Oregon
- San Jose, California
- Salt Lake City, Utah
- Seattle, Washington
- St. Paul, Minnesota
- Toronto, Ontario
- Vancouver, British Columbia
- Washington, DC
Legal betting sites vs. offshore
Outside of offshore sportsbooks being illegal, there are a lot more benefits to betting with a regulated sportsbook.
The most significant factor is that you know your money is safe and secure at a legal sportsbook. You’re able to deposit and withdraw funds in a wide variety of convenient ways and you know that your money is safe doing so. Regulated sportsbooks also pay out in a timely manner and you have legal recourse should something go wrong.
You also have quality customer support options at legal sportsbooks. If you have an issue on an offshore account, you don’t have many choices.