Messi and Inter Miami looking good for MLS Cup win in 2024

Updated March 14, 2024
Updated March 14, 2024By Dean Etheridge

Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami have got their 2024 MLS season off to a great start. They started the campaign as betting favorites to win the MLS Cup, and after four matches, they are now just +225 to lift the trophy for the first time in their short history. In our latest MLS betting futures, we look at their prospects and tell you if Messi and Co. are worth betting on. 

Messi And Inter Miami Looking Good For Mls Cup Win In 2024

When Lionel Messi announced to the world last June that he intended to sign for Inter Miami, it was a game-changing moment for the MLS.

Almost overnight, Inter Miami had become a household name across the globe. The signing shocked the world. Barcelona were rumored to have been in the hunt to bring the 2022 FIFA World Cup winner back to what they regarded as his Nou Camp home. But the Spanish giants missed out, and here we are, with Messi now playing his first full season in the MLS.

With such a signing comes an expectation of success. Messi has already brought silverware to Miami, with the franchise winning the 2023 Leagues Cup. But this year, there will be serious pressure on head coach Gerardo Martino to deliver the big one, the MLS Cup.

Betting to win the 2024 MLS Cup

At the start of the 2023 season, Inter Miami was not anywhere near the favorites to win the 2023 MLS Cup. They barely got on the page. Coached by co-owner David Beckham’s long-time pal, Phil Neville, Inter were merely looking to improve on the previous season. 

Fast forward 12 months, and the best MLS betting sites have Inter Miami as their +225 betting favorites to win the MLS Cup in 2024

To put those odds into perspective, the current MLS Cup holders, the Columbus Crew, are second betting favorites at +900, just ahead of FC Cincinnati at +1100, and LA Galaxy, LAFC, and the New York Red Bulls, who are all at +1200. Also in the running are the Philadelphia Union at +1400 and the Seattle Sounders at +2000

It’s like there are two betting markets. There is Miami and then the best of the rest. LAFC have been in the last two MLS Cup finals. And the Philadelphia Union were runners-up in 2022. Yet both are miles behind Miami in the eyes of the best soccer betting sites.  

For more information about the sites we get our MLS soccer betting odds, please visit our top-rated sportsbook for online betting page.

2024 MLS Cup Winner BettingBovadaBetOnlineBetUS
Inter Miami+225+225+225
Columbus Crew+900+900+900
FC Cincinnati+1100+1100+1100
LAFC+1200+1200+1200
LA Galaxy+1200+1200+1200
New York Red Bulls+1200+1200+1200
Philadelphia Union+1400+1400+1400
Seattle Sounders+2000+2000+2000
Atlanta United+2200+2200+2200
St. Louis City+2500+2500+2500
Nashville SC+2800+2800+2800
Portland Timbers+2800+2800+2800
CF Montreal+3300+3300+3300

Hiring Gerardo Martino was a masterstroke

When Miami hired Gerardo Martino, they did so for a reason. The former Argentina manager is also a former manager of FC Barcelona, making him well-connected in soccer. 

He may not have had the best of times in Spain, but he got to know the likes of Messi and Sergio Busquets during his tenure at the club. And it’s pretty much the case that without Martino, there would be no Messi in Miami.  

Signing players of this quality has a knock-on effect, as shown by the off-season purchase of Luis Suarez. The Uruguayan joined Barcelona in 2014, just after the departure of Martino, so their paths didn’t cross in Europe. 

But everyone in the soccer world knows how well Messi and Suarez linked up at the Nou Camp. And even with the two players approaching the end of their careers, they are still going to be a handful for MLS defenses across North America. 

Can anybody stop Inter Miami?

The Columbus Crew are the current MLS Cup holders.

They defeated LAFC in the final, in what was LA’s second appearance in the showpiece match in two years. Both teams will feel they have a chance of competing with Miami this season.

Los Angeles FC has had a solid couple of seasons now. They did lose the services of Giorgio Chiellini at the end of last season after the legendary Italian retired, but they still have the goal threat of Denis Bouanga. And with Bouanga in the team, they know they have a puncher’s chance at the very least.  

LAFCTo win 2024 MLS Cup
+1200
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As for the Columbus Crew, it is widely believed they over-achieved in 2023. In the regular season, Wilfried Nancy’s team finished third in the Eastern Conference, 12 points behind table-topping Cincinnati. 

Columbus CrewTo win 2024 MLS Cup
+900
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But what Columbus did do was score plenty of goals and entertain the fans. We expect them to do better in the regular season this year, especially if they retain their attacking flair. Whether that will be enough to see off the threat of Miami and retain the MLS Cup is another thing. But one we do know is that they will give it a go.

Our Picks to win the MLS Cup in 2024

It’s a long way off, but it would be madness not to go for Inter Miami. They will qualify for the postseason, and although they will be at their most vulnerable in the one-off knockout matches, they are the team to beat this season. They just have too many top-quality attacking players. 

Back Inter Miami to win the MLS Cup in 2024.

Inter MiamiTo win 2024 MLS Cup
+225
Bet Now

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About the Author

Dean Etheridge
Dean Etheridge

Dean is primarily a fan of English football who regularly attends games, and combining his hobby with his job, he is now a full-time sports betting writer. Rather than going down the educational route into sports journalism, Dean learned his trade by writing for his English football betting website since 2009, where he now boasts nearly 15 years of experience. After writing about football daily for years, Dean has taken the skills he learned and now uses them to great effect writing for numerous affiliate sites across the internet. A general all-around sports enthusiast with a passion for English football and cricket, Dean is also well able to turn his hand to writing about golf, tennis, F1, boxing, snooker, darts, and North American sports. Combining his extensive knowledge and experience with British humor and wit, Dean has developed into a trusted voice within the sports betting industry.

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