After winning the League Cup on Saturday night, Inter Miami’s attention now turns to the US Open Cup. Yes, this Wednesday the Lionel Messi roadshow is in Ohio for FC Cincinnati vs Inter Miami in the semi-final of the US Open Cup. And after taking America by storm, can Messi lead his team to another Cup final? Here we look ahead to the match in our latest soccer betting picks.
Since his arrival in the MLS, Lionel Messi seems to be writing a headline every time he kicks a ball. Already he has scored ten goals in seven matches. His latest strike came last weekend when he helped his team to win the Leagues Cup with a shootout victory over Nashville.
This was Inter Miami’s first-ever trophy win, and it was Messi inspired. The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner fired his team into the lead with a stunning 23rd-minute strike from outside the box.
Okay, that spectacular strike wasn’t enough to win the game for Miami. Nashville equalized through Fafà Picault after 57 minutes. But Messi also slotted home from the spot in the ensuing penalty shootout, which Miami eventually won 10-9, to give the newly formed franchise their first piece of silverware.
Messi has purely and simply stolen the MLS show in recent weeks. He’s putting American soccer on the map worldwide and he’s bringing a new audience to the sport within the United States.
Despite winning their first-ever trophy and being on the brink of playing in another final, there’s still a lot of work to do for Inter Miami.
The franchise currently sits bottom of the Eastern Conference, and the playoffs look to be a longshot. They do have two matches in hand. But they will need to climb to ninth, and they are currently 14 points off that position with just 12 fixtures left.
But the turnaround in form since the arrival of Messi has been staggering. Before he arrived they were winless in 11 matches, and it was all doom and gloom. Now they have a trophy in the cabinet, a chance of a second, and suddenly the playoffs seem achievable.
And despite taking all the headlines, this isn’t just down to Lionel Messi. Inter Miami also signed Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets. The Spanish duo is extremely experienced and would improve just about any team in world soccer. Having them assist Messi will more than improve Miami’s overall chances.
The best MLS betting sites favor Messi and co to win again on Wednesday. In 90 minutes of betting, Inter Miami is +120 to win. The draw is +260, and a win for FC Cincinnati is +200.
Full-match betting is available below on our odds table. You can read more information about the sites we’ve taken our odds from on our best online sportsbook reviews page.
| 2023 US Open Cup Semi-Final Betting |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| FC Cincinnati | +200 | +200 | +200 |
| Inter Miami | +120 | +120 | +120 |
| Draw | +260 | +260 | +260 |
| To Qualify For Final Betting | |||
| FC Cincinnati | +110 | +110 | +110 |
| Inter Miami | -140 | -140 | -140 |
Heading into this fixture, it could be easy to forget that two teams are competing on Wednesday night. Such is the furor surrounding Messi, it could be easy to forget all about the other team and stupidity write them off.
This would be unwise, especially given that FC Cincinnati are currently top of their conference table with 51 points. They have an 8-point lead over second-placed New England in the Eastern Conference and have the best overall record in the MLS in 2023.
They did suffer a humbling defeat in their last outing. In Sunday’s Ohio Derby, they went down 3-0 away to the Columbus Crew in what must be an alarming defeat for manager Chris Albright. And this is on the eve of such a big game against Miami.
And Cincinnati weren’t just beaten, they got hammered. Columbus enjoyed 62% possession and had 13 shots, compared to Cincinnati’s six. Of those shots, Columbus hit the target on six occasions, and Cincinnati four times.
We can see why the best soccer betting sites favor Inter Miami to win on Wednesday evening. The signing of Lionel Messi has completely changed the dynamics of the franchise, and all of a sudden, Miami looks like a force to be reckoned with.
We think the bookmakers may be going a touch over the top with Inter Miami. We get that they’re favorites, but +120 to win the match, compared to +200 for the team that leads their conference, looks a bit too much to us.
We can’t back Miami to win at those odds. So, for our pick, we’re instead going for goals. In the props markets, over 3.5 goals is +120.
Before the 1-1 draw with Nashville in the Leagues Cup final, Inter Miami’s previous five matches saw four or more goals scored. Inter Miami isn’t going to play defensive soccer with Lionel Messi on the team. We can see them attacking, and we’re going for over 3.5 goals at +120 for our betting pick.
Check below for our list of the top sportsbooks where you can wager online:
About the Author
Over the last 10 years, Dean has sharpened his expertise in crafting and revising content for his soccer and cricket betting platforms. Driven by his passion for sports betting and writing, he embarked on a journey of writing about sports wagering. Although Dean's preferred areas of focus are the English Premier League and cricket, his extensive sports knowledge enables him to tackle nearly any sport. Gone are the days of traveling the world to witness events like FIFA World Cups and Ashes cricket, as Dean now prefers the comfort of his own home while enjoying sports.
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