Major League Soccer (MLS) is North America’s premier soccer league. It features 30 teams from across the US and Canada competing for a chance to win the coveted MLS Cup.

Read on to find out your range of soccer betting options for MLS 2025 and what you need to know about MLS betting lines online at Stake Sportsbook .

Major League Soccer 2025 Schedule & Format

The MLS season is split into two phases – the regular season and the postseason. During the regular season, each team will play 34 matches. This will include two games, home and two away, against each opponent in the same conference. In addition, teams play all but four or five teams in the opposite conference.

Just like in European soccer leagues, teams earn three points for a win, one for a draw and none for a loss in each game they play. At the end of the season, the team with the highest points overall wins the MLS Supporters Shield. In addition, awards are given to the winners of the East and West Conferences, and there’s also the MLS League Cup.

However, the main prize of North American soccer is the MLS Cup, which is up for grabs after the regular season ends. The top teams from each conference enter the playoffs, competing in single-game elimination matches. The host is decided by which team has the higher points tally in the overall MLS table.

Here are the key dates for the 2025 MLS season:

February 22 - Season start
June 14 - Season break due to FIFA Club World Cup
July 14 - Season resumes
October 18 - Regular season ends
TBD - MLS playoffs begin

Major Teams in Major League Soccer

The 2025 MLS season will see 30 teams competing for the MLS Cup, expanding thanks to the addition of San Diego FC. La Galaxy are the current holders of the MLS Cup, having won their sixth title. Inter Miami CF will look to defend their Supporters Shield, which they won for the first time last season.

Unlike other soccer leagues, such as the Premier League , La Liga and Serie A , MLS clubs are owned by the league itself, although they’re operated by investors. There’s also no promotion or relegation, with clubs having a fixed membership to the league.

Here are all the teams competing in the 2025 MLS season:

Atlanta United FC - 1 MLS Cup (2018)
Austin FC
CF Montréal
Charlotte FC
Chicago Fire FC - 1 MLS Cup, 1 Supporters Shield (Last win - 2003)
Colorado Rapids - 1 MLS Cup (2010)
Columbus Crew - 3 MLS Cups, 3 Supporters Shields (Last win - 2023)
D.C. United - 4 MLS Cups, 4 Supporters Shields (Last win - 2007)
FC Cincinnati - 1 Supporters Shield (2023)
FC Dallas - 1 Supporters Shield (2016)
Houston Dynamo FC - 2 MLS Cups (Last win - 2007)
Inter Miami CF - Supporters Shield (2024)
LA Galaxy - 6 MLS Cups, 4 Supporters Shields (Last win - 2024)
Los Angeles FC - 1 MLS Cup, 2 Supporters Shields (last win - 2022)
Minnesota United FC
Nashville SC
New England Revolution - 1 Supporters Shield (2021)
New York City FC - 1 MLS Cup (2021)
New York Red Bulls - 3 Supporters Shields (Last win - 2018)
Orlando City SC
Philadelphia Union - 1 Supporters Shield (2020)
Portland Timbers - 1 MLS Cup (2015)
Real Salt Lake - 1 MLS Cup (2009)
San Diego FC
San Jose Earthquakes - 2 MLS Cups, 2 Supporters Shields (Last win - 2012)
Seattle Sounders FC - 2 MLS Cups, 1 Supporters Shield (Last win - 2019)
Sporting Kansas City - 2 MLS Cups, 1 Supporters Shield (Last win - 2013)
St. Louis City SC
Toronto FC - 1 MLS Cup, 1 Supporters Shield (2017)
Vancouver Whitecaps FC

History of Major League Soccer

Major League Soccer (MLS) is a USA soccer league that was formed in 1996 and was part of America’s successful bid process for the 1994 World Cup. It succeeded the North American Soccer League, and ten teams competed in the very first MLS season.

The US promised FIFA that they would establish a new premier soccer division immediately after the 1994 World Cup. MLS was created to replace the North American Soccer League that had run from 1968 until 1984.

DC United dominated the domestic league in its early years, winning three out of the first four MLS Cups up for grabs. Despite some financial difficulties in the late 1990s and early 2000s, MLS endured, and several franchises were added to strengthen the league.

The Designated Player rule is credited with helping the MLS survive, allowing teams to sign star players such as David Beckham and Lionel Messi. However, interest in the MLS has also grown thanks to improved performances by the US National Team at the World Cup. In 2022, MLS games had the fourth-highest average attendance of all major professional leagues in North America.

How to Bet on Major League Soccer & Soccer/Football Betting Options

When you create an account at Stake.com , you can decide how you wish to see your soccer betting odds – as fractions, decimals, or in the American format. As an online sportsbook, we payout all winnings instantly in the local currency or cryptocurrency of your choice , which is another reason to choose Stake for your soccer betting this season.

Soccer betting on Stake.com couldn’t be easier, and there are lots of MLS bet types to choose from:

1x2: This is similar to moneyline bets , where you wager on the outcome of the game. Here, there are three possible outcomes. 1 refers to the home win, x refers to the draw, and 2 refers to the away win.
Draw no bet: If the match ends in a draw (tie), a no bet is declared, and you get your stake back.
Asian total: In this type of bet, you place a wager on the total number of goals you think will be scored in a game, over or under a specific number.
Asian handicap: An Asian handicap applies a handicap to the favourite and provides a headstart to the underdog as a way of levelling the playing field.
Double chance: A double chance lets you bet on two outcomes at once – such as a home win and a tie, for instance.
1st goal: Place a prop bet on the team (or the player) that you think will score first in a match.
Correct score: In a correct score bet, your job is to accurately predict the final score, be it 1-0 or 3-4, for instance.
Both teams to score: A popular soccer bet, both teams to score wager, is a bet on the fact that both teams will score in the fixture.
Half-time/Full-time: Place a bet on which team you think will be winning at half-time and then at full-time.
Outrights : Outrights, also known as futures, let you predict what will happen at the end of the season. You can bet on the eventual winners of the MLS Cup or Supporters Shield, as well as which teams will make the playoffs.

You can also take your betting slip further with same-game multi-bets. Use our 'Bet Builder' function to place same game multi bets and place multiple selections on the single betting slip. This is an easy way to boost your odds on a specific fixture! Learn more with our same game multi-betting guide .

For more information and betting tips, check out our guide on how to bet on soccer !

Live Stream Major League Soccer & Live Betting on Stake Sportsbook

Stake.com is an MLS betting site with a wide selection of pre-live and live betting markets for soccer fans. You can bet on markets like the next team to score, the number of corners in a half, the number of cards (yellow or red) in a match, and various other bets to keep things interesting while watching your favourite teams.

At Stake.com, you can live stream major soccer matches completely free and place live wagers based on watching the action unfold in real time. Simply log in to your account and live stream sports directly from your account dashboard. Select the streaming icon next to the match to start watching.

Major League Soccer Betting Strategies & Tips

Betting on MLS isn’t tricky, but there are some betting tips that you should bear in mind when developing a soccer betting strategyfor the upcoming matches:

Bet with your head and not your heart: It’s easy to get carried away when betting on the team you support, so try and stick to betting on neutral fixtures!
Be realistic: Anything can happen in playoff games, and form often goes out of the window. So bear this in mind when it comes to post-season betting.
Study statistics and form: Use statistics, form, and injuries to your advantage when picking your regular-season wagers. This can also have an impact on the sports betting odds throughout the soccer season.
Place a variety of bets: Futures bets are an excellent option for soccer fans as you can often get great odds before a ball is kicked. So, consider placing a bet on the team you fancy as the end-of-season MLS Cup champion.

Stake VIP Club & Responsible Betting

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