The 2019 MLS season kicks off March 2nd. With the new addition of FC Cincinnati, there are now 24 clubs battling for the MLS Cup which will take place on November 10th.
In 2018, Atlanta United defeated the Portland Timbers, 2-0, to win their first ever MLS Cup. Atlanta United may look a little bit differently this season with the departure of head coach Tata Martino, but could retain stars Miguel Almiron and Josef Martinez.
Here's a look at the opening 2019 MLS Cup odds via Westgate as well as past winners.
2019 MLS Cup Odds
Atlanta United are the +500 favorites to win the 2019 MLS Cup after securing their first title last season against Portland. Despite reaching the finals last year, the Timbers (+1200) are listed behind six teams to win it all in 2019. It'll be a tough start to the season with 12 consecutive road games due to construction of their home stadium, Providence Park, so their odds will likely increase within the first couple months.
The New York and Los Angeles clubs round out the top-five, but I'd avoid the Galaxy once again. They continue to be overvalued based on name recognition and just haven't been able to figure things out defensively. LA recently named former forward Guillermo Barros Schelotto as their new head coach and will have striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic returning, but that still won't be enough.
Toronto FC will try to rebound from missing the playoffs entirely in 2018, and are currently listed at +1400 to win the 2019 MLS Cup. That's pretty decent value, especially if they can get out to a strong start to the season.
Orlando City, Minnesota United, Colorado and San Jose are all tied with the worst odds to win MLS Cup at 100/1.
The local club I support, New England Revolution, are listed at 80/1. They've never won an MLS Cup despite reaching the finals on five separate occasions.
Previous MLS Cup Winners
The midseason favorite has captured the MLS Cup in back-to-back seasons (Atlanta United and Toronto FC), but underdogs always have a chance to make a deep run in the postseason.
In 2015 and 2016, the MLS Cup finalists had odds of +1200 or higher in both the preseason and midseason. Even if a team struggles into July/August, they've got time to turn things around.
2019 Coaching Changes
Atlanta United – Frank de Boer replaces Tata Martino
Columbus Crew – Caleb Porter takes over for Gregg Berhalter
FC Dallas – Luchi Gonzalez takes over for Oscar Pareja
LA Galaxy – Guillermo Barros Schelotto takes over for Sigi Schmid and Dominic Kinnear (interim)
Vancouver Whitecaps – Marc Dos Santos takes over for Carl Robinson
As the start of the season approaches, I'll have a more comprehensive betting preview for the 2019 MLS Cup.
You can also check out every transaction from the offseason here.
