The 2015 MLS Cup Playoffs are about set to get started on Wednesday night, as eight teams fight for four spots in the main field. There are some highs and some lows coming into the second season, and we'll break it all down with a look at BookMaker's odds to win the 2015 MLS Championship.
2015 MLS CUP ODDS
Los Angeles Galaxy +485
Seattle Sounders +1650
New England Revolution +12050
D.C. United +1100
New York Red Bulls +385
Field (Any Other Team) -135
What's interesting here is the fact that the field clearly has the best price at -135. With that grouping, you're guaranteed to have five of the last eight teams standing, and the only team which is really scary against you is New York.
The Red Bulls, to their credit, are the best team in the MLS. They won the Supporters' Shield for having the best record in the regular season, and they've earned the right to have the last home game in the home-and-home series to come in the Eastern Conference Semifinals and the Eastern Conference Finals.
Sacha Kjestan, Mike Grella and Lloyd Sam are amongst the men who really stepped up this year for the Red Bulls offensively. Bradley Wright-Phillips is, of course, the man who has to continue his torrid pace after scoring 16 goals in the regular season, but at least he knows he's got a lot of help to work with.
RBNY netted 62 goals this year, most in the MLS, and its +19 goal differential was best as well. That said, the team fell flat in the Eastern Conference Finals last year to New England and has only won one home-and-home series since going to the MLS Cup Final in 2008. In the mix includes two seasons in which the Red Bulls were the top seeds in the East.
Columbus will also get a bye in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. The Crew earned their way into their bye after blasting D.C. United 5-0 on the final day of the regular season in spite of the fact that their top scorers, Kei Kamara and Federico Higuain were both suspended for the match. With wins in four of their last six matches, the Crew are going to be tough outs from the postseason.
As far as the rest of the East is concerned, Montreal will host Toronto in the 3/6 matchup on either Wednesday or Thursday, while D.C. United will take on New England in a battle of two teams not listed in the field. If Montreal holds home field and beats TFC, something that seems likely after an 11-4-2 season at home this year, the winner of that D.C. United/New England match will be stuck playing against New York, which guarantees at least one team in the field playing in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Out West, the situation is equally interesting. There's a lot of faith in the Galaxy with all of their star power, but we're not all that sure that it's worthwhile. LA limped through the end of the season and was fortunate just to have a playoff spot nailed down in the dying days of the year.
What's worse is that the Galaxy, who went just 2-9-6 on the road this year, have to travel to Seattle for a do-or-die 90 minutes before getting to either FC Dallas or Vancouver.
Again, with one of LA or Seattle being sent home and the other being sent into a very tough battle with either FC Dallas or Vancouver, three of the four teams in the West playoffs proper will end up in the field.
We love what FC Dallas has done this year. Goal differential is the only reason why FCD didn't win the Supporters' Shield. Goals are hard to come by in the Western Conference, as four of the teams which got into the field allowed fewer than 40 goals in the 34 matches. That's why having four different players with at least six goals on the year puts Dallas on higher terms in our pecking order than anyone else in the West.
The MLS odds for every game are available at BookMaker Sportsbook. Since these matches can be seen by anyone with a TV, BookMaker will have a multitude of wagering options available for it. Outside of the normal lines, you can gamble on real-time odds during the game. Live betting is always open!
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