With a very successful first seven matches on the books, FC Cincinnati’s odds at Ohio sportsbooks have catapulted up the scale since the opening of the season.
Ohio gamblers are taking notice, and FCC is nationally the most bet-on team to win the MLS Cup on BetMGM Sportsbook. Sports betting in Ohio went live on Jan. 1, paving the way for Ohio sports fans to move the needle on betting statistics.
Sports betting on most sports is available via online and retail sportsbooks as well as betting kiosks located inside bars and other locations.
FC Cincinnati Leads the Eastern Conference with five wins
In seven games, FCC has taken home five wins, two draws and no losses, putting them in the number one spot in the Eastern Conference. They’re one of only two teams in the league yet to record a loss.
The club also leads the league in points with 17. Only New England and Seattle trail closely with 16 points each.
Cincinnati secured their third win in a row last Saturday versus Philadelphia.
It was Luciano Acosta‘s penalty kick, and first goal of the season, that gave FCC the lead. The team held off the Union for 21 more minutes, finishing the game with a 1-0 score. Goalie Roman Celentano made four saves to record his fourth clean sheet of the season.
Sportsbook odds changes reflect FC Cincinnati’s progress
A futures bet is always a long-shot, but punters that chose to back the blue and orange before the season started are feeling more comfortable now that the odds have moved in their favor.
Opening the season, BetMGM Sportsbook had FCC at +2200 to win the league, which ranked them around the 12th most-likely. That sportsbook now has FCC’s odds at +900 for that be. FCC is tied with Philadelphia Union for second-best odds behind Los Angeles FC.
Here is a look at how opening lines have changed at BetMGM up to this point in the season.
Line movement (opening, current)
- FC Cincinnati +2200, +900
- Philadelphia Union +600, +900
- Toronto FC +4000, +5000
- Sporting Kansas City +5000, +6600
The odds for the top teams at BetMGM, as of April 14:
MLS futures bets are popular in Ohio
Ohio is projected to be one of the top five largest sports betting markets in the country. Combine the throngs of Ohio sports bettors with the excitement around FCC and Columbus Crew’s success so far, and you get a whole lot of wagers being made.
That is, at least, according to the latest figures from BetMGM, which show that Ohio is the #1 betting state for MLS futures. In Ohio alone, FC Cincinnati is the most-bet MLS team by both tickets and handle, followed by Columbus.
Highest Ticket%:
- FC Cincinnati 14.1%
- Toronto FC 12.6%
- Sporting Kansas City 10.8%
Highest Handle%:
- FC Cincinnati 18.5%
- Sporting Kansas City 16.1%
- Toronto FC 13.1%
Drew O’Dell, Sportsbook Data Specialist at BetMGM, told PlayOhio, “Nationally, FC Cincinnati is the most-bet team to win the MLS Cup by tickets and handle largely in part to in-state support by Ohioans.”
FCC ranks as the second-largest liability for BetMGM, should they win the tournament.
BetMGM Biggest Liabilities:
- Toronto FC
- FC Cincinnati
- Sporting Kansas City
How to bet on FC Cincinnati in Ohio
The most simple soccer bet you can make at BetMGM and other apps is a three-way moneyline bet (sometimes called 1X2). You simply pick the winner of the game, except there is also the option to bet on the game to end in a draw (tie).
For Saturday’s game against St. Louis, BetMGM has FCC as a slight underdog. Odds on the 1X2 bet are +135/+230/+188 (1-St. Louis to Win/ X-Tie/ 2-Cincinnati to Win).
The menu looks like:
Other options for soccer betting include spreads and total points, just like in most other sports. Visit our Soccer Odds page for a more complete run down of MLS betting options, which include:
- Double Chance: Pick two of the three moneyline options, but get lower odds
- Cards or Corners: Bet on the total number of penalty cards or total number of corner kicks.
- GG or NG: Bet on both teams to score at least one goal (GG) or at least one side to score no goals (NG).