Do oddsmakers think Lionel Messi, Inter Miami will win the MLS Cup?
With roughly two months left in the MLS season, teams at the bottom of their conferences don't have the best chances of catapulting into the top seven and making the playoffs. Just don't tell that to Inter Miami.
The MLS Eastern Conference club was in the league cellar before Lionel Messi emerged on the scene and catapulted them to a nine-game winning streak across all competition and a Leagues Cup championship. Now they continue a crucial stretch of domestic matches where every point will count in pushing them up the standings.
Messi Mania has fans down in the Sunshine State believing Inter have a chance at getting into the playoffs and winning the entire season. But what do oddsmakers think about Messi turning the team into champions?
Even though Inter currently sit second to last in the East standings, DraftKings gives them 7-1 odds to hoist the MLS Cup this season. The only teams with better odds to win it all are East leaders FC Cincinnati (9-2) and LAFC (6-1). The Los Angeles-based club is currently second in the Western Conference behind St. Louis City FC, who DK lists at 12-1 odds to top the league this season.
But first, Inter Miami have to actually qualify for the playoffs. The top seven teams in each conference automatically qualify for the postseason, with teams in eighth and ninth competing for the final spot. Inter are currently 11 points out of ninth place and 17 points out from auto-qualifying. Suffice it to say, Messi and his new club will have to get points in every match they play going forward if they want to make it to the playoffs.
That push continues this week as Inter play six straight league matches. They host conference rival Nashville SC on Wednesday.
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