Totals betting in MLS revolves around the combined number of goals scored by both teams in a match, with the most common line set at 2.5. Bettors wager on whether the final total will go over or under that number. Unlike NFL totals, where high-scoring games create a wide distribution of outcomes, MLS totals operate in a much tighter range — most matches land between one and four goals. This compressed scoring environment means the 2.5-goal line carries significant juice on both sides, and sportsbooks frequently adjust vig rather than move the line to a less common number like 2.0 or 3.0.
Sharp bettors find value in MLS totals by tracking team-specific tendencies that the broader market often underweights: defensive compactness on short rest, altitude effects at venues like Colorado, and late-season lineup rotation when playoff positioning is settled. Weather conditions — particularly heat and humidity in summer months — can suppress tempo and goal output. Vig on MLS totals tends to run slightly higher than on moneylines for the same matches, as books price in the uncertainty of a narrow goal range. Comparing vig across sportsbooks on these lines is one of the easiest ways to recover margin, since even small differences in juice compound quickly over a full season of wagers.
Cross-Sport totals Vig Comparison
MLS totals averages 6.58% vig across 11 sportsbooks. Here's how that compares to other active sports:
| Sport | Avg Vig | vs MLS |
|---|---|---|
| MLS | 6.58% | — |
| NCAAF | 4.75% | 1.83% higher |
| MLB | 4.71% | 1.87% higher |
| MLB Preseason | 6.94% | 0.36% lower |
Vig Rankings
| # | Sportsbook | Vig | Grade | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BetAnything | 4.14% | B | 17 |
| 2 | Bovada | 4.66% | C+ | 17 |
| 3 | LowVig.ag | 4.75% | B | 17 |
| 4 | BetOnline.ag | 4.75% | B | 17 |
| 5 | BetUS | 6.98% | C | 17 |
| 6 | betPARX | 7.01% | C | 17 |
| 7 | BetRivers | 7.07% | C | 17 |
| 8 | ReBet | 7.39% | D- | 17 |
| 9 | Bally Bet | 7.81% | C | 17 |
| 10 | MyBookie.ag | 7.89% | D | 17 |
| 11 | Fliff | 9.90% | D- | 17 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Which sportsbook has the lowest MLS totals vig?
BetAnything currently has the lowest vig at 4.14%, earning a grade of B.
What is vig (vigorish) in sports betting?
Vig — short for vigorish, also called juice or overround — is the margin a sportsbook builds into its odds. It's the difference between the true probability of an outcome and what the odds imply. Lower vig means you keep more of your winnings on every bet. For example, a standard -110/-110 line has about 4.76% vig.
How often is this data updated?
We pull fresh odds from The Odds API three times per day — at 6:00 AM, 2:00 PM, and 10:00 PM UTC. Each snapshot captures the latest lines from every sportsbook that has posted odds. The timestamp at the top of the page shows the most recent refresh.
How is the vig grade calculated?
Each sportsbook is graded on a letter scale based on average vig: A+ (under 2%) is exceptional, A (2–3%) is excellent, B+ (3–4%) is above average, B (4–5%) is the industry standard, C (5–6%) is below average, and D (above 6%) indicates high-juice markets.
Why does lower vig matter for bettors?
Lower vig directly impacts your long-term returns. A bettor placing $1,000 per week at a book with 4% vig loses roughly $40/week to the house edge. At 2% vig, that drops to $20/week — a $1,040 difference over a year. For serious bettors, shopping for lower vig is one of the most reliable ways to improve profitability.
What sportsbooks do you track?
We track both regulated US sportsbooks (DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, Caesars) and offshore books (Bovada, BetOnline, MyBookie, BetUS, LowVig.ag, BetAnySports). Data comes from The Odds API, which aggregates real-time lines from licensed sources.
How We Calculate These Numbers
- Data Source
- All odds on this page come from The Odds API, which aggregates real-time lines from licensed US and offshore sportsbooks. We track moneyline, spread, and totals markets across every sport with active betting lines.
- Update Frequency
- We pull a fresh snapshot of every tracked market three times per day — at 6:00 AM, 2:00 PM, and 10:00 PM UTC. Each snapshot captures the latest lines from every sportsbook that has posted odds for a given event. The timestamp at the top of each page tells you exactly when the data was last refreshed.
- Vig Calculation
- Vig (short for vigorish, also called juice or overround) measures the margin a sportsbook builds into its odds. We calculate it by converting the odds on each side of a market to implied probabilities, summing those probabilities, and subtracting 100%. For example, a market priced at -110/-110 implies 52.38% on each side — a total of 104.76%, meaning a vig of 4.76%. Lower vig means better value for bettors because you keep more of your winnings.
- Per-Market Breakdown
- We compute vig separately for each market type: moneyline (h2h), point spreads, and totals (over/under). The "average vig" shown for each sportsbook is the mean across all market types weighted by the number of events sampled in each market.
- Grading Scale
- Every sportsbook receives a letter grade based on its average vig: A+ (under 2%) is exceptional and rare — these are typically sharp-friendly books. A (2–3%) is excellent. B+ (3–4%) is above average. B (4–5%) is the industry standard for most recreational sportsbooks. C (5–6%) is below average. D (above 6%) indicates high-juice markets where bettors face a steep cost per wager.
- Trend Tracking
- We store daily snapshots for 30 days, allowing us to show 24-hour and 7-day vig trends. A downward trend (improving) means sportsbooks are tightening their lines — often in response to increased competition or higher betting volume as a season heats up.