So what do the Las Vegas odds makers think about the Major League Soccer playoffs?

While this is the time of year when most people at the sports book are looking at the World Series action, or figuring out their parlay cards for college or NFL football, there are a few paying attention to the Major League Soccer playoffs which kick off tonight with the first of the Wildcard matches.

So I thought I would stop by the sports book at Treasure Island (one I know takes MLS action) and check out the odds, here is what I found:

Tonight the New York Red Bulls are +210 (which means if you bet $100 you would get $310 if they win), FC Dallas are even (so if you bet $100, you would get $200 if they win), and a draw (yes I know the match can't end in a draw but for Vegas the match is over after the first 90 minutes for betting purposes), well a draw is +200.

On Thursday night the odds are even longer as the Columbus Crew are +260, so if someone bet that $100 on the Crew and they won it would be a payout of $360 dollars, a draw is +210, and the Colorado Rapids are -115 (that means if you bet $100 and they win you would get $185 as the payout.

after the jump, the odds on the two weekend matches that have odds posted:

So on Saturday Real Salt Lake will play host to the Seattle Sounders, the Sounders are +205, RSL is +105 and a draw is +210.

On Sunday the Houston Dynamo are +210 as the visiting team, while the Philadelphia Union are +105, and a draw is +190.

A couple of interesting things stick out to me with these numbers, first is that I would have to think that whoever makes the line (determines the payout) either doesn't follow MLS very closely or they are really just favoring the home team.  If you look at the Columbus Crew vs Colorado Rapids you will see what I mean the Rapids only won 6 matches at home this year, and the Crew won 4 on the road.  Each team won once head to head this year but the Crew got a huge 4-1 win in Columbus, while the Rapids got a 2-0 win at home, so it would appear that more weight is being given to the home team.  I wonder if the odds maker has looked at the weather in Denver?

I find it funny that FC Dallas who are 2-3-0 in their last five matches are that heavy of favorites over a New York Red Bull team that have gone 3-1-1 over their last 5.  The Houston Dynamo who have won 4 of their last five are fairly big dogs to a Philly Union team with just two wins in their last 5.

I am really surprised that the Sounders, who are 9-3-5 on the road, are not getting a better number than +205.  Do they remember that the Sounders got a win in the regular season at Rio Tinto?  Have they seen the struggles of RSL over the last month, while Seattle is 4-1-0?  Ah this is why I love Vegas, you never know what the odds maker knows or how he picks his line, but I know this much, I put some money on the Red Bulls to get a win tonight and if I win that bet I am thinking that the Crew might be a good bet at +260.  I mean if I put $100 on each team to win, I could either walk away with $360, $185, or if it is a draw after 90 minutes nothing, that might not be a bad way to go as I doubt that it will be a draw.

Anyhow I thought I would share a bit of MLS news from the Las Vegas Strip.

OFF MY SOAPBOX