MLS Cup 2021 Odds: Will Portland or NYCFC have the edge?

On the eve of MLS Cup 2021, we've reached our last odds update of the season from BetMGM, with the oddsmaker not seeing much to separate the Portland Timbers and New York City FC on Saturday at Providence Park (3 pm ET | ABC, UniMás in US; TSN, TVA Sports in Canada).

The betting public sees things differently.

As of Friday morning, nearly three out of four bets wagered and more than four out of every five dollars spent were coming in on the Timbers to win Saturday's game across 90 minutes. You can see odds on the 90-minute result in the table below.

While the Timbers are slight home underdogs in 90 minutes, the odds on either team lifting MLS Cup (a bet that factors in the possibilities of extra time and a shootout) are a virtual split, with the Timbers at -120 and NYCFC at -115.

Bettors who placed a preseason wager on either team are feeling pretty good about themselves right now, though. Portland's original MLS Cup odds were +2000 before the season, while NYCFC's started at +1000.

Those bettors are looking at a payout more than 10 or more than 20 times the size of someone who backs either team on matchday if their team prevails.