Lionel Messi helped guide Inter Miami to a Leagues Cup title on Aug. 19, and there's plenty more hardware for the Argentinian to win as he continues to take MLS by storm.
Technically, Messi hasn't made his MLS debut yet. That could happen Saturday against the New York Red Bulls at Red Bull Arena, but before that matchup, Inter Miami plays FC Cincinnati in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup semifinal at TQL Stadium.
Yes, there's another tournament for Messi to conquer and to add to his all-time 44 titles won in his legendary career.
Inter Miami was an afterthought when it beat Birmingham Legion FC in the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal June 7, but the trajection of the franchise changed dramatically when Messi arrived in July,. And Tata Martino as manager and other key signings made Inter Miami one of the most popular teams in MLS.
Messi scored a goal in all seven Leagues Cup matches he played in. That's probably why his anytime goalscorer prop now is -175 on DraftKings. The 36-year-old has made defenders look silly, but don't confuse this with an NBA player dominating overseas. This is more akin to when Tom Brady joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Messi still is the greatest player in the world, and he's elevated the game of his teammates.
more betting
Inter Miami is -125 to advance, and FC Cincinnati is -110 to move on to the final, so oddsmakers see this as a close matchup. FC Cincinnati is the top team in MLS with 51 points, and it will hope to stop the Messi hype train.
That's what bettors at BetMGM are hoping for as 95% of tickets and 99% of handle is on Inter Miami to advance at -130, per data analyst John Ewing.
On the three-way moneyline, Inter Miami is +140 to win in regulation, and FC Cincinnati is +165 to win in 90 minutes. A draw is set at +285, which means if the match goes into extra time and penalties, that wager pays out.
The final is scheduled for Sept. 27, and Inter Miami has 12 games left on its MLS schedule. It's 14 points behind for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, but the public has bet Inter Miami up to +850 to win MLS Cup on FanDuel. And despite never playing an official MLS match and Nashville's Hany Mukhtar's 13 goals, Messi is 6-1 to be the league's top goalscorer on DraftKings.
It's logical to think these are silly wagers, but Messi already has done remarkable things, so the belief in Miami is that anything is possible.
