Lionel Messi has captivated the American soccer scene since his debut with MLS side Inter Miami in July, and sportsbooks have needed to adjust.
Inter Miami was one of the worst teams in MLS before his arrival, but after his debut, he has brought in dramatically increased business and attention from celebrities and outlets outside of the soccer bubble.
Messi scored on his debut on July 21, and he had a nine-game streak where he scored or assisted in every match.
"The nine most-bet games ever on Miami are the nine games Messi has played in," DraftKings director of race and sports operations Johnny Avello told Front Office Sports prior to Inter Miami's 0-0 draw with Nashville SC on Wednesday. "There were a total of 80 Leagues Cup games and Miami played in seven of them.
"In those seven games, a little over 50% of the entire tournament handle was generated."
BetMGM's most popular prop bets for Inter Miami games all involved Messi to score, according to data analyst John Ewing.
Inter Miami has a tough road to earn a postseason berth, but the public has bet the side to be among the favorites to win MLS Cup. Chalk + Dog senior director of partnerships and growth Adam Rosenberg told Front Office Sports the realistic odds should be closer to 30-1 or 35-1 rather than the consensus 7-1 across major sportsbooks.
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Wednesday's 0-0 draw to Nashville was a big win for sportsbooks because it hurt Inter Miami's chase for the final playoff spot, and Messi didn't score or assist, so a lot of people lost their bets on Messi. And while Inter Miami is a long shot to make the playoffs and win MLS Cup, the increased action on soccer is a big win for sportsbooks.
"It literally couldn't have been timed better because August is when football starts to pick up and he won Leagues Cup in July," Rosenberg told Front Office Sports. "You probably got a lot of soccer fans that may not have been betting to bet, to win, and now they're in long term."
Those who got good numbers on Inter Miami before Messi signed are hoping it can pull off a miraculous run, which would hurt sportsbooks since Inter Miami is one of their biggest liabilities.
But it's just another example of the effect Messi has had on MLS and soccer in the United States.
