Lionel Messi has made money for bettors who have backed the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner (world’s best player) since he joined Inter Miami of Major League Soccer.
Messi has 10 goals and an assist in his first seven matches — all en route to winning the Leagues Cup title, Inter Miami’s first trophy.
Next up for Messi and Inter Miami is a U.S. Open Cup semifinal match at MLS foe FC Cincinnati on Wednesday night.
Can Messi keep it going?
Let’s look at the odds for the U.S. Open Cup match, with insights and picks from FOX Sports Betting Analyst Jason McIntyre.
INTER MIAMI CF AT FC CINCINNATI
7 p.m. ET Wednesday, Peacock/Paramount+
Result at the end of regulation
Moneyline: Inter Miami CF +105 (bet $10 to win $20.50 total); FC Cincinnati +195 (bet $10 to win $29.50 total)
Draw: +270 (bet $10 to win $37 total)
Over/Under 2.5 goals
Over: -205 (bet $10 to win $14.88 total)
Under: +144 (bet $10 to win $24.40 total)
And since Messi has been on fire, the public is hammering the following props today:
To advance: Inter Miami -130 (95% of tickets, 99% of handle)
Messi to score anytime goal: -145 (bet $10 to win $16.90 total)
Messi to score first goal: +280 (bet $10 to win $38 total)
Messi to score two or more goals: +350 (bet $10 to win $45 total)
Lionel Messi to score three or more goals: +1400 (bet $10 to win $150 total)
Messi to score a hat trick: +1200 (bet $10 to win $130 total)
Messi to be named Man of the Match: -165 (bet $10 to win $16.06 total)
*odds as of 8/23/2023
Lionel Messi scores his 10th goal in seven matches for Inter Miami
Lionel Messi and Inter Miami went on to win the Leagues Cup title on PKs.
Picks via FOX Sports Betting Analyst Jason McIntyre:
After capturing the prestigious Leagues Cup title over the weekend, Miami and Lionel Messi hit the road to battle the top team in the MLS standings, FC Cincinnati (15 wins, three losses, six draws, 51 points).
The Orange and Blue are unbeaten at home this season (11-0-1) but find themselves underdogs (+190 moneyline) against the Lionel Messi train. Will there be some pullback from Miami after celebrating the Leagues Cup crown? Possibly. Could fatigue be a factor?
Cincinnati has played one game in the last 18 days, and that was a 3-0 loss to the Columbus Crew. There could be a shock to the system when Messi, Jordi Alba, Josef Martinez & Co. are coming at you.
Miami is a runaway truck, and you’d be foolish to step in front of it now. Until Messi doesn’t score in a game, you’ve got to keep betting it since you’re playing with house money. The confidence this team is playing with is off the charts.
PICK: Lionel Messi anytime goalscorer (bet $10 to win $16.90 total)
PICK: Inter Miami moneyline (bet $10 to win $20.50 total)
PICK: Correct score, Inter Miami 2-1 (+800, bet $10 to win $90 total)
Lionel Messi’s top 10 goals of all time
Check out Lionel Messi’s top 10 goals from his time with FC Barcelona and his international career with Argentina.
Messi and Inter Miami face a tough foe in FC Cincinnati, scoring 29 goals and allowing nine in 12 home matches. FC Cincinnati’s Luicano Acosta is from Argentina like Messi. Acosta is tied for second in MLS with 12 goals and 11 in his past 14 matches.
The winner of Wednesday’s semifinal will take on either Real Salt Lake or Houston in the final on Sept. 27.
RELATED: Lionel Messi Inter Miami stats tracker
The U.S. Open Cup is the oldest national soccer competition in the U.S. It started in 1913 as the National Challenge Cup and is open to professional and amateur clubs in the country. Bethlehem Steel F.C. and Maccabee Los Angeles have won the tournament the most times (five each), and both clubs are defunct.
The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup was renamed in honor of the late Lamar Hunt, principal founder of MLS and owner of the Kansas City Chiefs.
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