After a taxing preseason tour that saw Inter Miami circumnavigate the globe and travel over 24,000 miles to play games in four different foreign countries, Lionel Messi is finally set to begin his first full regular season in MLS.
Inter Miami host Real Salt Lake as the curtain is raised on the 2024 MLS season at Chase Stadium (formerly known as DRV PNK Stadium) in Ft. Lauderdale, with the hosts putting massive expectations on the line.
Messi is expected to lead this Inter Miami team to silverware in 2024, as he did last year in the Leagues Cup. Yet the final league finish — 12th in the Eastern Conference, outside a postseason qualifying spot — give pause to the lofty bar placed on this season's results.
Real Salt Lake finished fifth in the weakened Western Conference last season, and added former LAFC star Cristian Arango to the attack in the offseason. Paired with rising American youngster Diego Luna, the RSL front line could be formidable this coming year.
2024 MLS PREDICTIONS: MLS Cup winner | Golden Boot | Inter Miami prediction | Messi goals in 2024
Inter Miami vs Real Salt Lake prediction, odds
- Moneyline lean: Real Salt Lake (+400)
- Score prediction: Inter Miami 1-3 Real Salt Lake
The expectations of Inter Miami from the betting market are unquestionably overinflated, and after watching their porous defensive execution both last season and this preseason, it's impossible to back the Herons at their current insane value.
Real Salt Lake proved themselves an attacking force last year, and they have a similar squad to lean on this time around. Both sides will have plenty of chances, but until we see Inter Miami prove they can compete on a title-winning level, there's no way to reasonably back Lionel Messi's side at their current disastrous value.
Playing on the road in MLS is difficult, especially given the travel for RSL in this match, but they frontloaded their preseason to allow plenty of time for easing into this cross-country trip.
| DraftKings (USA) |
|
| Inter Miami win | -205 |
| Draw | +350 |
| RSL win | +450 |
| Both teams to score Y/N |
-175 / +140 |
| Over / Under 3.5 goals |
+120 / -160 |
| Inter Miami -0.5 goals |
-175 |
| RSL +0.5 goals |
+125 |
USA: Click here to see the latest odds for Inter Miami vs RSL and bet MLS matches
Inter Miami vs Real Salt Lake match facts
- Date: Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2024
- Kickoff time: 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT
- Location: Chase Stadium (Ft. Lauderdale, FL)
- Referee: Cristian Campo Hernandez, VAR: TBD
- Last meeting: None (First meeting)
Inter Miami vs Real Salt Lake best bet
- Pick: Over 3.5 total goals
- Odds: +120 (DraftKings)
While fitness concerns could potentially plague this Inter Miami season at some point, they will be at nearly full strength from the jump, minus the injury to Benjamin Cremaschi. Luis Suarez is a force up front and will want to get going early, and Lionel Messi can still dazzle when given the chance.
Last season, RSL conceded 50 goals, more than any other top-half side in the West and second-most of any top-half side in both conferences combined. Inter Miami themselves showed weaknesses defensively in preseason, and will be troubled by the speedy Diego Luna and Cristian Arango on the counter.
There will be plenty of goals in this season opening match.
Inter Miami vs Real Salt Lake prop bet
- Pick: Cristian Arango anytime goal scorer
- Odds: +225 (DraftKings)
The goal scorer odds for Inter Miami right now are, to put it plainly, patently absurd. The mere presence of Lionel Messi has seen Inter Miami players who don't even see the field, like Robbie Robinson for example, sport outlandish odds like +185. Heck, even Shanyder Borgelin, Inter Miami's first round draft pick who isn't officially signed yet, has +180 odds to score.
The knock-on effect of this is that all RSL goal scorers see their odds inflated, and that presents a huge opportunity. Inter Miami are defensively poor, especially on the counter, and it wasn't long ago that Arango's pace was a key part of an LAFC title push. Arango scored six goals in 11 MLS games with RSL after signing last summer, and will be a big part of their game plan here as RSL hope to hurt Inter Miami on the counter-attack where the hosts have been vulnerable.
- Pick: Over 9.5 total corners
- Odds: -110 (DraftKings)
Both these teams, in their current iteration, love to rack up chances from the corner flag. RSL finished last season fifth in the league in total corners, playing an attacking style en route to a playoff berth. Inter Miami were third-last in that same category, but since Lionel Messi joined, they have been much more vertical. In a match with a lot of attacking pressure expected, this total should come through.
Inter Miami vs Real Salt Lake live stream, TV channel
The exclusive home of Inter Miami and the entire 2024 MLS season is MLS Season Pass from Apple TV, available for fans to watch from around the globe.
