Betting Guide for the 2022 USL Championship Season

Naturally, many North American soccer fans will be stoked about the recent return of MLS. But let’s not forget that the 2022 USL Championship season gets underway on Saturday, March 12.

The second tier of US soccer has become hugely popular in recent years, so much so that all the top soccer betting sites enable us to bet real money on the league. If that is something you are interested in, then this USL Championship betting guide is for you.

The 2022 USL Championship odds are out. That means it’s time to assess the USL Championship teams, pick out the favorites and sleepers, and scope out the best possible betting value ahead of the new campaign.

I will also be sharing my USL Championship prediction for the 2022 title in this post. Before we get to that, though, we need to evaluate the odds for who will win the USL Championship in 2022.

The Tampa Bay Rowdies (6.00) are the bookmakers’ favorites to lift the trophy this year. The Rowdies collected more regular-season points than any other team in 2021 before losing the final to Orange County (9.00).

San Antonio (9.00) rounds out the top five. El Paso Locomotive (10.00), Birmingham Legion (13.00), Pittsburgh Riverhounds (13.00), Colorado Springs Switchbacks (15.00), and Miami FC (15.00) complete the top ten.

With a total of 27 USL Championship teams ready to compete this year, there is no shortage of betting options. Detroit City (34.00) and Monterey Bay (67.00) are set to debut in 2022. Could one of the newcomers upset the USL Championship odds?

It makes sense to look back at the previous campaign to help us make a successful 2022 USL Championship prediction.

Last year, Phoenix finished atop the Western Conference, ending the regular season three points ahead of El Paso. Although El Paso registered fewer losses than anyone else in the West, the Rising claimed more victories.

Funnily enough, Orange County finished a whopping 15 points behind Phoenix. However, the Californians went on to clinch the trophy, beating Colorado Springs, Oakland Roots, and San Antonio en route to the final.

Over in the East, it was all about Tampa Bay in 2021. The Rowdies finished ten points clear of second-place Louisville, racking up 23 wins in 32 regular-season games.

Birmingham, Charlotte, and Pittsburgh pushed Louisville close for the runner-up spot. Meanwhile, Miami, Memphis, and Tulsa qualified for the playoffs but failed to make it past the conference quarterfinals.

Although the Rowdies dominated the regular season, they suffered a shock 3-1 loss to Orange County in the final. Tampa Bay was the heavy favorite to win last year’s showpiece, but Richard Chaplow’s side had other ideas.

Thanks to a Ronaldo Damus brace and a strike from Mikko Kuningas, Orange County raced into a three-goal lead before half-time. Leo Fernandes pulled a goal back for the Rowdies after the break, but he could not spark a comeback.

If the 2022 USL Championship odds are anything to go by, there are three apparent frontrunners in the race for this year’s title – Tampa Bay, Phoenix, and Louisville.

Let’s take a closer look at the USL Championship betting favorites for 2022.

Few would argue that Tampa Bay was not the best team in USL Championship soccer last year. Neill Collins’ boys finished miles clear of their rivals in the Eastern Conference before reaching their second consecutive final.

Granted, their season ultimately ended in disappointment. But that means they will be even more motivated to claim the title this time around.

Sebastian Guenzatti was the star of the show for Tampa Bay last year, bagging 21 goals and six assists across 32 regular-season games. The prolific Uruguayan has netted 54 goals in 114 games since joining the club in 2017.

With stars such as Steevan Dos Santos and Leo Fernandes supporting Guenzatti, it’s probably fair to say that Tampa Bay boasts the deadliest forward line in the USL League Championship.

While the Rowdies dominated the East in 2021, the Rising took control of the West. They lost just five of their 32 regular-season matches, picking up 20 wins and seven draws along the way.

Rick Shantz’s men were also the top scorers by a considerable margin last year. Notching a colossal 68 goals, they outscored their nearest challenger in the West by seven goals – as well as netting 13 more than Tampa Bay.

Phoenix has been one of the most consistent USL Championship teams over the past few seasons. Like the list below, the club heads into the 2022 campaign on the back of four straight top-three finishes in the Western Conference.

The Arizonans have not finished outside the top two in the Western Conference or the overall standings in the previous three years. That is why they find themselves at the top end of the bookies’ 2022 USL Championship odds list.

Like Phoenix, Louisville is renowned for being one of the most consistent USL Championship teams. But can the Boys in Purple regain the crown this year?

After winning the title in 2017 and 2018, the Kentuckians were runners-up in 2019. They went on to win the Eastern Conference in 2020 before finishing the second last season. See, I told you they were consistent!

Lots of new faces will be in purple as LouCity opens its 2022 campaign against Atlanta United 2 this Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at Lynn Family Stadium…

Your guide to who's who on City's revamped roster. ?

— Louisville City FC (@loucityfc) March 7, 2022

Thanks mainly to the exploits of Cameron Lancaster, LouCity outscored every other team in the East last year. Lancaster contributed 20 of Louisville’s 61 regular-season goals, taking his tally to 71 in 138 USL Championship games.

The Boys in Purple beat Miami and Charlotte on their way to the 2021 Eastern Conference Final, only to fall to the Rowdies. They will be eager to return to the top in 2022.

This USL Championship betting preview would not be complete without an in-depth look at this year’s sleepers. All the teams in this section will fancy their chances of upsetting the 2022 USL Championship odds.

It wouldn’t exactly be accurate to class Orange County as a sleeper, given that Richard Chaplow’s boys won the whole thing last season. But the fact of the matter is, nobody expected them to secure the silverware.

After finishing 15 points behind Phoenix in the Western Conference, Orange County was priced at 19.00 to win the title ahead of the playoffs. To put things into perspective, Tampa Bay was favored at 4.50.

However, the Californians mocked the USL Championship odds and beat the Rowdies in the final. For that reason, you cannot ignore Orange County when it comes to making your 2022 USL Championship prediction.

The Switchbacks are a team on the up. After finishing rock bottom of the Western Conference in 2019, they rose to thirteenth in 2020 before propelling themselves into fifth place last year.

Hadji Barry dominated the Golden Boot race throughout the previous campaign, ending the regular season with an outrageous 30 goals to his name. As a result, only Phoenix scored more goals than Colorado Springs in 2021.

Last season, the USL Championship schedule was not kind to the Switchbacks, as they were drawn against eventual champion Orange County in the first round of the playoffs. Still, they have set the foundations for another successful campaign.

In all honesty, I’m surprised that Oakland is priced up at 51.00. I mean, Juan Guerra’s men made it to the conference semifinals in their debut USL Championship season.

Although the Roots scraped into the playoffs by the skin of their teeth, they beat El Paso – the #2 team in the West – in the conference quarterfinals. It is also worth remembering that they lost to Orange County on penalties in the semifinals.

The Roots know what it takes to go deep into the season with an entire campaign – and a playoff run – in the bank. Don’t be surprised if they continue to upset the USL Championship odds in 2022.

The pre-season USL Championship odds present excellent value. The three favorites – Tampa Bay, Phoenix, and Louisville – are all priced at 6.00 or higher, giving bettors plenty to think about.

There is no shortage of notable outsiders, too. The sleepers I profiled in the previous section are all capable of challenging for the title and a host of other teams.

So, who is my USL Championship predicted winner?

In my eyes, though, Louisville’s price of 7.50 offers far better value. The 2017 and 2018 champions won the Eastern Conference in 2020 before finishing the second to last season. They know precisely what it takes to mount a serious title charge.

That is my 2022 USL Championship prediction. For more tips on picking a title winner, check out our expert guide to soccer betting.