It's hard to overstate the power Lionel Messi can have on betting lines. Charlotte FC, by all rights, should be favored over Inter Miami in the teams' MLS contest set for 7:30 p.m. EST this Saturday. But because Miami's squad and its iconic striker have had time to regroup, betting odds are in a virtual stalemate.
Charlotte and Miami are each priced at about 1.5-to-1 odds to win Saturday's match at Bank of America Stadium. While there's no doubt Miami's lineup represents the class of the Eastern Conference, the Crown is on a sizzling-hot streak with eight consecutive wins in league play. Inter Miami's recent record has not involved anything close to that kind of momentum, either with Messi in the lineup or when he's out.
Messi sat out for Inter Miami's 1-1 draw with DC United prior to the 2025 Leagues Cup semifinals, in which he returned to tally a brace against Orlando. Charlotte FC, meanwhile, had an incredible all-competitions shutout streak of close to 400 minutes of play snapped by New England in the Crown's most recent contest, but Idan Toklomati's winner gives Charlotte a perfect 24 points in eight league rounds.
Spread
- Charlotte FC Ev (-110)
- Inter Miami Ev (-110)
Moneyline
- Charlotte FC +148
- Inter Miami +147
- Draw +290
Total
- Over 3.25 (-102)
- Under 3.25 (-118)
The above data was collected on Sept. 12, 2025, and may have changed since writing.
Charlotte FC vs Inter Miami Betting Trends
- Charlotte FC has won eight consecutive league matches.
- Charlotte is on a four-match all-competitions winning streak.
- Inter Miami has lost only twice in its last dozen MLS appearances.
- Miami is 4-2-1 in its last seven matches against Charlotte.
Charlotte FC vs Inter Miami Injury Reports
Charlotte FC
- Midfielder Pep Biel is out with a hamstring strain.
- Defender Harry Toffolo is out with a hamstring strain.
- Defender Souleyman Doumbia is out with a hamstring strain.
Inter Miami
- Forward Allen Obando is out with a hamstring strain.
- Defender Jordi Alba is out with a knee injury.
- Forward Lionel Messi is questionable with a hamstring strain.
Charlotte FC vs Inter Miami Predictions and Picks
Charlotte's 0-1 loss to Miami on March 9 was a strange case, insofar that the Crown didn't ultimately have to deal with Messi, or with a red-carded opposing goalkeeper Oscar Ustari, but still lost via a clean sheet. There's little doubt that Charlotte is now a different team with a new mojo, despite an injury to Pep Biel.
The NFL isn't the only place players are getting suspended for spitting. Luis Suarez of Inter Miami has been suspended for spitting on a Seattle Sounders coach at the Leagues Cup Final. OneFootball reports that “Suarez was handed a three-match ban.”
His manners aside, Suarez has overcome a slow start to become a key security blanket for Messi once again. With No. 10 missing a big piece of his supporting cast, look for a Charlotte moneyline win.
