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Beginning June 20, North and South America’s brightest soccer stars will converge on the Land of the Free to battle it out in the Copa America 2024. Not surprisingly, many people are seeking a Copa America predictor, or betting tips.
As one of the world’s biggest football tournaments heads for the United States, there are plenty of questions to be answered. Will this be Lionel Messi’s last dance? Will Uruguay finally get over the hump? Although we can’t say for sure what will happen, we can give you a preview of what you can expect in the upcoming tournament.
Group stage action is one of the most exciting parts of the Copa America tournament. It separates the contenders from the pretenders. Unexpected results and surprising performances occur left and right, attacking football becomes the name of the game, and of course, drama is everywhere with teams vying for points to advance into the knockout stages.
Teams | Win Group | Qualify to KO Round |
---|---|---|
Argentina | -400 | -4000 |
Chile | +600 | +100 |
Peru | +1000 | +200 |
Canada | +1200 | +250 |
Argentina, who beat bitter rivals Brazil by the narrowest of margins in the 2021 Copa America finals, are highly rated to continue their run of success in this edition, and for a good reason. La Seleccion is in a favorable group to advance to the knockout stages. Talisman Lionel Messi remains the man to watch for Argentina with Copa America 2024 betting odds having him as the tournament’s topscorer at +300.
Unless something truly unexpected happens, Argentina should win Group A and advance to the knockout stages without breaking a sweat. However, the answer to the question on who joins them into the next round is still uncertain. There is Chile who have advanced into knockout stages every single time since 2004 and are priced at +100 to move through.
Peru, though considered one of the biggest underdogs in the tournament, have advanced into the knockout round in their last 10 appearances and were runners up in the 2019 edition. They are currently +1000 to win the group and +200 to qualify for the next stage. Of course, there is Canada who are considered the least viable in the group, but with players like Ligue 1 striker Jonathan David and Bayern Munich young star Alphonso Davies in the lineup, seeing them advance is not impossible by any means.
Teams | Win Group | Qualify to KO Round |
---|---|---|
Mexico | +110 | -475 |
Ecuador | +160 | -275 |
Venezuela | +550 | +162 |
Jamaica | +900 | +500 |
In every Copa America tournament, there is always that one group that draws more “oohs” and “aahs” from fans than any other. This time around, it’s Group B which consists of Mexico, Venezuela, and Jamaica. While Mexico are the Copa America favorites to win Group B at +110, Ecuador, Venezuela, and Jamaica are not expected to go down without a fight.
As a matter of fact, Ecuador could contest Mexico for the top spot in Group B, with their underrated squad led by Chelsea midfielder Moises Caicedo and Bayer Leverkusen man Piero Hincapie. They head into the tournament coming off a solid outing in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, wherein they notched three wins, two draws, and just a single defeat.
Meanwhile, the Venezuelans could also surprise everyone and advance into the knockout round, especially if Jose Rondon gets going. Rondon, a former Newcastle United and Everton player is coming off a solid season with Pachuca with 10 goals in 21 league matches. Jamaica, on the other hand, is regarded as the biggest underdog to qualify for the next round at +600 with the absence of Aston Villa winger Leon Bailey, but anything can happen in football, or so they say.
Teams | Win Group | Qualify to KO Round |
---|---|---|
Uruguay | -134 | -2000 |
USA | +137 | -700 |
Bolivia | +1600 | +700 |
Panama | +1600 | +700 |
Although anything can happen in football, it’s much less likely there will be an upset in Group C. When compared to other Copa America 2024 Groups, the group stage games in Group C appear to be – on paper anyway – just a formality, considering the level of talent of the Uruguayans and the Americans. In fact, Uruguay and the USA are the favorites to qualify for the knockout round with Copa America betting online odds pricing them at -2000 and -700 respectively.
Uruguay will be fronted by the striking duo of Darwin Nunez and Luis Suarez. The Liverpool FC striker is also among the favorites to lead the tournament in scoring at +600 while Suarez is at +2800 to do the same. Not to be outdone are the United States who return to the tournament after an eight-year absence. The Yanks will bank on Christian Pulisic, Folarin Balogun, Gio Reyna, and Weston McKinnie to fight their corner. It’s also worth recalling that the USA finished as third runners-up the last time they competed in the tournament.
The outsiders for Group C are Bolivia, who have been going through some tough stretches over the past few months. Bolivia, who are priced at +700 to advance, also just lost a vital cog in Marcelo Moreno, who retired early this year. Panama, on the other hand, are solid underdogs in Group C and have several quality players that could frustrate Uruguay and USA. Just last year, Panama pulled an upset of biblical proportions when they beat the USA in the semifinals to advance into the CONCACAF Gold Cup Finals.
Teams | Win Group | Qualify to KO Round |
---|---|---|
Brazil | -250 | -1200 |
Colombia | +275 | -350 |
Paraguay | +1200 | +400 |
Costa Rica | +1200 | +400 |
Unlike the previous editions, Brazil winning the group is still not a foregone conclusion, even with world-class forwards such as Rodrygo and Vinicius Junior at the helm. While Copa America tips and betting odds have the Selecao winning Group D at -250, it is worth noting that the Brazilians head into the tournament with three consecutive World Cup qualifier losses. They are also missing the services of Neymar Junior, Richarlison, and Gabriel Jesus.
Regardless of the absence of notable names, Brazil – on paper – will most likely make it through the next round. As for who joins them, that remains to be seen. Colombia seems to be the favorite to do so with bookmakers pricing them at -350. Like the Selecao, the Colombians have a solid lineup. In fact, if not for the goalkeeping supremacy of Argentina’s Emi Martinez in the last edition, they would’ve been the team who played against Brazil, so who knows what could happen.
Colombia is currently on a 23-match unbeaten streak and should be a threat to teams with the likes of James Rodriguez and Luis Diaz leading the squad. Paraguay, on the other hand, is no pushover with players such as Newcastle United star Miguel Almiron and Matias Rojas likely to fill the wings and Omar Alderete and Fabian Balbuena leading the defensive duties. Meanwhile, Costa Rica will be banking on Manfred Ugalde to have a breakout tournament to advance. The Los Ticos was dealt a massive blow with the retirement of resident goalkeeper Keylor Navas weeks before the tournament.
The Copa America tournament has seen several teams and players defy the odds and rise above the expectations. After all, it is a place where players become heroes and for the select few to be immortalized in the sport owing to their exploits in the competition. For the upcoming tournament, here are some underdog selections that you may want to consider based on their current form and past tournament histories.
The last time Uruguay won the tournament, Luis Suarez was still 24 years old and having his best year with Liverpool. Now at 37, the former League Cup winner is no longer at the peak of his scoring prowess but Suarez can still find the bottom of the net. In fact, in 16 league games with Inter Miami, Suarez found it no less than 12 times.
He will be joined up front by current Liverpool star Darwin Nunez, who is among the favorites to lead the Copa America 2024 tournament in scoring. They will also be bringing in a new head coach in Marcelo Bielsa, who was responsible for bringing Leeds United back into the Premier League in 2023. Offensively, Uruguay is loaded with plenty of scoring threats and they also have a solid defense, making them a great bet to win the tournament outright.
Statistically speaking, Colombia is among the worst offensive teams in the history of the tournament. As a matter of fact, they only scored seven goals in the 2021 edition, despite making it into the semifinals. It is also worth noting that before reaching the semis, the Colombians only found the back of the net three times.
However, their suffocating defense is something to be admired, which more than makes up for the team’s offensive shortcomings. In the 2021 edition, they held Uruguay scoreless in the quarterfinals and beat them via penalties to advance into the next round. While in the semifinals, they held their ground against Argentina before losing on penalties. Had it not for Emi Martinez, Colombia would’ve played Brazil in the final. Oh, did we mention that they are currently on a 23-match unbeaten streak? Put simply, Colombia is another solid underdog that you should consider.
A lone goal in the 48th minute ended the hopes of Chile in the 2021 edition of the Copa America tournament. Back-to-back tournament Golden Boot winner Eduardo Vargas returns to lead the offensive load for the Chileans, who last lifted the trophy in 2016. He will be playing alongside Inter Milan forward Alexis Sanchez who is coming off a good Serie A season, notching two goals and five assists.
Sheffield United Ben Brereton will most likely complete the three men upfront for La Roja, who has consistently advanced into the knockout round since 2004. Banking on La Roja to win the tournament outright is a little out there, but it is something that should be considered, especially with how the team is built upside down. Unlike other teams, Chile is packed with grizzled vets and up-and-coming stars that could frustrate powerhouse squads such as Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay in the later rounds.
Speaking of frustrating powerhouse football nations, there have been plenty of times it happened in the Copa America tournament. When an underdog squad defies the odds and makes a surprising run, their names are etched forever in sporting folklore. In this section, we’ll relive some of the biggest upsets in the history of the Copa America tournament.
The Bolivian national team rarely tasted success in international tournaments. But lady luck smiled when it hosted the 1997 edition of the Copa America tournament. Entering the competition as one of the biggest underdogs, Bolivia defied all odds and beat the likes of Colombia and Brazil in the group stages to make it into the finals. While they were unable to replicate their group stage performance against Brazil in the finals, their unexpected journey to the championship game remains one of the most memorable upsets in tournament history.
Peru caught the football world by surprise in 2011 when they made an inspiring run for the semifinals behind the scoring exploits of striker Paolo Guerrero. Finishing the group stage with a 1-1-1 (win-draw-loss) card, the Peruvians made it to the knockout stage wherein they beat Colombia 2-0 in extra time. While their magic ran out during the semifinals, where they lost 0-2 to a star-studded Uruguayan squad, the Peruvians managed to finish in third after beating Venezuela 4-1 in the battle-for-third match.
The United States had no business ruining the championship hopes of Argentina in the 1995 Copa America tournament. After all, they were just a guest team at that time. But the Americans played like they were fighting for their lives, upsetting Argentina 3-0. What makes this loss even worse for the Argentinians is the fact that they needed a point to secure the top spot in their group and avoid their bitter rivals Brazil early in the knockout stage. Immediately after advancing into the knockout round, Argentina lost to Brazil, ultimately ending their title hopes.
The most interesting thing about the Copa America tournament is its unpredictability. With players fighting for their country’s badge and honor, making the right selections is always tricky even if on paper it seems like one team is superior to the other. Therefore, we suggest checking our site regularly for the latest updates, injury reports, team news, and betting odds. Consistent and accurate information can help you make the right selections for the 2024 Copa America and beyond.
Argentina and Uruguay share the honors for the top teams in Copa America tournament history. They have lifted the trophy fifteen times each.
Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay are among the favorites to win the Copa America in almost every edition. Between them, these three countries have won the tournament a combined 39 times.
Argentina’s Norberto Mendez and Brazil’s Zizinho are among the most prolific scorers in Copa America tournament history. They each found the back of the net 17 times while playing in the tournament.
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