The 2024 Copa America is set to start in the United States on June 20th. The prestigious tournament will then continue for nearly a month, as the title match is scheduled for July 14th. Although the competition generally consists of South American national teams, organizers elected to move the tournament to the States this summer. […]
The 2024 Copa America is set to start in the United States on June 20th. The prestigious tournament will then continue for nearly a month, as the title match is scheduled for July 14th. Although the competition generally consists of South American national teams, organizers elected to move the tournament to the States this summer. As a result, the United States Men’s National Team (USMNT) will take a rare place in the contest.
Perennial powerhouses Argentina (+174) and Brazil (+218) enter the competition as the two overwhelming favorites to lift the trophy. Argentina previously collected the 2021 Copa America title and the 2022 World Cup with Lionel Messi leading the group. La Albiceleste even won the last iteration of the tournament on rival soil, as Brazil hosted the last version of the contest.
Nevertheless, Brazil has one of the strongest national teams in the sport. Seleção is currently ranked fifth in the world in the latest figures by FIFA. The South American squad is led by a lethal attack featuring Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo, and Raphinha. Superstar Neymar, however, will miss the tournament due to a knee injury.
Mexico currently has better odds of winning the tournament than the USMNT
Although Argentina and Brazil are clear favorites, the CONCACAF team with the best odds to win the 2024 Copa America may be a bit of a surprise. According to current figures, Mexico has a slightly better chance of lifting the cup than the USMNT. El Tri’s odds of eventually winning the competition are +1,179 at the moment. This is the fifth-best chance of any team at the tournament. Only the two aforementioned teams and Uruguay (+512) and Colombia (+1,064) currently have better odds.
This will likely come as a surprise as the USMNT recently topped their rivals to the south in the recent Nations League final. The Americans beat Mexico 2-0 in Texas to collect the trophy. USA’s recent win over El Tri was also not exactly a flash in the pan.
The Americans have essentially dominated Mexico in recent years. In fact, Gregg Berhalter’s side has not suffered a defeat to their bitter rivals since 2019. This covers a stretch of seven total matchups. The USMNT has won five of these fixtures and drawn the remaining two games. Berhalter’s group currently has the sixth-best odds to win the Copa America at +1,240.
Gambling figures will likely change between now and the competition’s start
Betting odds for sports games are generally set by experts in the gambling field. Also, the current figures may very well fluctuate quite a bit before the upcoming tournament begins later this summer. This means that the USMNT could eventually leapfrog Mexico in the money line within the coming months.
The numbers related to betting odds signify how much a bettor will win if wagering $100 on a team. For instance, if the gambler wins a bet listed at +300, they would then receive $300 plus their initial stake of $100. The money line is essentially the net profit in the specific bet.
