2011 Copa America Betting Odds: Chile vs Shorthanded Mexicans
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
By BetOnline.com
Most soccer betting players would expect a competitive match between Chile and Mexico, but the Mexicans have been hurt by their participation in a recent tournament, as well as a scandal that has robbed them of more players. Look for the Chileans to show no mercy in their Copa America betting opener.
What: Soccer Betting
When: Monday, July 4th, 8:45 PM ET
Where: Estadio del Bicentario, San Juan, Argentina
Pick: Chile -180
Why Bet On Chile
The Chileans have a lot of attacking power with the duo of Humberto Suazo and Alex Sanchez up front, but the key to their plan will probably be midfielder Matias Fernandez, who scored in Chile’s final two games leading up to the Copa America, and you can look for him to line up over some important free kicks as well, while Gary Medel and Arturo Vidal can shield the back four. Goalkeeper Claudio Bravo is behind a defense led by Pablo Contreras and Gonzalo Jara, and from front to back, this is a very solid edition of La Roja. They managed to finished second in their group at the World Cup before they were romped 3-0 by Brazil, and they would love to meet the defending champions at some point in this tournament to avenge that loss. Chile also has some quality coming off the bench, and that can be a factor late in games.
One major drawback that the Chileans will have to overcome is unpredictably; because of the shakeup in the Mexican lineup, they don’t know who they’re going to be preparing for. The onus falls on manager Claudio Borghi to have his team ready for all scenarios, but he has the players ready as they’ve won two and drawn three of their last five, and all of those draws came on the road in the United States, Portugal and Paraguay, who are also in Group C.
Why Bet On Mexico
The Mexicans are a soccer betting darkhorse in this tournament, but there should be a good feeling in the program and amongst the players as they did manage to win the Gold Cup, thoroughly rolling over the United States in a 4-2 final victory. Midfielder Giovani dos Santos was one of the stars of the tournament, and he will also be the most experienced player that manager Jose Manuel de la Torre can count on as a number of players will be rest, including striker Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez, who followed up his brilliant first year with Manchester United with another great effort in the Gold Cup. All of Mexico’s best players will have to go through dos Santos, a tricky attacking midfielder.
But things just got more difficult for El Tri, who had five players suspended from their Gold Cup team because of a banned substance. Now, eight players from the Copa America squad have been suspended because of a prostitution scandal, and the federation had to scramble to replace them in time. This is a lot to put on the players who are left to Argentina, as it was basically an under-22 team that was going to represent the country. Even though the Mexicans have always put in a good showing at the Copa America (a trio of third-place finishes, two runners-up), it’s now going to be a struggle just to get out of the first round.
How It Will Play Out
Soccer betting odds have Chile as a -180 favorite in this contest, while Mexico is listed at +475, and a draw is rated at +245. It could get even worse for the Mexicans as the news of their suspensions was just reported, so factor that into your wager. These two have split their last three meetings since the last Copa America in 2007, with the Chileans getting a win and a draw on neutral soil, while Mexico won in their capital city last May.
The Mexicans are going to come out fighting, but they don’t have the experience to hang with the Chileans and now, they may not even have the talent as these players didn’t make the first squad for a reason. Mexico will probably hang around for a while, but Chile should eventually cruise to a victory in your sports betting book.
Chile and Mexico Betting – Take Chile
Related Articles
- Copa America Odds: Uruguay and Veneuzuela Should Meet In Final
- Greece World Cup Betting Lines
- Copa America Picks: Teams That Should Emerge From The Quarterfinals
- Brazil vs. Chile – Bet on the World Cup
- World Cup Betting - USA vs. Ghana
Category
Tags
alex sanchez - chile - claudio borghi - claudio bravo - copa america - giovani dos santos - gold cup - humberto suazo - mexico - pablo contreras
Proud member of the