Soccer Betting – Messi, Arg. Head 2016 Copa America Faves

The Copa America will celebrate 100 years since its inception with this year’s Centenario. The 45th edition of the sporadically held tournament will run from June 3 – 26 in ten venues across the United States. Lionel Messi and Argentina will be the early favorites when the best that South and Latin America have to offer will make their way stateside. But a host of nations – including the host Americans – have a real shot at winning it all. Just last year, Chile made an improbable run to the title on home soil.

What are the odds the USMNT can do the same?

Copa America Centenario  Futures

Argentina: 2/1

Argentina come into this year’s tournament highly motivated after losing last year’s final on penalties. They have the most talent at their disposal and they’re going to be putting it to use, bringing every single weapon they have to American soil, including Lionel Messi. That was good enough to finish as runner-up to Germany in the last World Cup. It should be good enough to conquer this year’s Copa.

Brazil: 9/2

Coach Carlos Dunga is trying to revamp the Selecao after their disappointing performance in the 2014 World Cup (when they didn’t make it out of the group stage) and a quarterfinal exit in last year’s Copa (when they lost 4-3 on penalties to Paraguay). There’s never any shortage of talent on the roster, but they won’t have star striker Neymar and don’t have a real identity under Dunga yet.

Team USA: 11/2

The Americans haven’t been great lately; they’re only third in the odds because they’re playing on home soil. Manager Jürgen Klinsmann doesn’t seem to have any idea what kind of team he wants to mold. Are they a defense-first, counter-attacking side, or an aggressive, offensive force? It changes from month to month. If the US don’t put the pieces together at this tournament, Klinsmann is likely to lose his job.

Chile: 13/2

The Chileans are the current Copa America champions, and they will represent the continent in the Confederation Cup in 2017.  However, they are transitioning from coach Jorge Sampaoli to Juan Antonio Pizzi, who doesn’t have much experience as a manager. They remain a dangerous team that can beat anyone on any field on any day, but repeating will be a tall order.

Uruguay: 15/2

Uruguay’s chances are in jeopardy after Luis Suarez injured his hamstring in the Copa del Rey final with Barcelona. Without Suarez, Uruguay will be missing perhaps the best pure striker in the world. Veteran Edinson Cavani will only be able to carry the Charruas so far.

The Field:

Colombia: 8/1

Mexico: 10/1

Ecuador: 35/1

Costa Rica: 50/1

Peru: 50/1

Paraguay: 60/1

Bolivia: 100/1

Venezuela: 100/1

Jamaica: 150/1

Panama: 200/1

Haiti: 500/1

(Photo Credit: Agência Brasil ([1]) CC BY 3.0 br [http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/br/deed.en], via Wikimedia Commons.)