Chile’s 2019 Copa América Odds Now 12-1: Is There Value?
- Chile have confirmed that their leading scorer Alexis Sanchez will be ready for the Copa América, however the squad continues to tumble from an odds perspective
- Winners of the past two editions of the Copa América, Chile have struggled since on the international stage, and failed to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup
- A first-place finish in Group C is crucial for Chile to avoid a likely quarterfinal clash with Argentina, who have reached the Copa América final in four of their past five appearances, and offer value as +350 second favorites
Chile have confirmed that forward Alexis Sanchez will be available when they kick off the defense of their Copa América title on Monday.
But despite the addition of their leading scorer following a dismal campaign at Manchester United, La Roja have taken a step back in the Copa América odds to win a third straight Copa América crown, slipping to average odds of +1200 and as long as +1400.
Odds to Win 2019 Copa America
| Team | Odds to Win |
|---|---|
| Brazil | +110 |
| Argentina | +350 |
| Uruguay | +650 |
| Colombia | +900 |
| Chile | +1200 |
| Peru | +2200 |
| Paraguay | +3300 |
| Venezuela | +3300 |
| Ecuador | +4000 |
| Japan | +5000 |
| Bolivia | +6600 |
| Qatar | +8000 |
Chile Struggling Since Claiming Consecutive Copa América Titles
The Chileans have dominated in each of the past two editions of the Copa América, eventually claiming victory over Argentina on penalties in the final of each of those tournaments. However, La Roja have otherwise struggled on the international stage.
La Roja crashed out with clean sheet losses in four of six qualifying matches in a failed bid to earn a berth at the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
La Roja crashed out with clean sheet losses in four of six qualifying matches in a failed bid to earn a berth at the 2018 FIFA World Cup. They turned in mixed results in recent international friendlies, going 5-4-4 in 13 matches since the start of 2018 including recent losses to Peru, Mexico, and the United States.
If Alexis Sanchez leaves Manchester United in January/next summer, will he go down as a bigger flop than Angel Di Maria?
— Alex Shaw (@AlexShawTel) November 13, 2018
Concerns linger about the fitness of Sanchez. The 30-year-old leads all Chileans with 41 career goals, and was key to La Roja’s past two Copa América wins, but is coming off the worst season of his career, potting just one goal in 20 appearances with the Red Devils. A far cry from the 24 goals he scored with Arsenal FC just two years ago.
Arturo Vidal enjoyed a far better campaign, extending his streak of league titles to eight. This season’s championship came with FC Barcelona, where he started in 28 contests and potted three goals. He earned seven assists while playing regularly alongside Lionel Messi.
First-Place Finish in Group C Crucial for La Roja
After drawing into Group C, alongside Uruguay, Ecuador, and Japan, Chile are well-positioned to get out of the group stage and advance to the quarterfinals for the seventh time in eight Copa América appearances since 1999. But top spot on the group table is far from assured.
Chile and Uruguay split a pair of meetings during 2018 World Cup qualifying, with each side tallying a win on home turf.
However, La Celeste enter this year’s tournament on a high after outgunning opponents by a 10-0 overall margin in three straight wins, capped by a 3-0 rout of Panama in a friendly earlier this month. They’ve seen their Copa América odds improve to +630 as recently as mid-May.
Indeed, a first-place finish in the group stage will be crucial to La Roja’s championship hopes. The winner of Group C will enjoy a quarterfinal matchup against one of the two third-place squads that will advance to the knockout stage, while a second-place finish means a quarterfinal clash with the winner of Group B.
Argentina Eager to Avenge Losses to Chile in past Two Copa América Finals
Argentina is currently pegged as a heavy -175 favorite to finish atop the Group B table, and would likely relish the opportunity to avenge their losses to Chile in consecutive Copa América finals.
Sporting +350 odds, La Albiceleste sit second only to host nation Brazil in the Copa América futures. But Brazil remains in turmoil resulting from the scandal enveloping Neymar, who will miss the tournament due to injury.
📊 — Argentina's Copa America record with and without Messi since their last trophy in 1997.
• Without Messi:
1995 Quarter final
1997 Quarter final
1999 Quarter final
2001 Didn't participate
2004 Final• With Messi:
2007 Final
2011 Quarter final
2015 Final
2016 Final
2019 ? pic.twitter.com/bgBa0SSAFr— Barça Universal (@BarcaUniversal) June 8, 2019
In addition, despite regularly finding themselves at or near the top of the odds ahead of any international tournament they participate in, the Canarinho have proven to be massive disappointments on the big stage in recent years, including at the Copa América, where they have failed to finish better than fifth in three appearances since their last tournament win in 2007.
The Canarinho have proven to be massive disappointments on the big stage in recent years, including at the Copa América.
That leaves the door wide open for Argentina to reach the Copa América final for the fifth time in six tournament appearances, and claim their first tournament championship since 1993.
Pick: Argentina (+350)
Daniel has been writing about sports and sports betting for over 23 years. The seasoned pro has contributed to the likes of Sports Illustrated, Sportsnet, NESN, Bleacher Report, OddsShark, the Globe and Mail, and The Nation magazine.
