Upcoming Match-ups
Tmrw
11
May
3:30 PM
OKC
DAL
+2
-2
218.5
8:30 PM
BOS
CLE
-8.5
+8.5
211
Sunday
12
May
3:30 PM
NY
IND
+6
-6
--

Palmeiras +275 Favorites to Win Copa Libertadores 2019 Ahead of Quarterfinals

Daniel Coyle

by Daniel Coyle in Soccer News

Updated Apr 23, 2020 · 1:02 PM PDT

Gremio is in the QF of the Copa
Brazilian powerhouse Grêmio are among the favorites on the Copa Libertadores championship odds as the tournament enters the quarterfinals. Photo by Agencia de Noticias ANDES ([Wikipedia])
  • SE Palmeiras have emerged as strong +275 favorites on the Copa Libertadores championship odds despite posting just two wins in their past 12 overall matches
  • A 3-4-1 overall slide have impacted the odds of 2017 tournament champions Gremio, who enter the quarterfinals as a +800 wager
  • Boca Juniors have plenty to prove after falling to defeat in last year’s final, but it is reigning champions River Plate who offer the most value as an attractive +400 wager

Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras have struggled to find the win column in recent outings, posting just two victories in 12 matches across all competitions.

But the current swoon has failed to shake the reigning Brazilian Serie A champions from their perch atop the odds to win this year’s CONMEBOL Copa Libertadores, where they continue to lead the way as +275 favorites.

2019 Copa Libertadores Odds

Team Odds
Palmeiras +275
Boca Juniors +400
River Plate +400
Internacional +550
Flamengo +600
Gremio +800
LDU Quito +1200
Cerro Porteno +1400

*Odds taken 8/20/19

Palmeiras Struggling Following Fast Start

Dominant through the first two month’s of the Brazilian Serie A campaign, Palmeiras looked to be on pace for a third Serie A title in four years after racking up an 8-1-0 win-draw-loss record through their first nine league matches.

The Verdão have stumbled badly since, going 2-7-3 across all competitions, including a 0-5-1 run in league play, capped by a 1-1 draw with rival Gremio this past weekend. That contest represented a preview of the Copa Libertadores quarterfinal clash between the two clubs that gets underway  tonight at Arena do Gremio in Porto Alegre, Brazil.

However, Palmeiras has continued to rise to the occasion in Copa Libertadores action, keeping clean sheets on six occasions while marching to the quarterfinals on the strength of a 6-1-1 record, capped by a 4-0 rout of Godoy Cruz in the second-leg of their round of 16 clash to claim victory by a 6-2 aggregate score.

2024 MLS Cup Odds Tracker
Read More

The club has also been dominant on home turf during the tournament, outscoring opponents by an 11-0 margin in four straight wins.

In addition, Palmeiras has regularly topped Gremio in recent matchups, posting wins in four straight meetings prior to last weekend’s draw, and going 3-2-0 in five road dates.

Gremio Plagued by Inconsistency

Copa Libertadores champions in 2017, Gremio have faced recent struggles of their own as they prepare for the quarterfinals as a lengthy +800 wager on the tournament futures.

While the Imortal Tricolor have overcome a shaky start to this year’s tournament with five straight victories, keeping clean sheets in each of their past four, they have otherwise struggled, going 3-4-1 in their past eight across all competitions. They have posted wins in just three of six contests on home turf.

With Brazilian squads dominating the lower bracket, it is a certainty that a Serie A squad will reach this year’s tournament final. Pegged as the No. 7 seed going into the knockout stage, Flamengo are perched as -135 home chalk in Wednesday’s quarterfinal with No. 3 Internacional.

With Brazilian squads dominating lower bracket, it is a certainty that a Serie A squad will reach this year’s tournament final.

The Brazilian rivals also closely trail the favorites on the Copa Libertadores championship odds, with Internacional pegged at +550, just ahead of Flamengo at +600. However, a pair of Argentine powerhouses cannot be overlooked as the quarterfinals get underway.

Juniors Return to Quarterfinals With Plenty to Prove

Six-time winners at this tournament, the Juniors are listed as an attractive +400 wager to tie a tournament record with a seventh all-time championship victory when they face Ecuadorian side LDU Quito in a quarterfinal clash that gets underway in Quito on Wednesday night.

Undefeated in a pair of previous meetings, the Juniors face an LDU Quito squad that has struggled with consistency in both league and tournament play and has relied on surprising success on home turf during their deepest run at this tournament since lifting the trophy in 2008. However, road wins have been rare for LDU Quito, which lags as a lengthy +1200 wager on the Copa Libertadores championship odds. The side has failed to win in 15 road contests since 2008.

Defending Champions River Plate Remain Class of the Tournament

But it is Club Atletico River Plate that likely provides the most value heading into the quarterfinal, joining Boca Juniors as an attractive +400 wager. The defending Copa Libertadores champions look to be heating up at the right time as they prepare to face Paraguayan side Cerro Porteno.

Los Millonarios are coming off a pair of dominating performances in Superliga action, capped by a 6-1 demolition of Racing Club, to extend their current unbeaten streak across all competitions to nine matches.

https://twitter.com/ElCultiCARP/status/1163480976913326080?s=20

The club has played outstanding defense during their current tear, allowing just six total goals over their past 11 matches, and have been dominant on home turf, outgunning opponents by a 37-9 margin during a 10-3-1 run across all competitions, and keeping clean sheets in six of their past eight home dates

River Plate has also been the class of the Copa Libertadores over the past two years, posting just two losses in 25 matches, with their lone defeat on home turf coming in the first leg of last season’s semifinal clash with Gremio.

Pick: River Plate (+400)

Author Image