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Panama vs Honduras Odds & Prediction – CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying Matchday 12

Josh Ricker

by Josh Ricker in Soccer News

Updated Mar 24, 2022 · 4:00 AM PDT

Panama vs Honduras
Panama midfielder Édgar Bárcenas (10) and Honduras midfielder Bryan Acosta, left, attempt to control the ball during the second half of a CONCACAF Gold Cup Group D soccer match, Saturday, July 17, 2021, in Houston. (AP Photo/Justin Rex)
  • Panama hosts Honduras in the 12th round of CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying on Thursday, March 24th at 9:05 pm ET
  • Currently, Panama sits in fourth place on 17 points while Honduras trails at the back, in last place, on three points
  • Get the odds, analysis, and betting prediction below

This month’s international break features the final three matchdays of CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying. Only three sides will print their golden ticket to Qatar 2022 during the window, while the fourth-place side faces the dreaded inter-confederation playoffs in June.

As of right now, Panama and Thomas Christiansen hold that bittersweet fourth-place slot. However, Los Canaleros only trail Mexico by four points and have Costa Rica hot on their heels who play Canada on Thursday, only one point away. In turn, a lot could change by the end of the window and they will want to get play going in the right direction against last-place Honduras.

Conversely, Los Catrachos have not had it easy so far in their 11 games of CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying. In fact, Hernán Darío Gómez’s side has only gathered three points from separate draws against Canada, El Salvador and Costa Rica. In their last match out, they were ruthlessly defeated 3-0 by the United States on a frigid night in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Panama vs Honduras Odds

Matchup Spread Moneyline Total
Panama vs Honduras PAN -1.5 (+133) | HON +1.5 (-177) PAN -245 | HON +650 | DRAW +310 Ov 2.5 (+116) | Un 2.5 (-152)

Odds as of Mar 22nd at Barstool Sportsbook

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Overall, the odds for this match are in the favor of Panama with moneyline odds of -245, and rightfully so. Despite the juicy moneyline odds, this game is expected to be played on a thin margin with the under 2.5 on total goals sitting at -152.

This Match Is a Must-Win for Panama

Furthermore, it cannot be understated how massive this match is for Panama. Forget the point total, the other two games they play before closing out World Cup Qualifying are against the United States and Canada.

We know, anything can happen in CONCACAF football. But, there is a probable chance that Panama are on the negative end of both of those results. Presently, Panama has +200000 World Cup odds odds. If they fail to win this match, they might not even get there.

Panama vs Honduras CONCACAF WCQ Statistics

Panama
VS
Honduras
1.27 Average goals scored 0.45
1.34 Average xG 1.62
1.43 Average goals conceded 2.00
1.21 Average xGA 1.52
54.36% Possession % 49.18%
10.36 Shots per game 13.63

With that being said, this Panama side were not on the best of form in the last international window. They lost and were held to clean sheets against both Costa Rica and Mexico while trumping Jamaica in a wonky 3-2 contest.

YouTube video

Generally, Panama likes to soak up the possession, which is going to frustrate this Honduras side. Captain Anibal Godoy and Adalberto Carrasquilla are the central midfield pairing which we are likely to see in this match.

Up top, 34-year-old Alberto Quintero and Royal Parí FC striker Rolando Blackburn will lead the line. Blackburn already has three goals in nine starts for Honduras during these qualifying rounds and is their most threatening option going forward. Coincidentally, neither Blackburn or Quintero managed to get on the score sheet in the reverse fixture, despite Panama putting three past Luis Fernandez in net.

Honduras’ Offensive Woes are Hard to Look Past

For Honduras, the major point of concern is on the attacking end. While their defense is rather leaky, scoring only five goals in 11 games certainly will not get you far. Moreover, their average expected goal tally of 1.62 per match shows just how ineffective this attack is.

Regardless, it is worth noting they did manage to put two goals past Panama in their reverse fixture at home. Those two goals gave Honduras a 2-0 lead in that match. But, a three goal flurry after the 77th minute, saw Honduras leave the Estadio Olímpico Metropolitano unsatisfied.

YouTube video

Ultimately, Honduras are playing for pride at this point in qualifying. They have nothing to lose, and fringe MLS players like Kervin Arriaga and Bryan Acosta will be playing with something to prove. Still, the task of beating an inspired Panama side is no easy request.

Panama vs Honduras Best Bet

Overall, the best bet in this match is the total goals to go over 2.5 with odds of +116. These odds have good value and I expect Panama to hit the Over on their goal tally alone, given their tight circumstances this late in qualifying.

Pick: Over 2.5 total goals (+116)

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