USA vs Canada Odds & Prediction – CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying

• USA and Canada to lock horns for the first time since the Gold Cup group stage match this summer, won by the US
• Both teams recorded draws in their first World Cup qualifying games of the final round last Thursday
• Read on for betting odds, a full preview and the best bet for this CONCACAF World Cup qualifying match

Neither the United States or Canada had what they would consider ideal starts to the final round of their World Cup qualifying campaigns this week. The US, 10th in the FIFA world rankings and recently crowned Gold Cup champion, was held to a goalless draw vs 64th-ranked El Salvador, while No. 59 Canada had to come from behind at home to earn a point against 63rd-ranked Honduras.

That means that both will be out to secure the full three points in their second game on Sunday, September 5th, kicking off at 8pm ET in Nashville.

United States vs Canada Odds

Odds as of September 5 at FanDuel

Changes Coming For USA?

After setting a modern era record with 12 American players making their World Cup qualifying debuts Thursday night, US head coach Gregg Berhalter will be hoping they can put any nerves behind them in this second game.

A modern era record 12 #USMNT players made their #WCQ debuts to help the 🇺🇸 earn an important road point in 🇸🇻 on Thursday.

Gregg Berhalter: “I think it was a really good learning experience for the collective group.”

We #MoveForward. pic.twitter.com/C1r4CzyME1

— U.S. Soccer Men's National Team (@USMNT) September 3, 2021

One change that might prove beneficial for the US, particularly in attack, is the possible availability of Chelsea forward Christian Pulisic, who missed the opener after he came down with COVID-19. Despite his own youth at just 22, his experience in big games in England and Europe would provide a heavy dose of experience for a roster with an average age of 24 years and 87 days as of Sunday.

USMNT boss Gregg Berhalter says Christian Pulisic's status for Sunday's game against Canada is TBD.

"To be out for 10 days and have Covid isn't the easiest thing to get over, so, for us, it's about seeing how he can come back in a safe way. That's the most important thing." pic.twitter.com/CBTNRfGMsg

— GOAL (@goal) September 5, 2021

Pulisic is also tied with Michael Bradley for seventh on the program’s all-time World Cup qualifying goal-scoring list with seven goals, and is tied for fourth in all-time WCQ assists with six. Needless to say, for a team that didn’t generate much going forward in El Salvador, his presence here could be crucial.

Canada Far From Content

After all the hype and expectation (to say nothing of the 31-1 margin of goal scoring that John Herdman’s team had put up in the earlier qualifying rounds), a hard-fought 1-1 draw with Honduras was not exactly what Canadian soccer fans had in mind on Thursday.

While the team was playing its first game on Canadian soil since beating the US there 2-0 in a Nations League game in October, 2019, the continued strong play of Alphonso Davies with Bayern Munich, alongside championship campaigns from Jonathan David with Lille and Cyle Larin of Besiktas, had fans’ imaginations running wild.

Canada will be driving for all three points if possible here, although it hasn’t won a World Cup qualifying game on the road against the US since 1957.

Cyle Larin adds to his impressive 2021 tally with his equalizing goal earlier tonight 🍁

⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️#CANMNT #WCQ #ForCanada pic.twitter.com/TTWJbNKUyW

— Canada Soccer (@CanadaSoccerEN) September 3, 2021

It will hope for continued hot play for Larin here too, with the striker having now scored 11 goals in the calendar year, while striker partner David has 15 goals in 17 appearances for his home country.

World Cup History on Canada’s Side

Surprisingly, for a rivalry that has been very heavily slanted towards the Americans of late (Canada’s 2-0 win two years ago was its first over the US in 34 years), the World Cup qualifying ledger is tilted towards Canada.

Herdman’s side leads 6-4-3 in the all-time World Cup series, although this is the first meeting between them in WCQ since the buildup to the 1998 tournament, when America registered a pair of 3-0 wins. The US is also unbeaten in its last five WCQ games on home soil against Canada, and has an overall 3-1-2 mark in that regard.

USA vs Canada 2021 Stats

American Domination

Take out the rare World Cup qualifying meetings though, and this series is very heavily dominated by the US. Since the 2-0 loss in Canada two years ago, the US won the return fixture 4-1 on home soil, and then won the Gold Cup group stage match between the teams the summer by a solitary Shaq Moore goal 20 seconds into the game.

They own an all-time 18-10-10 edge in the rivalry, and has lost just once in the past 20 games to its northern neighbor.

Best bet: Draw (+270)