USA vs El Salvador Odds & Prediction – CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying
- Second-placed USMNT hosts seventh-placed visitors in Columbus, Ohio at 7:00pm ET on Thursday
- American side has lost just once in the group while El Salvador has secured only one victory
- See all the odds, best bets and predictions for USA vs El Salvador in CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying below
There is undoubtedly a big opportunity for the USA national men’s team to take another major step towards World Cup qualification when it hosts El Salvador on Thursday.
Ahead of the game in freezing Columbus, Ohio, the USA side is unbeaten in its last 18 matches on home soil.
Furthermore, it sits second in the standings for the CONCACAF qualifying group “Octagonal” third phase.
Struggling El Salvador, meanwhile, is in seventh place in the eight-team section with only one win to its credit.
USA vs El Salvador Odds
| Matchup | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| USA vs El Salvador | USA -1.5 (-143) | ELS +1.5 (+120) | USA -530 | ELS +1200 | DRAW +500 | Ov 2.5 (-118) | Un 2.5 (-104) |
Odds as of January 26 at Barstool
At Barstool Sportsbook, USA is certainly a massive favorite for a home victory at -500.
Oddsmakers, moreover, expect goals from the home team, with a spread price of -143 for the Asian Handicap suggesting it will win markedly by a margin of at least two.
With kick-off at Lower Field at 7:00 pm ET, El Salvador is rated at +1200. The draw, moreover, is at +500.
These odds are, basically, so extreme as to suggest that a prop selection would be more attractive.
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Goalless Draw In Meeting Last September
The Salvadoreans previously held the USA to a 0-0 draw at home in the opening round of this qualifying section last September.
However, it has lost three of its four road trip games – with one draw.
It is, though, likely to offer stubborn and well-organized physical resistance in Columbus.
.@FCTulsa's @jwalkin11 and @Ronald03_, @eplocomotivefc's @ericcalvillo26 and @MontereyBayFC's @walmermartinez_ have been selected by El Salvador for its upcoming #WCQ2022 contest, which open against the #USMNT on Thursday.https://t.co/ESNrD2myCy
— Nicholas Murray (@NJEMurray) January 24, 2022
But the USA is the second-leading scorer in the group with 12 goals, one behind first-placed Canada.
That certainly suggests that a USA win will be comfortable but hard work – with a big goal margin unlikely.
Therefore, the correct score offer for the USA to win 2-0 is a good proposition at +400.
The Americans will be particularly keen to get back to winning ways after being held to a 1-1 draw in Jamaica in their most recent World Cup outing.
That was a slight setback after the impressive 2-0 home win against Mexico – currently third-placed – in the previous tie.
It was the US side’s third home win in this qualifying group, with one draw against current leaders Canada last September.
Now the team has 15 points in second place, with leaders Canada on 16.
Jan. 27 vs. El Salvador
Jan. 30 at Canada
Feb. 2 vs. HondurasThe @USMNT roster for their upcoming World Cup qualifiers is set 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/Zq54rTbIob
— B/R Football (@brfootball) January 21, 2022
And, furthermore, with a critical trip to face the Canadians following quickly on January 30, three points are certainly imperative.
So the USA side will be keen to set itself up emphatically for that crunch meeting in Hamilton as the qualifying campaign heads into its decisive stages.
USA vs El Salvador Statistics
| 4 | Wins | 1 |
| 3 | Draws | 3 |
| 1 | Losses | 4 |
| 12 | Goals | 4 |
| 5 | Goals Against | 10 |
| 6 | Yellow Cards | 12 |
| 1 | Red Cards | 1 |
| 3 | Clean Sheets | 3 |
*Stats from CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying Third Round.
Previously, the USA missed the 2018 finals in Russia.
In this group, the first three finishers overall qualify automatically for the final tournament in Qatar next winter.
Fourth place, meanwhile, will head into an inter-confederation playoff.
Ricardo Pepi Is Top USA Goal Scorer
Ricardo Pepi of German Bundesliga outfit Augsburg is the leading US goal-getter with a tally of three.
But it certainly shares the strikes around, with eight players on target in total, including Brenden Aaronson of Red Bull Salzburg who has netted twice.
There are presently six rounds of fixtures remaining so, in theory, any nation can still qualify.
However, El Salvador’s chances appear remote.
It has six points which correspondingly places it eight points behind fourth-placed Panama.
#TimWeah trains with teammates ahead World Cup qualifying match vs El Salvador January 28 @USMNT @usmntonly pic.twitter.com/NSi88VvcQm
— Timothyweahfan (@timothyweahfan) January 25, 2022
The team slumped comparatively after its impressive goalless draw at home against the USA and the follow-up 0-0 draw against Honduras.
It has accordingly lost four times since with its most recent World Cup result a 2-1 defeat in Panama last November.
El Salvador has managed just four goals in its eight games so far.
Additionally, it also claimed its only win – a 1-0 success against Panama last October with a 1-1 draw at home against Jamaica the following month.
The side has managed just four goals in its eight games so far so is unlikely to find the net this time around.
Headed to Columbus, Ohio later this week to freeze for the USA Men’s Soccer vs El Salvador World Cup Qualifier game Thursday! pic.twitter.com/sZjCbigFuH
— Nicole Signor (@NSignorCreative) January 24, 2022
Despite its reputation for defensive resilience, it has conceded 10 goals – the joint second-worst record in the group.
Both these teams have played friendlies since their last World Cup dates.
USMNT Won December Warm-Up Friendly
The USA was a 1-0 winner against Bosnia in California on December 19.
Meanwhile, in December, El Salvador drew 1-1 at home against Ecuador and then went down 1-0 against Chile, also at home.
Significantly, there have been 26 meetings previously between these nations with the USA losing just once.
⚽ The @USMNT will host El Salvador at the Lower Com Field during the first international window of the year and a win will eliminate the Central Americans from the World Cup 👀#Soccer #Football https://t.co/c0EeXYNhVV
— AS USA (@English_AS) January 22, 2022
There have, meanwhile, been 19 wins for the USA and six further draws.
And, to sum, up that winning record for the Americans seems highly likely to continue with the group at an important juncture.
It could be a bit of a slog, however. So a two-goal winning margin without reply is certainly on the cards.
Pick: USA to win 2-0 (+400)
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John Dillon is a leading member of the UK's sporting media, having spent three decades as a national newspaper soccer and sports writer, broadcaster and author. He has covered five World Cups, six European Championships and was Chief Sports Writer at the Daily Express for 14 years.
