Copa America 2024 Odds, Picks & Predictions: Monday (6/24)

The 2024 Copa America continues Monday with two more First Round Group Stage matches at NRG Stadium in Houston, and SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif. In Group D action, Colombia and Paraguay meet in the Metroplex with the matchup beginning at 6 p.m. ET. At 9 p.m. ET, Brazil and Costa Rica wrap up the first round of group-stage matches in Southern California. Both matches can be viewed on streamed on FOX Sports 1.

Let’s continue to build that bankroll for the remainder of the 2024 CONMEBOL Copa America tournament with our best fútbol bets for Monday, June 24. Here are our top 2024 Copa America picks and predictions for Colombia vs. Paraguay and Brazil vs. Costa Rica.

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Monday’s 2024 Copa America Best Bets

Copa America 2024 odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook | All wagers are for 1 unit

Colombia (-145) vs. Paraguay (+470) – Draw (+250) | O/U Total 2.5 (+136/-166)

Colombia kicks off Group D play against Paraguay at NRG Stadium in Houston. The Colombia side won the Copa America Tournament in 2001 as the host nation, topping Mexico. While Los Cafeteros has a very good history on the pitch, it hasn’t had a major title since winning the FIFA Confederations Cup in 2003. It did win the 3rd-place game in 2021 in the most recent installment, topping Peru 3-2 in a high-scoring affair. However, Colombia has a pretty good chance of winning this tournament, as it enters group play with the 4th-shortest odds to hoist the trophy.

It might surprise people that Paraguay won the 1979 Copa America tournament, and it also took home the championship in 1953. Paraguay ended up losing the 3rd-place game against Peru in 2015, and it was the tournament runner-up in 2011 in a 3-0 loss to Uruguay.

Colombia is 12th in the FIFA Rankings, while Paraguay checks in 58th.

Manager Nestor Lorenzo leads Colombia into its first major tournament. It steams in with plenty of confidence, posting a 1-0 win over Spain in March, and a 3-2 victory against Romania. They also ended up thumping the United States 5-1 in an international friendly, while rolling Bolivia by a 3-0 score. The knock on Colombia is that scoring can be a challenge. Striker Luis Diaz is a world-class player who earns big dollars with Liverpool in the English Premier League, however, he cannot do it alone. Jhon Arias is likely to be a secondary scoring option, and he had seven goals and 13 points in 30 games for Fluminense in Brazil, while James Rodriguez is a tertiary option from the flank. The 32-year-old captain still has plenty left in the tank.

Santiago Arias, Carlos Cuesta, Deiver Machado, and Yerry Mina will look to suffocate the opposition, helping David Ospina to keep his sheet clean.

Paraguay, nicknamed La Albirroja, posted a 1-0 win over Bolivia to gain a little confidence in a World Cup Qualifier on June 16 at Estadio Rommel Fernandez Gutierrez. That snapped an 0-2-2 skid in the four matches prior. Paraguay is also winless in the past four tries against Colombia, and it hasn’t won in a Copa America match since 2007, when Paraguay picked up a 5-0 win.

Both teams are tremendous defensively, and that’s the biggest takeaway. Colombia has Luis Diaz, and it will lean heavily upon him to score. Will he? We’ll see. Colombia should be able to do enough to get three points in this win, and Ospina should do the rest. But don’t expect much in the way of offense in this match.

Best Bets

Colombia Moneyline 3-Way (-145)
Under 1.5 Total Goals (+196)
Correct Score – Colombia 1-0 (+470)

Same Game Parlay (+435)

Colombia Moneyline 3-Way (-145)
Under 1.5 Total Goals (+196)

Brazil (-800) vs. Costa Rica (+1900) – Draw (+800) | O/U Total 2.5 (+110/-134)

Group D has two of the top four favorites in this Copa America, with Brazil (+220) and Colombia (+1200) both vying for the top spot in Group D. Seleção Canarinho has won Copa America nine times, and it is looking to three quick points as it starts the journey for a 10th championship.

Costa Rica isn’t likely to be much more than a speed bump for Brazil. This is the first major tournament for manager Dorival Junior. Brazil is unbeaten in four matches since Junior took the reins, and it hasn’t lost to a CONCACAF team since suffering a 2-0 setback to Mexico way back in 2012. In addition, Brazil is unbeaten in the past seven Copa America group-stage matches, with a 1-0 loss to Peru in 2016 as the most recent setback.

Brazil is a little shorthanded, but still very talented. Ederson, the goalkeeper who works for Manchester City, is still recovering from a fractured eye socket suffered in May. That means Alisson will serve as the top keeper, with Bento and Rafael as the backups. Meanwhile, Neymar is still rehabbing from an anterior cruciate ligament injury, while Richarlison is nursing a calf ailment.

The last time we saw Brazil on the pitch, it played to a 1-1 draw against Brazil. Meanwhile, Costa Rica posted a 3-0 victory against Grenada in a World Cup qualifier, building a little confidence. Los Ticos also spanked Saint Kitts 4-0 in a World Cup qualifier at Estadio Nacional de Costa Rica on June 7. Before that, Costa Rica played to a scoreless draw on June 1 in an international friendly against Uruguay, showing off tremendous defensive ability.

Costa Rica has some experience, especially at midfielder and defense. Midfielder Joel Campbell and fullback Francisco Calvo each have over 100 caps for the national team. However, CRC is likely to have some trouble getting shots on target. Look for Alisson to start with a clean sheet, and he likely will be rarely tested.

This is Costa Rica’s first appearance at Copa America since 2016, and Costa Rica hasn’t advanced past the group stage since 2004, so it has its work cut out. That doesn’t appear likely to change with powerhouses Brazil and Colombia in the same group. Costa Rica has lost nine consecutive fixtures against Brazil across all competitions, too, while Seleção has kept a clean sheet in the past three battles against Los Ticos.

Best Bets

Brazil 2-Way Spread -1.5 Goals (-225)
Under 2.5 Total Goals (+196)
Correct Score – Brazil 2-0 (+500)

Same-Game Parlay (+269)

Brazil 2-Way Spread -1.5 Goals (-225)
Under 2.5 Total Goals (+196)

Daniel E. Dobish is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Daniel, check out his archive and follow him @danieledobish.

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Publish date : 2024-06-24 08:33:46

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