After the 2020 Copa America was pushed back due to the Coronavirus pandemic, the teams are ready to take the pitch in Brazil for the 2021 edition. Brazil is of course the favorite to win the tournament, but several other teams are hoping to make some noise. In this piece, we have our Copa America picks for the opening weekend, which features some really exciting games.
Come Sunday, Colombia is a big favorite going up against Ecuador and it’s not difficult to understand why. While Ecuador sits in third place of the CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying standings with nine points and Colombia is in fifth place with eight points, the Ecuadorians are coming off two terrible back-to-back games. The same can’t be said for Colombia.
Recently, Colombia traveled to Lima and took down Peru 0-0. Then earlier this week, Colombia welcomed Lionel Messi and Argentina for a huge showdown of the two talented rosters. Argentina took a 2-0 lead early on in the game. However, Colombia never gave up and tied things late at 2-2 to grab a point. It was easily the best game of the week for South America.
| Copa America odds |  |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colombia to win | -135 | -135 | -135 | -135 |
| Ecuador to win | +360 | +360 | +360 | +360 |
| Argentina to win | -160 | -160 | -160 | -160 |
| Chile to win | +410 | +410 | +410 | +410 |
Meanwhile for Ecuador, they really had a bad showing. First, they lost 2-0 to Brazil. They then followed that up with a horrific performance at home against Peru, suffering a 2-1 loss. Entering that game, Peru was at the bottom of the table with only one point. Ecuador was expected to cruise to a big win and climb up to 12 points. Instead, they completely choked.
Ahead of their Copa America matchup, Colombia has been given -135 soccer odds, while Ecuador is the massive underdog at +360. To make matters worse for them, midfielder Moises Caicedo and goalie Alexander Dominguez are suspended for this match due to added up yellow cards in the qualifiers. With this said, Colombia is our pick to take down Ecuador, no doubt. Agree with us? Check out our betting sites to get your wagers in.
In another exciting Copa America showdown this weekend, Argentina will look to dominate Chile from start to finish in their showdown. With Messi powering the way for the Argentines, you already know the South American powerhouse will be hungry to start the tournament off with a bang. These two teams are quite familiar with one another too.
Back in July of 2015, the two sides met in the Copa America Final. In a stunner, Chile beat Argentina at MetLife Stadium. That night, Messi announced his retirement from the national team, only to return shortly after. Now, whenever Argentina and Chile go to battle, it only adds to the intrigue and drama of it. Both squads are loaded with talent.
Argentina is the heavy favorite for this one, as the Las Vegas sportsbooks have given them -160 odds. Chile on the other hand has been set at +410. The odds of a draw have been placed at +250. On Tuesday, Argentina traveled to Colombia and drew 2-2, while Chile suffered an extremely disappointing 1-1 draw at home going up against Bolivia, which no one saw coming.
So, will it be Chile or Argentina to come away with a win here? Folks, we’re going with Argentina. Chile’s level of play has dropped a bit during these qualifiers, while Argentina is in second place of the South American table behind only Brazil. Messi will be hungry for some revenge against the Chileans, which he should be able to record without any issues.
Of all the teams, Brazil has the best odds to win the Copa America. This of course should come as no surprise, especially since the tournament has been moved to Brazil from Colombia/Argentina. Home-field advantage for the Brazilians? That’s the last thing any of the other teams participating wanted to see, but that’s how the cookie has crumbled.
Leading up to the Copa America, Brazil recorded an impressive 2-0 win at home and then they followed that up by traveling to Paraguay and also winning 2-0. To start off the qualifiers, Brazil is a perfect 6-for-6 in their matches, posting a perfect 18 points. That has them at the top of the table and basically with one foot in for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Winger Neymar Jr. continues to play like one of the best players in the world. He scored against Ecuador and then also found the back of the net against Paraguay. On top of that, Richarlison is also quite the lethal player for Brazil’s attack, while Ederson is as steady as can be between the posts. Thus far in those six WC qualifying games, Brazil has only given up two goals.
That’s nuts. The team will have the confidence of having +110 futures odds to win the Copa America, while Argentina is second with its +270. Everyone is hoping to see a Brazil vs. Argentina final, which would of course be a memorable contest. Regardless of who Brazil ends up facing in the final, we think they’ll take it. Yes, Brazil is our pick to win the 2021 Copa America.
