The quarterfinals of the Copa América begin with a great duel, pitting the world champion, Argentina, against a team with many young talents that has been making waves in South America for some time now, Ecuador.
La Celeste managed to advance without problems as first in their group, without conceding a goal and winning all their matches.
On the other hand, the Equatorial team had to row against the current and managed to qualify on the last matchday agonizingly after a goalless draw with Mexico.
When and Where?
Thursday, July 4, 9:00 pm ET at the NRG Stadium
Moneyline odds:
Argentina 1.47
Ecuador 8.4
Draw Offs:
4.25
Where can I watch it?
fuboTV, FOX Sports, Univision, ViX, DSports, TyC Sports
Why Bet on Argentina?
Undoubtedly, before the start of the Copa América, Argentina was the main candidate to win the title, and there is no shortage of reasons. It is the current champion of the Copa América andworld champion, apart from having the GOAT Lionel Messi, among other great players.
They had a walk in the park for the first phase. Nine points out of a possible nine, five goals scored, and none conceded. Against Canada and Chile, they had to battle a little, especially with their neighbors, whom they defeated 1-0 with a goal by Lautaro Martinez in the 88th minute and after several rebounds in the area.
Argentina has not been the same of the last few years, nor has Lionel Messi, who is injured and will be a doubt until the last minute. Even though Leo is not the same as he was a few years ago, his name alone causes respect, as well as he can make magic out of nothing in a second, so not having him in this game would be a very hard loss.
But while Messi is not at his best, Lautaro Martinez is. He has four goals and scored in every game, being the top scorer of the championship. Julián Álvarez scored the remaining goal for the Albiceleste.
Notably, Lionel Scaloni’s team has a perfect streak of eight games, winning all of them and scoring 17 goals while conceding two, one of them an own goal by Lisandro Martínez in a friendly against Guatemala.
Why Bet on Ecuador?
Ecuador suffered but was finally able to advance to the quarterfinals of the Copa América. In the first game, they experienced the early expulsion of Enner Valencia against Venezuela (at 22 minutes) and lost 2-1. They recovered and defeated Jamaica 3-1, so everything was going to be defined in the last match versus Mexico.
Equal on points, the Ecuadorians had an advantage in case of a tie as they had a better goal difference (+1 vs. 0). And that is what happened. The Mexicans shot 20 times that day and could not score. The referee had even awarded a penalty kick for them at 90+8 minutes in the last play, but the VAR changed the decision.
They finally managed to advance, but they did not leave a good image, and Spanish coach Felix Sanchez will have to work hard for this game. More is expected from Enner Valencia, who, after the red card against Venezuela and the absence due to suspension with Jamaica, returned in the last game and had his chances but failed to score.
Moisés Caicedo and Piero Hincapié, possibly the best Ecuadorian representatives abroad, have demonstrated their talent and have put their shoulders to the wheel. They have one of the youngest squads in the tournament, and there is a lot of responsibility on the 17-year-old Kendry Páez, which may be something that could work against him.
Final Betting Analysis: Argentina vs. Ecuador
The last time these two teams met was in a friendly less than a month ago. It was on June 9, and it was a 1-0 victory for Argentina with a goal by Ángel Di María. In official matches, the last time was on September 7, 2023, in Buenos Aires, and the result was the same.
Precisely in the last Copa América, they also faced each other in the same instance, and the Albiceleste won 3-0. Counting friendly matches, Argentina has seven games without losing against Ecuador with six victories. The last time the Tri won was in 2015 (0-2).
The numbers at Gambyl Exchange have Argentina as the favorite. Their Moneyline shows 1.47, Ecuador has 8.4, and the draw is at 4.25.
Despite having Lionel Messi in doubt and not playing their best soccer, Argentina has more experience in this type of game, and Ecuador has not shown the same as in previous years, so the Albiceleste will take the match. We’ll go for a 2-0.
Go for a straight win for Argentina in the Moneyline. If you bet $100 at 1.47, you will gain $47 for a total payout of $147.
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