A place in the 2024 Copa America is at stake in the CONCACAF Nations League, and it will be Costa Rica and Honduras that will define one of the qualifiers for the tournament that will be held in the middle of the year on U.S. soil.
Los Ticos are coming off a 2-0 win in its last match, which was a friendly against El Salvador. The goals came from Justin Daly and Aaron Suarez.
Los Catrachos were not as fortunate, losing 2-0 to Iceland in an international friendly in January.
When and Where?
Saturday, March 23, 7:15 pm ET at the Toyota Stadium
Moneyline odds:
Costa Rica 2.1
Honduras 3.575
Draw Offs :
3.24
Where can I watch it?
CBS Sports and Paramount+
Why Bet on Costa Rica?
Costa Rica wanted to go for more in this Concacaf Nations League. However, that possibility died when they were crushed by Panama, and now the team must settle for a place in the Copa América.
Their last match was a friendly, where they defeated El Salvador 2-0. But as far as official matches are concerned, the painful thing for the Ticos is the dance they suffered in the series against Panama, who beat them 6-1 on aggregate. At home, the Costa Ricans lost 3-0, while in Panama City, the defeat was 3-1, which consummated their elimination in the quarterfinals.
Now, all that remains for Costa Rica is to beat Honduras at home, but their current form is not the best because, except for the friendly against El Salvador, they have three consecutive defeats in official matches. Moreover, their last win in an official match dates back to July 4, 2023, when they beat Martinique 6-4 in the Gold Cup.
Currently, the Costa Rican national team is going through a process of replacement, where the great star is still goalkeeper Keylor Navas and striker Joel Campbell. The rest are players who are in the local league.
Why Bet on Honduras?
Honduras has struggled to get back to the top in CONCACAF, so securing a place in the next Copa América would give hope to a soccer team that has not been rewarded with frequent success.
The Hondurans’ last outing ended in a 2-0 loss to Iceland, but unlike their opponents, they came close to achieving a feat in the Nations League. In the first leg of the quarterfinals series with Mexico, they won 2-0, but in the second, they were beaten by the Tri, who won 2-0 with an agonizing goal by Edson Álvarez at minute 90+11. They went to extra time and then to penalties, where they lost 4-2 and were left at the gates of the semifinals of the international competition.
Honduras finished second in group B, with seven points, three behind the leader, Jamaica. They cannot boast about what they did away from home, as they failed to win in two matches.
The bad news for Reinaldo Rueda is that he will not count on his striker, Anthony “El Chucky” Lozano, due to an accumulation of yellow cards.
Final Betting Analysis: Costa Rica vs. Honduras
The last meeting between these two countries took place in 2021 on the road to Qatar 2022, and the victory was for the Ticos by 2-1, with goals by Oscar Duarte and Gerson Torres. The Hondurans have not won in seven games, as the last time they did so was in 2013.
The numbers at Gambyl Exchange have Costa Rica as the favorite. The Moneyline for them shows 2.1, while Honduras has 3.575, and the draw is at 3.24.
This will be a hot duel between two countries with a lot of history in CONCACAF. However, the individual quality of the Costa Ricans is greater and that is why they will end up getting a place in the Copa America. We’ll go for a 3-1.
Go for a win for Costa Rica in the Moneyline. If you bet $100 at 2.01, you will gain $101 for a total payout of $201.
EN 
ES 
PT 
PT_BR