Two of the favorites in the Copa América 2024 get their tournament campaigns underway on Monday as Colombia takes on Paraguay and Brazil battles Costa Rica.
Let's take a look at all the Colombia vs. Paraguay and Brazil vs. Costa Rica odds and our Copa América expert picks of the day.
Colombia vs Paraguay Copa América Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Draw | Total | Spread |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colombia | -136 | +257 | Over 2.25 Goals (-101) | -0.75 (-102) |
| Paraguay | +478 | +257 | Under 2.25 Goals (-109) | +0.75 (-106) |
Odds as of June 24
Nick Holz's Pick: UNDER 2.25 Goals (-109)
Colombia enters the Copa América on an impressive eight-game win streak. Sensationally, Los Cafeteros have defeated some of the top teams in world soccer. There's no Cyprus on their schedule. On top of a 1-0 win over foes Paraguay in November, Nestor Lorenzo's squad has beaten Brazil, Venezuela, Mexico, and Euro 2024 standouts Spain and Romania.
Colombia ran hosts USA ragged 5-1 just a few short weeks ago, before defeating Bolivia 3-0. It would be easy to back Colombia to win this game by multiple goals. However, Paraguay is no pushover and has surrendered just seven goals in their last 10 matches. We've seen many early Copa games turn into foul-filled rock fights, as familiar foes renew festivities.
These teams know each other well, so I expect that trend to continue. I love the value on the UNDER 2.25 goals at -109.
Michel Anderson's Pick: Colombia Moneyline (-136)
Since 2009 Colombia is 8-2-1 against Paraguay with a commanding +12 goal differential. Paraguay is a sad 2-2-1 with wins coming against 130th-ranked Nicaragua and a surprise 'dub' against Panama.
For their part, Colombia has an impressive list of wins lately including a 1-0 win against Spain, a 5-1 win over the US and a 2-0 win over Germany a year ago. That's thanks to players like James Rodriguez who always goes beast mode in Colombian yellow, Liverpool's Luis Diaz who has four goals and three assists in 12 games and Aston Villa youngster Jhon Duran. There is no other outcome in my mind than a Colombia win.
Andrew Avery's Pick: Colombia ML (-145)
A pretty one-sided rivalry over the years with Colombia winning eight and losing just one of the previous 11 meetings going back to 2009. Colombia is being tabbed as a legit contender at Copa América and this Group D opener is a must-win with the Brazil clash looming. Not getting cute here, gimme the moneyline at -145.
Brazil vs Costa Rica Copa América Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Draw | Total | Spread |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brazil | -1033 | +1057 | Over 3.75 Goals (-108) | -2.75 (+100) |
| Costa Rica | +2549 | +1057 | Under 3.75 Goals (-106) | +2.75 (-113) |
Odds as of June 24
Michel Anderson's Pick: Vinicius Jr. to Score (+110)
It's tough to find value in this matchup so I've gone with an anytime goal. I took Vinicius Jr to score at +110. That might seem like a great price considering he scored 24 goals in all competitions for Real Madrid, but when he puts on the Brazilian shirt he's not as prolific with three goals in 20 starts all-time.
My thought process here is that Brazil needs him to score goals. They don't have a better forward than him on the squad. He will be their main outlet for goals and against a poor Costa Rican side I'm sure he scores.
Nick Holz's Pick: Costa Rica +2.75 (-113)
Should the Selecao get rolling early with their plethora of attacking talent and flair, I could come to rue this pick. However, Costa Rica has fared well against the giants of world football of late. Los Ticos lost to Argentina by a score of 3-1 this year, before battling Bielsa's Uruguay to a nil-nil draw.
Every game of the Copa América has finished with a scoreline within two goals. The less-than-stellar pitch conditions, combined with refs sitting on their cards have led to physical, low-scoring battles. Costa Rica will need to slow the pace and put in a dogged defensive performance, but I like those trends to continue tonight.
