Costa Rica Vs USA Betting Tip: Home or Draw/Under 2.5 Goals – 31 March 2022

Los Ticos capable of stifling World Cup bound USA?

Tyler Adams / United States ©IMAGO / Agencia EFE 28.03.2022

Costa Rica Costa Rica Vs United States United States

Thursday 31 March, 2022 – 02:05 (GMT)
CONCACAF World Cup Qualifier
Pick: Costa Rica or Draw/Under 2.5 Goals
Odds: 10/11
Bookmaker: Betfair
(All betting odds correct at time of writing: 29 March 2022)

Preview: World Cup qualification is on the line in San Jose for both these teams. Only a win grants Costa Rica any chance of achieving a top-three finish though, while a win or even a draw for the visiting side will see USA feature at their first World Cup since 2014.

World Cup Qualifying Betting at Betfair

 

Costa Rica – Los Ticos forced into settling for play-off berth?

A battling 2-1 victory on the road in El Salvador last time made it two wins from two for Los Ticos during this international window, having ground out a 1-0 win over a previously unbeaten Canada three days prior. Thus faint hopes hopes of a top-three finish in this Octagonal stage that would see them qualify automatically for Qatar 2022 remain alive, albeit reliant on an unlikely turn of events on Matchday 14.

Costa Rica must beat USA, preferably by a couple goals (which is something they’ve not managed throughout, with all six victories coming by a single goal), whilst hoping for an El Salvador victory in Mexico. The former seems more probable than the latter. Los Ticos are the form team in CONCACAF with five wins out of the last six (D1), a sparkling turnaround which has seen their defence breached only twice.

Key Stat: All 13 of Costa Rica’s qualifying matches were settled by a single-goal margin (9) or ended as a draw (4).

 

0-0 Correct Score
11/2

Betfair

 

United States – Yanks on course to exorcise qualifying demons?

Whatever the Canadian men’s team can do, the United States can do better. Having earlier in the evening seen their rivals north of the border qualify in style for the 2022 World Cup with a crushing 4-0 win over Jamaica, the Yanks clearly took umbrage, producing a five-goal destruction of a Panama side who had everything to play for in Orlando but were caught up in a USA whirlwind inside that first 45 minutes.

The US were four goals to the good before the interval, Christian Pulisic on target twice before later completing his hat-trick on a night he captained the side. The 5-1 scoreline represented their biggest victory of the campaign, outdoing the 4-1 vs Honduras, and marked a sixth win of seven home qualifiers. On their travels, however, Gregg Berhalter’s men have found the going a lot tougher – with one win from six (D3 L2).

Key Stat: The United States have scored no more than one goal in five of their six away games during this final phase of CONCACAF World Cup qualifying, and none at all in three of the past four said matches after blanks in Canada, Mexico and Panama.

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Costa Rica Vs USA Betting Advice

Should USA qualify at the end of the night, much of the groundwork would have been laid last time out in Orlando – a 5-1 dismantling of Panama ensuring they took a huge buffer to San Jose for their visit to Costa Rica. The latter are the form team, winning five and losing none of their past six qualifiers in a run that includes home wins to nil over the sides in fifth (Panama) and first (Canada).

 

Costa Rica Vs USA – Key Facts:

  • After one win from their first seven qualifiers (D3 L3), Costa Rica have since remained unbeaten in six with five wins, including home successes over Canada (first place) and Mexico (third).
  • Last September’s 4-1 scoreline against Honduras remains USA’s sole away win throughout this qualifying campaign (D3 L2). Failing to even score in three of four prior away engagements.
  • The USA are seeking their fifth consecutive head-to-head win. However, each of these were as hosts. Conversely, all of their last nine visits to Costa Rica in World Cup qualifying resulted in defeat.

 

I’m anticipating a professional performance from Gregg Berhalter’s USA, as opposed to the swashbuckling stuff witnessed in Orlando over the weekend. With only a heavy loss compromising qualification, the USA shot-caller is unlikely to take any undue risks against such savvy, in-form opponents. Besides, the US have toiled on their travels all along (W1 D3 L2), scoring once across the last four said fixtures including to nil losses in Canada and Panama. A draw will suffice, of course, and that might be the best they can hope for from a notoriously tricky fixture for them.

Best Betting Odds – Costa Rica Vs USA

Costa Rica – 2/1
Draw – 19/10
USA – 6/4

(All odds taken from Betfair)