Copa America 2024 has officially begun with a victory for Argentina, but there are many more games to be played in this year's tournament.
Below, we will go over our 2024 Copa America predictions and best bets including picks to win the tournament, a Golden Boot pick and a sleeper team to keep an eye on:
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Lionel Messi and Argentina look to defend their title. And while the Argentinians have a target on their back as the defending champions (and reigning World Cup winners), they will be challenged by a number of teams that have shown their quality over the last few years. The United States Men's National Team is also sixth in odds and will be eager to make a run.
Copa America 2024 odds, preview, and picks: Argentina, Brazil & more
Argentina sits atop the odds board following their recent international success and under the leadership of Messi. Though the G.O.A.T. is now 36 and playing in MLS, he’s still one of the best players in the world on his day and had a deeply talented squad around him.
Brazil’s odds position them in the same spot they finished the last Copa America: second. They also won the 2019 competition and have an outstanding squad that features Champions League winner Vinicius Junior, starboy Endrick, and more.
Uruguay checks in at third in odds before a drop-off to Mexico, Colombia, USA and Ecuador. The Uruguayans beat Mexico 4-0 on June 5 and are dangerous both in the midfield and in attack. Of those, the midfield could be their greatest advantage because of their work rate and technical quality.
Of the list of second-tier contenders, Ecuador stands out as the most interesting prospect. Their 17-year-old star Kendry Paez was recently recognized by Messi after a 1-0 loss to Argentina, while Moises Caicedo is one of the best midfielders at the tournament.
The USMNT can cause damage in attack but is vulnerable at the back and has a major question mark at manager. Gregg Berhalter has failed to inspire support from followers, though the team did respond well to draw with Brazil in its final tune-up after getting flattened by Colombia.
A starting XI that features Alisson, Eder Militao, Bruno Guimares, Lucas Paqueta, Vinicius, Rodrygo and others will be extremely tough to beat, even the favorites (Argentina). Their level of technical quality is off the charts, and they have plenty of big-game experience at the club and international level.
Brazil finished second in the 2021 Copa America and will be desperate to reclaim the trophy it lost to its South American rival. They get one of the easiest groups to start their tournament and will have the chance to build early momentum against Colombia, Paraguay and Costa Rica.
Argentina is an obvious omission as the best bet to win the tournament. While still a great team, Messi is now older and in a different stage of his career, and they’ll need someone else to help lead them if they want to make another run at the Final.
Don’t sleep on the smaller nation tucked between Argentina and Brazil, the two betting favorites. They only lost two of 14 matches since the World Cup and showed their brutal power in their recent 4-0 drumming of Mexico, a team that is expected to advance out of the Group Stage.
Standout players for Uruguay include Federico Valverde, Rodrigo Bentancur, Luis Suarez and Darwin Nunez (among others). They have outstanding pace moving forward and a resolute defense that will give a great challenge to all of their opponents.
Uruguay also has a manageable group with the USA, Panama, and Bolivia standing between it and the knockout round. They’re being overlooked by many but are more than capable of wreaking havoc in the bracket and taking home the trophy.
The Ecuadorians aren’t in great form based on final results, but they’ve played some of the top teams in the world to close results. They lost to Argentina just 1-0 in their final tune-up and lost to Italy 2-0 before that, a match in which they took more shots and held more possession of the ball.
Ecuador has a strong defense and midfield and doesn’t concede many unnecessary goals, which makes them tough to eliminate in close matches. Their biggest problem is their lack of goal-scoring moving forward, which is why the emergence of the young Paez could be instrumental to their success.
Ecuador will start in a group that also features Mexico, Venezuela, and Jamaica. Just like our other picks, they should be able to get out of the group without a huge struggle, which will set them up for a potential deep run.
Vinicius bagged a goal in the Champions League Final when last seen and heads into the tournament in great form. He scored 24 goals in 39 matches across all club competitions and has now scored in multiple Champions League Finals, making him a proven big-game player at the ripe age of just 23.
Though he only has three international goals in 29 appearances, he’s going to be a mainstay in the attack and will inevitably have a great tournament if Brazil is going to win the Copa America as we predict they will.
Messi, Nunez, Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez round out the list of favorites to win the Golden Boot. While all have reasonable cases, we’ll trust the best player on what we believe is the best team at the 2024 Copa America.
Copa America 2024 best bets
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Grant is a Virginia-based writer for Catena Media who graduated from Virginia Tech in 2021 with a degree in sports media & analytics. He has contributed to well-known publications such as Forbes, and appeared on the VSiN TV network. You can keep up with Grant's work here or by checking out his YouTube channel "The Sitch With Grant Mitchell.”
