Who Are the Top Contenders for Copa America According to Bookmakers?

With the NPFL coming to an end and the final matches of the regular season being played on June 23rd, football isn’t over yet for Nigerian fans. Around the same time, the thrilling Copa America tournament kicks off, and bookmakers have already released their odds for the matches.

The new Copa America kicks off on June 21, 2024, with an opening match between the current champions, Argentina, and Canada. Argentina, who come in as the defending champions, won the last edition held in Brazil, although that time, no other teams participated except for those from Conmebol. Now, under Scaloni’s management, they must defend their title against teams from both Conmebol and Concacaf, which has slightly shifted the betting favourites.

Brazil and Argentina: The Tournament Favourites

Talking about the best – be it the top new casino sites 2024 or the best national teams in the world this year – certain names or brands almost instantly come to mind. Regarding the top contenders, there really are no surprises, or at least not major ones. After a stellar World Cup performance and winning the last Copa America, Argentina tops the list of favourites with odds of around 2.75. Meanwhile, Brazil is in the second spot with slightly higher odds, approximately 3.25 at the betting sites.

It’s worth noting, though, that unlike Argentina, Brazil could be going through one of the worst periods in its history. In the World Cup 2026 qualifiers, the ‘Seleção’ is in sixth place, trailing teams like Colombia, the surprising Venezuela, and Ecuador, which holds fifth place despite a point deduction due to sanction. Despite their poor performance, Brazil is still projected as the second candidate to hoist the trophy.

Who Poses the Biggest Threat to the Favourites?

Based on the odds, the biggest threats to Brazil and Argentina are Uruguay (6.00 to win and 1.75 to top their group), Colombia (12.00 to win and 3.75 to top their group), and the USA (13.00 to win and 2.40 to top their group).

Uruguay has been performing excellently in the qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, losing only once throughout 2023. However, earlier this year, they did suffer a defeat in a friendly against an African team. They lost to Ivory Coast.

The odds for Colombia’s results are quite intriguing. They are fourth in the favourites list, yet their odds to top their group are higher than those for the American squad. This is mainly because Brazil is in their Group D, and they’ll always be favourites according to the odds.

Jonathan David and Alphonso Davies – Can Canada’s Young Stars Beat the 101.00 Odds?

The real dark horse of the 2024 Copa America is the Canadian national team. Back in 2022, expectations were high during the World Cup in Qatar, but they ended up finishing at the bottom of their group, scoring just 2 goals.

Even then, the press was talking about the two standout talents of this team: Centre-Forward Jonathan David and Left-Back Alphonso Davies. Now, these young players have gained significant experience. Jonathan David scored 19 goals in the recently concluded season for LOSC Lille, while Alphonso Davies made 24 starts for Bayern Munich.

The main issue for the Canadian team remains their inexperience against top-tier opponents. Most of their players come from clubs that aren’t exactly top-level. This disparity was evident in a recent friendly match against the Netherlands, where they lost 0-4. However, they did manage to hold France to a goalless draw shortly after.

In their Group A, draws won’t be enough. They have to face Argentina, Chile, and Peru. While Peru might be a lower-tier team, Argentina and Chile are very tough competitors for Jesse Marsch’s squad. Bookmakers are giving odds of around 1.30 that Canada won’t make it out of the group. Winning the tournament is a staggering 101.00.

Who Will Win in the End?

It’s safe to say – it’s unlikely to be Panama at odds of 501.00. That’s probably one of the few things you can actually predict in this tournament. This unpredictability is exactly why Nigerian football fans should keep an eye on this South American spectacle.