Sports Blog 03/06/2016: Tournament Preview – Copa America 2016, Friday 3rd to Sunday 26th June 2016

It’s been 100 years since the first Copa America and the continent is celebrating in style, holding the competition outside South America for the first time with a special expanded field of 16 teams!

Kicking the whole thing off in the early hours of Saturday morning are Group A favourites USA and Colombia! The USA, who have the honour of hosting the Centenario and sit at an Outright Index spread of 33-36, haven’t appeared in a Copa America since 2007, where they exited at the group stage. Colombia, meanwhile, followed their stellar 2014 World Cup with a disappointing quarter-final finish in 2015, and will be hoping James Rodriguez (coming off an inauspicious season at Real Madrid) can lead them to glory in America. Despite home advantage our Spreadex traders fancy the Rodriguez-led side, offering a Colombia/USA Goal Supremacy spread of 0-0.2.



Rounding out Group A are Costa Rica and Paraguay, at Outright Index spreads of 8-11 and 8.5-11.5 respectively. The former won the 2014 Copa Centroamericana to qualify, beating Guatemala in the final, while the latter were one of the many surprises in last year’s Copa America, knocking out Brazil on their way to a 4th place finish. The South American side have the edge in the eyes of our traders, who are offering a Paraguay/Costa Rica Goal Supremacy spread of 0-0.2 ahead of Saturday’s game.

Sunday’s Group B games gives one of the competitions heavy-hitters a chance to immediately stake their claim for the title, as Brazil take on Ecuador. After their disastrous 7-1 semi-final loss at their own World Cup Brazil were on a mission at last year’s Copa America; yet it proved to be a mission impossible, as they were knocked out by Paraguay on penalties in the quarter-finals. This time around they are 2nd favourites for the cup, at an Outright Index of 47-51 compared to Ecuador’s 29-32. It should be a relatively easy opener for Dunga’s side, with Spreadex offering a Brazil/Ecuador Goal Supremacy spread of 0.5-0.7.

Group B’s other match sees Peru, who finished in 3rd last year but go into the Centenario at an Outright Index of 10-13, take on Haiti. The latter side beat Trinidad & Tobago in the Copa America Centenario play-offs to reach this year’s competition only to be given the worst Outright Index of 0.5-1.5. It should be an easy win for last year’s bronze medallists, with Spreadex offering a Peru/Haiti Goal Supremacy spread of 0.95-1.15.

With Luis Suarez out for at least the group stages with a hamstring injury Uruguay, who have an Outright Index spread of 34-37, will have to find their magic elsewhere. They take on CONCACAF Gold Cup winners Mexico (at an Outright Index spread of 32-35) in their first game of Group C, who haven’t lost a game since their final Copa America game against Ecuador in 2015. Our Spreadex traders think Juan Carlos Osorio’s side have it in them to down a Suarez-less Uruguay, offering a Mexico/Uruguay Goal Supremacy spread of 0-0.2.



While Mexico and Uruguay duke it out for Group C domination, two of the competition’s weakest sides Jamaica and Venezuela (at Outright Index spreads of 3-5 and 5-7) face off in Chicago. Despite Jamaica winning the Caribbean Cup to qualify there isn’t much to separate the two teams, Spreadex offering a slender Venezuela/Jamaica Goal Supremacy spread of 0.05-0.25.

Group D opens with one of the least promising games of the competition, as Panama take on Bolivia. The former, at an Outright Index spread of 2.5-4.5, beat Cuba 4-0 in their play-off to reach the Centenario, while the latter, at a spread of 1-3, went out against Peru in last year’s tournament. The Central American side just about have the advantage ahead of Tuesday’s game, Spreadex offering a Panama/Bolivia Goal Supremacy spread of 0.35-0.55.

The final game of the first group stage run-through is a doozy, as Chile and Argentina meet in a replay of the 2015 Copa America final. Chile, who hosted last year’s competition, beat Argentina on penalties after 120 goalless minutes. Lionel Messi and co. go into the Cententario, however, as clear favourites, at an Outright Index spread of 61-65 (and fixed odds of 2/1) to Chile’s 46-50, with Spreadex offering an Argentina/Chile Goal Supremacy spread of 0.4-0.6.

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