The 2024 Copa America continues on Monday with the United States and Uruguay squaring off in a decisive Group C duel. La Celeste have all but secured the top spot in the group, whereas the Stars and Stripes essentially need three points to stay alive in the tournament.
Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri plays host to this decisive duel. Kickoff is slated for 8 p.m. CT on Monday. Fox Sports 1 will have nationwide coverage in the United States. Let's break down the odds.
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2024 Copa America preview: United States vs. Uruguay odds, prediction, best bet
There were plenty of questions about the United States heading into this tournament. The Stars and Stripes looked to have done enough to quiet doubters in their 2024 Copa America opener until they faltered against Panama. Nevertheless, triumph in their biggest test would silence many critics. A win against Uruguay would be wonderful for the confidence of Gregg Berhalter's group heading into the knockout stages.
Meanwhile, Uruguay is exactly where it expected to be. La Celeste was favored to win Group C pre-tournament and they've remained one of the three favorites to win the Copa America outright. Marcelo Bielsa's squad has lost just twice in its last 10 matches, including wins over Argentina, Brazil and Mexico, so it's easy to see why there are high hopes for Uruguay.
Let’s take a closer look at the odds and trends ahead of this highly anticipated Copa America clash:
United States vs. Uruguay
Time/TV: Monday, July 1 at 8 p.m. CT (Fox Sports 1)
Location: Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri
Moneyline: United States +195 | Draw +220 | Uruguay +145
Analysis: A lot of focus heading into this match will be on the star attackers for each side. Christian Pulisic and Darwin Núñez are more than deserving of the praise they receive, however, this game will be won in the midfield.
The United States gets the chemistry edge in midfield. Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie, Yunus Musah and Giovanni Reyna have played together in the middle of the park for years. The familiarity is obvious when watching this group. The issue is Berhalter typically only deploys a midfield three, so will he select the attacking star (Reyna) or another box-to-box midfielder (Musah) to partner with the anchor duo?
While the Stars and Stripes may edge out Uruguay's midfield in chemistry and depth, the talent goes to La Celeste. Real Madrid's Federico Valverde is one of the most underappreciated players in world football; he's truly a world-class midfielder. Many have also written off Paris Saint-Germain's Manguel Ugarte, who struggled during his debut Ligue 1 campaign. Regardless, these two can easily control a match by running the show from the middle of the park.
It'll be an intriguing tactical tug-of-war between two excellent units, especially considering the United States has the better attack and Uruguay has the more solid defense.
In the end, it could come down to which manager is more tactically adept and flexible, which isn't a contest. Bielsa runs circles around Berhalter as a tactician. He's also got more consistent attackers coming off the bench in Luis Suarez and Rodrigo Bentancur, so I'll give a slight edge to Uruguay in this showdown.
Prediction: United States 1-2 Uruguay
Best bet: Uruguay moneyline (+145 at FanDuel Sportsbook)