With the first set of group stage matches in the books, we are not really seeing any major surprises just yet. Things should start to get a little more interesting with the second set of games, as that is when teams can start to cement their spot in the next round. Mexico heads into Thursday’s matchup as the CONCACAF Gold Cup soccer odds favorite against Jamaica.
Mexico vs. Jamaica 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup Soccer Odds & Preview
When: Thursday, July 13 at 10:30 PM EST Where: Sports Authority Field, Denver TV: FS1 Radio: None Live Stream: Fox Sports Go CONCACAF Gold Cup Odds: Mexico -1½+106, -285, U 2½ +110 / Jamaica +1½-126, +900, O 2½ -130 / Draw +395Reggae Boyz training ahead of game against Mexico on Thursday!#ReggaeBoyz #JA #JM #GoldCup #CONCACAF #2017
— Official J.F.F (@ItsTheJFF) July 11, 2017
Brief Game Analysis
In Group C, Mexico and Jamaica both got off to winning starts, and both know that another win here would almost certainly guarantee them a spot in the quarter-finals. They also both know that a tie would be a decent result, so you need to wonder just how inspired they are going to be to go out and get the win in this one. The Mexicans would appear to have a bit of an easier finish, with Curacao yet to come, but the pressure is always on them to do well in every tournament that they appear in. Let’s not forget that they won the last Gold Cup, yet still had their coach fired shortly after that success.What About the Jamaicans?
The Jamaicans are always tough to play against, as they tend to be fast on the attack, although not quite as lethal as they need to be in order to be successful at big tournaments. They have a good squad of players here, many of whom have been culled from the MLS, so they should be comfortable playing in the States. That said, the high altitude in Denver, as well as a very Mexico friendly crowd, may very well tip things in the favor of El Tri in this one. Again, it could all come down to whether these teams want to win, or whether they will both be happy to settle for the draw.Why Bet on Mexico?
Mexico came into the 207 Gold Cup as one of the favorites to win it again, but there were some doubters in the soccer world, as the squad that Mexico chose to send is one that can best be described as experimental. Most of the players in this group have been taken from teams in the Liga MX in Mexico, with many of them seeing international action for the first time. The way they performed in the opening game against El Salvador proved that the Mexicans have a very large pool of talent to draw upon. Mexico won that game 3-1, and it’s fair to say that the final score did not flatter them at all. One player to keep an eye on in this game is Elias Hernandez. He looked incredibly sharp against El Salvador, scoring one and assisting on the other two goals.Everything seemed to go through him in the opening game, and I would expect that Mexico will once again be looking to him to pull the strings in this one.
Why Bet on Jamaica?
Jamaica went into their opening game of the tournament versus Curacao with revenge on their mind. After all, it was just last month when Curacao beat them to hoist the Caribbean Cup, in what many saw as a bit of a surprise result. The Reggae Boyz got the job done with a 2-0 win in the rematch, but it was a win that will not inspire an awful lot of confidence. They did not create a lot of clear cut chances in that game, and there were long stretches of time where they either looked tired or totally disinterested. If they have those types of lulls against Mexico, they could well end up on the wrong end of a beating. Jamaica should still be able to advance even if they lose this game, but you can bet that they will be looking for at least a point, which would almost certainly guarantee safe passage to the next round.Historic Facts on Both Teams
- Games Played: 24
- Longest Winning Streak
- Largest Margin of Victory: 8-0
- Current Winning Streak: Mexico 3 (2013 – 2016)
Predicted Lineups
Mexico: #1 Jesus Corona, #21 Luis Reyes , #14 Hedgardo Marin, #4 Hugo Ayala, #6 Edson Alvarez,#15 Rodolfo Pizarro, #16 Jorge Hernandez (46′ #5 Jesus Molina), #20 Jesus Duenas, #11 Elias Hernandez, #19 Angel Sepulveda, #18 Jesus Gallardo. Jamaica: #1 Andre Blake, #20 Kemar Lawrence, #21 Jermaine Taylor, #3 Damion Lowe, #5 Alvas Powell, #15 Je-Vaughn Watson, #17 Kevon Lambert, #18 Owayne Gordon, #16 Jermaine Johnson, #8 Oniel Fisher, #22 Romario Williams.Recent Game Results
Mexico
- Won – July 9th, 2017 vs. El Salvador. 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup. Score: 3-1
- Loss – July 2nd, 2017 vs. Portugal. 2017 Confederations Cup. Score: 2-1
- Loss – June 29th, 2017 vs. Germany. 2017 Confederations Cup. Score: 4-1
- Won – June 24th, 2017 vs. Russia. 2017 Confederations Cup. Score: 2-1
- Won – June 21st, 2017 vs. New Zealand. 2017 Confederations Cup. Score: 2-1
Jamaica
- Won – July 9th, 2017 vs. Curacao. 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup. Score: 2-0
- Loss – June 25th, 2017 vs. Curacao. 2017 Caribbean Cup. Score: 2-1
- Won – June 22nd, 2017 vs. French Guiana. 2017 Caribbean Cup. Score: 4-2
- Loss – June 13th, 2017 vs. Peru. Friendly. Score: 3-1
- Won – February 16th, 2017 vs. Honduras. Friendly. Score: 1-0
