Copa America 2024: Argentina vs. Canada – Odds, Prediction & Best Bets

The 2024 Copa America kicks off on Thursday, June 20 with a Group A match between Argentina and Canada to open up the tournament’s group stage. The contest will take place in Atlanta at the home of the city’s NFL team, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, at 8:00PM E.T.

Argentina come into this tournament on quite a run, having won the most recent Copa America in 2021 and following that up in 2022 with the nation’s first World Cup triumph since 1986. On the other side, Canada gets a pretty tough draw for the first match of their first ever appearance in the Copa America.

Odds provided by Sports Interaction

Argentina

Argentina is solid at every level, but it’s in the attacking areas where they will really separate themselves this summer. Lionel Messi is having a ton of fun in the MLS and Angel Di Maria has been scoring and assisting on tons of goals for La Albiceleste in the lead-up to this tournament. Julian Alvarez hasn’t made much of an impact recently, but he’s a big tournament player who will show up at his first Copa

Team news: recent major injuries or outstanding suspension risks.

Predicted Lineup: Keeper: Emiliano Martinez; Defenders: Nahuel Molina, Nicolas Otamendi, Lisandro Martinez, Nicolas Gonzalez; Midfielders: Valentin Carboni, Enzo Fernandez, Alexis Mac Allister, Giovani Lo Celso; Forwards: Lionel Messi, Lautaro Martinez

Canada

The Canadian national team is in its golden era right now, having qualified for this, their first Copa America, after qualifying for the World Cup in 2022, the first time they’d accomplished that in several generations. However, they are a squad in a bit of flux right now, as they’ve only recently brought in a new manager in Jesse Marsch, formerly of Leeds United.

Team news: No recent major injuries or outstanding suspension risks.

Predicted Lineup: Keeper: Maxime Crepeau; Defenders: Alphonso Davies, Derek Cornelius, Moise Bombito, Alistair Johnston; Midfielders: Liam Millar, Stephen Eustaquio, Ismael Kone, Tajon Buchanan; Forwards: Cyle Larin, Jonathan David

• H2H: Argentina won the only ever meeting between these nations 5-0 in a 2010 international friendly
• Argentina trend – Argentina has lost just once in their last 44 matches
• Canada trend – Both teams have NOT scored in Canada’s last three matches
• Angel Di Maria Player trend – Angel Di Maria scored or assisted in Argentina’s last four games leading into the Copa

There’s really no debate about who’s going to emerge victorious in this one. Argentina are the favorites to win the whole tournament, and Canada is one of the weaker entrants into this 2024 Copa America. 

Canada has some interesting pieces in terms of attacking in Jonathan David, Alphonso Davies, and Tajon Buchanan, but that’s the issue here: playing against a team like Argentina, Canada’s best players are unlikely to get much of a kick, as La Albiceleste are expected to dominate possession for most of this match.

Argentina, similarly, has a very strong front line, with Messi, Di Maria, Lautaro Martinez, and Alvarez highlighting the group. The difference is that, while Argentina’s back line is still populated with top players like Lisandro Martinez and Nicolas Otamendi, Canada’s defense isn’t nearly as talented or experienced.

It’s tough to predict if Marsch will go full park-the-bus mode in this game considering the gulf of quality between the two sides, or if he sticks with the type of attacking-at-all-costs football he employed at Leeds, but either way, Canada will be in trouble here. The -323 moneyline odds being offered by sports betting sites don’t offer any value but are basically a lock here.

Both Teams To Score - No (-167) | Sports Interaction

Sports Interaction and many other Ontario sportsbooks are clearly not expecting Canada to slip one by Emi Martinez. Canada didn’t scored in their two most recent friendlies, and Argentina has been nearly impossible to score on in recent matches. In their last 14 contests since the World Cup final, they have given up just two goals, and one of them was an own goal against Guatemala. Canada won’t be the team to break the dam, so take BTTS - No at decent -167 odds.