CONCACAF Gold Cup: El Salvador vs Costa Rica Odds
Must-Win for Both Teams
Costa Rica Continue to Struggle vs Panama
Neither El Salvador nor Costa Rica had ideal 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup openers. El Salvador fell behind 2-0 in the first half vs. Martinique and couldn’t pull off the comeback. Meanwhile, Costa Rica lost 2-1 to Panama, who they’ve heavily struggled against lately. With both sides needing a result to stay in knockout stage contention, Friday’s meeting should be an intriguing one. We’ll review the El Salvador vs Costa Rica odds from this Gold Cup Group C showdown.
CONCACAF Gold Cup
El Salvador vs Costa Rica
Date, time:
Location: Red Bull Arena, Harrison, USA
Head-to-Head
Costa Rica won both of the meetings between these two sides in 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification. The Ticos picked up 2-1 wins both home and away and haven’t lost to El Salvador since 2009. That corresponds to a 10-game Costa Rica unbeaten run vs. El Salvador but five of those matches have finished in draws. The last two times these teams have met on their CONCACAF Gold Cup schedules, they’ve drawn 1-1.
El Salvador Disappoint in Opener
- Last Match: 1-2 L vs. El Salvador
- Standings: 0-1, T-3rd Group B
- Next Match: Jul. 4 vs. Panama
El Salvador entered their Gold Cup opener vs. Martinique as -130 moneyline favorites. Instead of getting on the front foot, La Selecta fell behind early and trailed 2-0 by the 16th minute. El Salvador had plenty of chances but couldn’t capitalize.
Martinique’s Jonathan Rivierez got sent off early in the second half, which opened up an opportunity for El Salvador to get back in the game. However, only one of their ten shots on target found the back of the net. It came on a late penalty kick by Bryan Tamacas as El Salvador fell 2-1.
It was a disappointing start for a team that is typically quite competitive. El Salvador qualified for the knockout stage back in 2021 and most likely need at least a point here to stay alive. Still, the El Salvador vs Costa Rica odds price La Selecta as underdogs for this match.
Costa Rica Without Navas at Gold Cup
- Last Match: 1-2 L vs. Panama
- Standings: 0-1, T-3rd Group C
- Next Match: Jul. 4 vs. Martinique
Costa Rica lost a third straight match to Panama on Monday night as they fell 2-1. The Ticos can’t seem to get over the hump vs. their neighbors and now have their backs against the wall. Panama led 2-0 for much of the second half and were no doubt the better team in the match.
The only Costa Rica goal came in stoppage time as Joel Campbell assisted Aaron Suarez. They’re now at risk of missing the Gold Cup knockout stage for the first time since back in 1998.
Costa Rica have recently been an inconsistent pick for betting on soccer. Luis Fernando Suarez and Costa Rica also suffered a big injury blow when they learned Keylor Navas was out for the tournament. Costa Rica’s longtime goalkeeper is arguably their most important player.
Match Analysis and Odds
Interestingly, the El Salvador vs Costa Rica odds don’t give either team greater than a 50 percent chance to win the match. Costa Rica are +110 moneyline favorites but it is El Salvador who are favored to cover the spread here.
El Salvador +0.5 comes in at -145 odds here as La Selecta look to pick up their first points of the tournament. Desperation could set in for both teams as they know that only a win puts them in a good position.
Costa Rica started two 18-year olds on Monday vs. Panama as they go through a transitional period. It may take some time for Luis Fernando Suarez to settle on his best lineup. Still, there’s not much room for error as Costa Rica -0.5 also displays +110 odds.
Note that Costa Rica haven’t lost to El Salvador for a long time but this has been a draw-heavy fixture. A deadlock stands at +220 odds but neither team would be satisfied with a single point. Goals are expected here, as over two come in at -140 odds.
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