In the second of two semifinals matches of Copa America, Lionel Messi and Argentina face Colombia Tuesday with a 9 p.m. ET kickoff at Estádio Nacional in Brasilia, Brazil. Below, we preview the Argentina vs. Colombia odds and lines and make our best Copa America picks and predictions.
One of the favorites coming into the tournament, Argentina just defeated Ecuador 3-0 to claim its semifinals spot. It had 3 wins and a draw in the Group Stage.
No. 8 in FIFA World Rankings, Argentina draws the third-best side left in the tournament in Colombia. It’s 15th in the FIFA rankings.
Colombia had just one win with two losses and a draw in the Group Stage. It then barely survived Uruguay in the quarterfinals, defeating the Luis Suárez-led side 4-2 in penalties. Colombia will need its luck to continue to get through arguably the world’s best player.
Argentina vs. Colombia: Odds, picks and predictions
Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 10 a.m. ET.
- Money line: Argentina -120 (bet $120 to win $100) | Colombia +400 (bet $400 to win $100) | Draw +230
- Over/Under: 2.5 (O: +130 | U: -175)
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Prediction
Argentina 2, Colombia 1
Money line (ML)
BET on ARGENTINA (-120) as the best bet on the money line. Argentina is, by far, the more skilled side.
It’s more than just Messi. Twenty-three-year-old winger Nicolás González could be the future of the country’s program with F Sergio Aguero potentially coming off the bench.
Argentina’s defense is also solid with experienced D Nicolás Otamendi leading the backline.
Now, Colombia has some talent on its side as well, but unless the Atalanta duo up top can sustain some pressure, I’d expect Argentina to win in regulation time.
Colombia hasn’t looked great this tournament and should fold against an experienced and high-quality opponent. Bet the favorite in this one, especially at -120.
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Over/Under (O/U)
“LEAN” to the OVER 2.5 (+130) as the better value; however, I don’t love the odds, especially with Colombia coming off a quarterfinals match in which no goals were scored.
I’d still put my trust in Messi helping his side get at least 2 goals. Colombia scored in three of its five matches while Argentina had 3 or more goals in two of its five games.
It’s a risk as Colombia’s attack hasn’t looked great for most of the tournament, but if Argentina can get one early and push the pace, everything should go its way.
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