A monumental Tuesday evening sees reigning champions Argentina battle upstarts Canada in the Copa America semifinals. The underdog Canadians will be chomping at the bit to get another shot at Lionel Messi and company. Can they pull off the unthinkable and defeat La Albiceleste?
Let's dive into all the odds and give you our best bets for Argentina vs. Canada.
Argentina vs. Canada Copa América Odds
Odds as of July 8
Nick Holz's Pick: Both Teams to Score – Yes (+161)
Canada had every opportunity to score in the opening match of the Copa America. Wayward finishing on two clear headers in front of goal led to their 2-0 defeat.
However, the Reds will be buoyed by their stalwart defending and ability to create chances last time out. As Argentina piles players forward they have been susceptible to counter attacks. Ecuador did an excellent job of sending balls behind their full backs and attacking that space with devastating speed. Canada have scored two lovely goals in transition in this tournament and can do so again in the semifinal.
At nearly 9-to-1 odds, I'm also betting the Canada moneyline. The stalwart defending of the Reds, combined with their pace and propensity to attack in transition, gives the Canadians a real shot at defeating Argentina.
Lionel Messi will reportedly play on Tuesday night, but he'll be suiting up at less than 100%. Look for Canada to take advantage and play without fear at Metlife stadium.
Michel Anderson's Pick: Argentina Over 1.5 Goals (-162)
I don't want to bet against Canada mainly because my heart won't let but there's zero value in doing so. But what my heart will let me do is bet OVER 1.5 goals for Argentina.
We already saw them hit this line the last time they played Canada in that 2-0 win on opening night of the Copa. I know La Albiceleste didn't hit O1.5 goals against Chile or Ecuador. BUT against Chile they created 2.7 xG so they should have scored more than once. And while Argentina only created 0.8 xG against Ecuador, they'll take that as a wake up call.
Argentina has scored O1.5 goals in 5 of their last 8 games. Sadly for Canada, the Ecuadorians poked the bear and that bear happens to be defending World Cup and Copa America champions looking to remind the world of how good they are.