Copa America: How to bet must-see Mexico-Chile quarterfinal
Mexico vs. Chile, Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, Calif., Saturday, 10 p.m. ET
Chile +190
Mexico +160
Draw +225
Total 2 (Over -140)
If there's one must-see quarterfinal during Copa America, this is it.
Chile has their sights set on defending last year's Copa crown, while Mexico has all the talent needed for a run to the finals.
Chile rebounded nicely from their opening match against Argentina by beating Bolivia on a late penalty kick and then exploding against Panama. Chile has yet to keep a clean sheet this tournament, with a lot of that burden falling on Claudio Bravo.
Bravo, a world-class keeper, has been downright terrible all tournament, conceding too many goals on his short post against both Panama and Argentina.
Thankfully, his poor play is often masked by Chile's offensive firepower and their ability to maintain possession, taking pressure off a questionable defense. We all know the names to watch for on this Chilean side; Alexis Sanchez and Arturo Vidal must come up big for Chile to advance.
Mexico's air of invincibility took a bit of a blow in their group finale, as they needed a late equalizer against Venezuela to win the group.
Jesus Corona scored arguably the best goal of the tournament, using incredible pace and skill to send the Mexican fans at NRG Stadium into a frenzy.
Javier Hernandez is the other guy to watch up front. Everything in the offensive third runs through Chicharito and he'll be counted on heavily to test the shaky Bravo early and often.
Mexico has goalkeeping concerns of their own, with manager Juan Carlos Osorio using a different keeper in each group match. (At press time, no announcement had been made about Saturday night's starter).
Call it a wealth of riches or a conundrum. Goaltending in any sport is a rhythm position, making it hard for me to see any of the three keepers in top form with limited reps.
Chile will win if Sanchez shows his class up front and they can possess the ball. Mexico has shown attacking flair of their own, boasting a more compact back line than their opponents.
These teams met in last year's tournament and produced a high flying 3-3 draw. I expect a cagier match with so much at stake in the knockout phase, but asking for fireworks doesn't seem like a reach in Santa Clara.
The Play: Both teams to score -- "Yes" -110 (risking 1.65 to win 1.5 units)
Copa America YTD: 3-5-1 (-1.4 units)
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