Group D at Copa America 2024 is similar to Group B, where the presumed favorite is actually limping into the tournament without the same aura many believe it has. Brazil have found life without Neymar challenging and will now have to overcome his absence at a competition it has dominated over the years. There are some other South American contenders looking to take advantage of a weakened Brazil squad, with two residing in Group D. Here’s a look at the four teams in this group and how we believe things will play out, with all odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
Brazil (-250 to win group, -1400 to qualify for knockout round)
No Neymar has meant a whole lot of problems for Brazil, who come into Copa America 2024 with a relatively inexperienced squad hoping to make its mark. Vinicius Junior, Eder Militao, Alisson and Lucas Paqueta are familiar faces but a lot will be asked of Rodrygo, Raphinha and Gabriel Martinelli if Brazil want to keep up with the rest of the competition. This team got smoked in World Cup qualifiers in November before faring slightly better in recent friendlies. Wins over England and Mexico were balanced with draws against Spain and USA, a sign Brazil is starting to play at a higher level ahead of an important tournament. Will the young squad rise to the challenge or fold with the pressure?
Colombia (+275 to win group, -340 to qualify for knockout round)
The Colombians come into this tournament on a nice winning streak, coming out on top in their last eight international matches. That stretch includes wins over Brazil, Mexico, Spain and USA, so it wasn’t a fluke by any means. David Ospina and James Rodriguez headline the squad as the most experienced players, but Luis Diaz, Yerry Mina and Davinson Sanchez will also be key contributors for this side. Given their form and Neymar’s absence, it’s not a bad idea to take Colombia to win this group.
Paraguay (+1200 to win group, +225 to qualify for knockout round)
Paraguay has been all over the place when it comes to form, losing three of the last five international matches in 2023 before going 1-1-1 in 2024. There’s some good talent here with Miguel Almiron, Angel Romero and Gustavo Gomez but the big problem could be in goal. Paraguay’s three goalkeepers have a combined 12 international caps between them, which could be a problem given the opposing attacks in this group.
Costa Rica (+1800 to win group, +500 to qualify for knockout round)
It may seem like Costa Rica are completely overmatched in this group but let’s flash back to the 2014 World Cup where this team got placed in the “Group of Death” and was seen as an afterthought. Three matches later, Costa Rica advanced and ended up playing in the quarterfinals. Joel Campbell and Francisco Calvo bring goal-scoring experience to this team but the defense and midfield are major concerns. Four wins in the last six matches does give this side some confidence but it’s hard to see the Ticos moving on from this group.