If there’s any group with plenty of uncertainty at Copa America 2024, it’s Group B. Mexico is bringing in a younger team, while Ecuador and Jamaica are looking to make the most of their experienced squads who have had encouraging results over the last few matches. Venezuela will be hoping to make noise as the darkhorse team in this group. Here’s a look at the teams in Group B and our prediction for how things play out. All odds are courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
Mexico (+110 to win group, -360 to qualify for knockout round)
Most soccer fans will have a hard time recognizing this Mexico squad. Sure, there are some experienced players like Edson Alvarez, Orbelin Pineda and Luis Romo, but there’s plenty of new faces who will be asked to step up in a big way. Guillermo Ochoa will not be in goal and Hirving Lozano will not be the primary striker up front, which means two key spots are up for grabs for the future. Raul Jimenez is also not in the team. Mexico’s run up to this competition hasn’t been encouraging, with three losses in the last four matches.
Ecuador (+160 to win group, -280 to qualify for knockout round)
A group stage exit at the 2022 World Cup was somewhat surprising for Ecuador, who tallied four points through the first two games before falling to Senegal. They have been strong in Copa America, making the quarterfinal round in two of the last three tournaments. There’s good experience here with Enner Valencia and Angel Mena, while Moises Caicedo and Piero Hincapie will take on larger roles after strong domestic seasons. Ecuador got some good tests before this competition with matches against Italy and Argentina. Even though they lost both games, they have shown they can win against inferior opponents which should help them power through this group.
Venezuela (+550 to win group, +150 to qualify for knockout round)
Salomon Rondon and Tomas Rincon are the mainstays in an otherwise youthful Venezuela side looking to make some noise in Copa America. When you get a squad that hasn’t played many meaningful international matches, there’s always some unpredictability and the potential for upsets. Venezuela got a 3-0 win over Chile last October, but have drawn three of their last four matches and haven’t gotten the tune-ups other squads get ahead of Copa America. We’ll see if this longshot can make a name for itself in a group where there’s no clear-cut favorites on the pitch.
Jamaica (+900 to win group, +350 to qualify for knockout round)
Jamaica will miss Leon Bailey, who refused the call-up due some dispute with the federation. That’s a big miss for this squad, which still features Andre Blake, Damion Lowe, Shamar Nicholson and Demarai Gray. It’s been a good stretch of international play lately for Jamaica with three wins in a row heading into Copa America. This side got an important win over Canada in the Nations League quarterfinal round, and took out Panama in the third-place game. I don’t think Jamaica will advance to the knockout stage but I’d give them a better chance than Venezuela despite what the odds say.