Team USA faces the Panama national team Thursday night, and they have a chance to advance to the quarterfinals of the Copa America.
Most pundits believes this is a potential trap game for the Americans.
The United States has a huge upcoming matchup against Uruguay, the third-favorite to win the tournament. Argentina has the best odds, followed by Brazil.
On the heels of America’s dominant win over Bolivia, there’s concern they could overlook Panama.
Team USA is a win away from landing the plane on a quarterfinal berth, giving them a chance to match or beat their best result since making the semifinals in 2016.
Gregg Berhalter’s group gets the benefit of playing on home soil in this one, with the match happening in Atlanta at Mercedes Benz Stadium.
USA vs. Panama odds (via DraftKings)
- USA (-260) | Draw (+360) | Panama (+800)
USA vs. Panama prediction
(6 p.m. ET, FOX)
Panama played an excellent defensive game against Uruguay for about 80 minutes before eventually conceding two goals in the final six minutes of the match.
Their offense left much to be desired from the very moment they stepped onto the pitch, scoring once on three shots on goal.
Panama won’t win very many games without increasing their offensive firepower, even with a counter-attacking style.
Strategically, Berhalter will go with his typical 4-3-3 formation, which gives some pause that this game could be at a bit of a standstill at times.
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Panama did a wonderful job early on to slow down a potent Uruguay attack before collapsing late.
Not expecting a big showing from either offense in this one, and my gut tells me Team USA wins, 1-0 (+500, FanDuel).
For now, we bet on a first-half draw as Panama digs into the trenches with it’s defensive style.
PICK: Team USA-Panama first-half result: Draw (+125, FanDuel)