Copa America 2019 Betting Preview : Jesus and Coutinho to lead Brazil to glory

Last Updated : 13th June, 2019 By FREEBets.org.uk

VENUE

Brazil

TIME

14 June - 7 July

BROADCAST

Live on Premier Sports

See Stats

The Copa America kicks off this week in the never ending spree of football that will barely take a rest over the summer, but this tournament will still stand out, as it always does.

The competition is held in Brazil this year where Chile will try and upset the odds once again and win the title for a third time. They really are up against it if the bookies are to be believed, though, with the host nation as runaway, clear favourites to lift the trophy for the first time in over a decade.

It has been a barren time for the two footballing super-powers in South America, with Brazil and Argentina both struggling for silverware in recent years. Brazil have not even been to the semi-finals of the Copa America since that last triumph in 2007, while Argentina have been to four of the last five finals but lost every single one of them. The Argentineans have not picked up the trophy since 1993, which is incredible considering the players they have at their disposal.

Lionel Messi will be trying to finally break his duck in the competition this year, but it looks like he will come up short again as the home nation look to be the short-priced favourites for a good reason. Not only are we backing them to win the tournament for a ninth time, but they provide great value in the top-scorer and top-assists markets as well.

If Brazil don’t reach the semi-finals this year it will be astounding. Their group features Bolivia, Venezuela and Peru, which they should top easily and go on to meet a third-placed team from one of the other two groups in the quarter-finals.

From their they should be flowing nicely, which they have been doing since their World Cup exit at the hands of Belgium in Russia. It was a crushing disappointment over the summer for the Brazilians, but they have responded admirably. They may only have been friendlies, but 10 games since the World Cup have produced nine wins and a draw, including victories over other Copa America contenders, Argentina and Uruguay. In those 10 games they have scored 25 goals and conceded just two.

They may be without Neymar in this tournament but they are looking like a well-oiled machine at the moment, certainly more so than the unpredictable Argentineans and the ageing Uruguayans. Outside of those three it would be a huge upset, even though Chile have won the last two, their side is also creeping over the hill and is bang out of form.

As mentioned, Neymar is out of the picture with an ankle injury and Lionel Messi has replaced him as the favourite to be the top scorer in the competition. However, we should stick with Brazilian success and back the man who will bag the goals for the host nation, Gabriel Jesus.

The Manchester City striker may not have been a guaranteed starter until recent weeks, but he should have booked his spot in the first XI thanks to his latest performances for the national side. He has scored four goals in his last three appearances for Brazil and only started in two of those games.

He is in competition with Roberto Firmino for the central striker role, but he is undoubtedly the more potent goal threat and should get the nod. If he can continue the superb form that has seen him notch 16 goals in 29 games for Brazil, then Jesus looks an exceptional price to be the tournament’s top goal scorer at 13/2.

It is more bad news for Lionel Messi in the next market as, despite him being the favourite to provide the most assists in the tournament, we are going for another Brazilian.

He may have had a below par season at Barcelona, an assertion he admitted himself, but Philippe Coutinho is still a force to be reckoned with, especially in a Brazil shirt.

With Neymar out of the team there will be more expectation on Coutinho to produce, but there will also be more opportunity for him to do so. With a more traditional central striker to play behind, the former Liverpool man will have no problem slotting in through balls behind the defence throughout the competition.

Whether it is Jesus, Firmino or David Neres who is benefitting, Coutinho will pick them out, and probably slam home one or two peaches himself. If Brazil do indeed go all the way, Coutinho will have pulled a lot of strings for them to do it.