Copa America 2024 odds: 'Time for USMNT to prove it is worthy of the praise'

Summertime is soccer time on the 2024 sports betting calendar. And if the U.S. Men’s National Team is involved, then there’s a guarantee of heightened interest.

Such is the case with Copa America odds. 

But can the USMNT keep up with the tournament’s top teams, all from South America?

"It would be a historic and unprecedented feat for the U.S. to win Copa America," FOX Sports soccer analyst Alexi Lalas said.

Stadiums across the United States will host the tournament, with all matches broadcast on either FOX, FS1 or FS2. Lalas, a former USMNT standout defender, serves up his insights on odds to win Copa America.

Home Underdog

Although Team USA is on home soil, it sits as the co-fifth choice in odds to win Copa America. FanDuel Sportsbook has the U.S. men’s team at +1400, along with Colombia. That’s a tick behind No. 4 Mexico, at +1300, and well behind the three odds leaders: Argentina (+175), Brazil (+220) and Uruguay (+550).

A wager on the USMNT would pay out nicely if — and it’s a big if — the American side makes an upstart run to the championship. A $100 wager would profit $1,400, for a $1,500 total payout.

Working in the Americans’ favor is their draw into Group C. The U.S. opens June 23 against Bolivia, which is ranked a distant 85th in the world. Then on June 27, the USMNT meets Panama, ranked 45th.

If the U.S. wins both matches, as it’s certainly expected to, then it would advance to the knockout stage, regardless of the result in the Group C finale vs. Uruguay on July 1. While Lalas is skeptical of a deep run, he’s also got a dash of American optimism.

"The U.S. has gone to the semifinals in two of the four Copa Americas they have participated in," Lalas said, alluding to the 1995 and 2016 tournaments. "The