VENEZUELA will be aiming to stay perfect in the Copa America as they face Jamaica in their final Group B fixture. The Venezuelans have been surprisingly impressive so far and should have the upper hand over Jamaica, who are already out of the competition.
Jamaica are coming off a 3-1 defeat to Ecuador in their previous Group B fixture. They were second best throughout the contest with Michail Antonio’s second half effort proving to be a mere consolation.
That was the second straight defeat for Jamaica, who were also beaten 1-0 by Mexico in their opening fixture. Heimir Hallgrimsson’s men can no longer progress to the quarter-finals but will be keen to end their campaign on a positive note.
Venezuela head into Monday’s clash off the back of a 1-0 victory over Mexico last time out in Group B. They put up a solid defensive display to fend off the Mexican attack, while Salomon Rondon’s second half effort proved to be the difference in the end.
Having begun their campaign with a 2-1 win over Ecuador, that result means Venezuela have now progressed to the quarter-finals However, manager Fernando Batista will be keen to finish as group winners and maintain their momentum ahead of the knockout stage.
How the bookies view it: Venezuela with the advantage
Venezuela have the upper hand among the bookies and are priced at 5/6 by Betfred to claim the win. A victory for Jamaica is valued at 3/1 while a draw is set at odds of 9/4.
Head to head: Venezuela with the edge
Venezuela have a 2-1 edge with one draw from four previous matches against Jamaica. The two have teams met during the 2016 Copa America with the Venezuelans claiming a 1-0 victory.
Last five H2H duels:
- 05/06/2016 (Copa America) – Jamaica 0-1 Venezuela
- 28/03/2015 (International Friendly) – Jamaica 2-1 Venezuela
- 26/03/2011 (International Friendly) – Jamaica 0-2 Venezuela
- 28/04/2004 (International Friendly) – Jamaica 2-1 Venezuela
- 02/04/2003 (International Friendly) – Venezuela 2-0 Jamaica
Players to watch: Eyes on Rondon
Salomon Rondon got off the mark in the Copa America last time out and will be keen to go on a scoring run. The striker will be the one to watch for Venezuela and is priced at 7/5 by Betfred to find the net on Monday.
Having found the net in the defeat to Ecuador, Michail Antonio will be the one to watch for Jamaica on Monday. The striker is priced at 7/2 by Betfred to get on the score sheet once again.
Probable line-ups
Jamaica are likely to make a few changes to their team, although Michail Antonio is expected to retain his place in attack. Demarai Gray should return to the starting line-up having only made a second half appearance last time out.
While Venezuela are also likely to ring in the changes, Salomon Rondon should continue in attack. The likes of Jhonder Cadiz and Darwin Machis are also pushing for a start having only featured off the bench last time out.
Jamaica: Waite, Hector, Pinnock, Latibeaudiere, Lembiska, Lowe, Palmer, Leigh, Decordova-Reid, Gray, Antonio
Venezuela: Romo, Navarro, Osorio, Ferraresi, Aramburu, Herrera, Martinez, Machis, Savarino, Cadiz, Rondon
Anything else catch the eye?
Monday’s clash has little on the line, so an open encounter could be expected on Monday. Both teams could be backed to score at evens with Betfred, who is also offering odds of 5/4 for over 2.5 goals.
With an open contest expected on Monday, Venezuela could be backed to score in both halves at 23/20 by Betfred.
This Copa America match between Jamaica and Venezuela will be played on Jul 1, 2024 and kick off at 01:00. Check below for our tipsters best Jamaica vs Venezuela prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
