Costa Rica v Cuba (1.30am, live on ESPN)
Belize v USA (4am, live on ESPN)
MY Gold Cup tips are mirroring my success in the Confederations Cup – so far -with three out of four recommended bets coming in even though there have been a couple of surprise results.
The next two games features short-priced favourites against minnows with Costa Rica facing Cuba and hosts USA up against tournament debutants Belize.
Costa Rica are first up and are a best 1-5 at Paddy Power while Cuba are as big as 22-1 at BetVictor. Those prices suggest an absolute hammering but Cuba's worst defeat in the last two years has been 3-0 so a 2-0 or 3-0 looks the most likely outcome.
So rather than backing Costa Rica -2 at 5-4 with boylesports or Costa Rica -3 at 5-2 with William Hill I'm looking at Costa Rica at 5-6 with Paddy Power to win to nil. Costa Rica -1 is another option at 8-15 with Skybet.
The sides met in the last Gold Cup and Costa Rica won 5-0 but Cuba, who lost their other two group games 5-0 and 6-1, seem to have improved defensively since then.
In the later game the USA are even shorter at 1-14 with Paddy Power while Belize are 40-1 at BetVictor.
The hosts and tournament favourites beat Guatemala 6-0 in a warm-up last week and this could be a similar sort of result. On the handicaps I like USA -3 at 13-10 with Paddy Power.
Landon Donovan netted twice in that game and I've already tipped the LA Galaxy star to score first at 2-1 with the likes of Betway and Skybet.
Recommended Bets
Costa Rica to win to nil
(5-6, Paddy Power)
USA -3
(13-10, Paddy Power)
Donovan to score first
(2-1, Betway, Skybet)
In December 2020 we sadly 
Need better luck on these tonight. Went for Draw at Halftime or Full time and also Draw Full time on the T&T game and then thought I’d use the winnings to put towards a Honduras win.
Or, so I’d thought…..
Checked the result of the T&T game and was delighted to see 2-2.
Patiently waited for my winnings to come through and then I had a sinking feeling….
I’d put both bets on the wrong game…..
Sadly Haiti & Honduras didn’t deliver a draw.
That’ll teach me to place bets when half-asleep…. :(
I know the feeling UC. I took over 2 extra time goals on the Ghana v Chile under 20s the other night. When my winnings didn’t come through and I checked back I found I had taken extra time corners. Nothing worse than watching a game for something to come in and when it does finding out later you never had it on all that time.
I’ll have a small punt on Mr F’s selections tonight. Both look good shouts and the tips have been spot on so far.
Posted this in the wrong night-owl’s section…!
But while I’m on, definitely like the win to nil in both these games and will have a nibble at the win-to-nil double!
Brazil Serie B (11.30pm)
Paysandu PA v Sao Caetano H 2.08 D 3.28 A 3.16
I’m going to take you back two or three weeks when Sao Caetano played away at Oeste.
Oeste, we noted, were last season’s Serie C champions, and we said Serie B’s a step up in class, and so far they’ve done OK, especially at home, with two wins and a draw, but they’re a smallish club and this is likely to be the highest level they can go to…
So, let’s note that Paysandu were promoted from Serie C in third. And they’ve played at home 4 times – two wins, two draws. But they haven’t actually played anybody that great yet…
And a couple of weeks back, what we said about Sao Caetano was that in last year’s Serie B, they’d finished 5th – 4 teams are promoted.
We also noted they were the TOP away side with the following season record:
P19 W11 D5 L3 F31 A20
That’s a blistering away record!
We also said, despite only being formed in 1989, they had a pedigree from the early 2000s when they were runners-up in Serie A and also runners-up in the South American Champions League, the Copa Libertadores.
That’s a side that’s looking to get back to the top.
As things turned out, Caetano beat Oeste 3-0 in that game two or three weeks back, and my money’s on lightning to strike twice.
The away is 23/10, and I can’t resist having a nibble on Sao -1 at 13/2.
Good luck with all your bets overnight!
Will u be posting anything on womens championships mr f?
rick, don’t know about the women’s football. Might have a look but I can’t claim to be an expert.
I’ve sort of gone with it.
Done Costa Rica -1 and USA game over 3.5 goals.
I think….. ;)
Pays a smidge over evens.
On that we double mr f won’t be staying up to watch the games work in the morning but hopefully the pot is a bit bigger in the morning…Good luck everyone who’s taking a punt
Costa Rica @ 1.80
To Win to Nil
USA @ 1.61
To Win to Nil
£10 Pays £29 @ Paddy Power
Belize v USA
1st Half Over 1.5 @ 3/4 betvictor
This bet jumped out at me, USA are 1/33 to win the game outright, which tells you they are huge favourites and should win comfortably by a few goals. 2 goals in the 1st half shouldn’t be too much of an ask!
1st Half Over 2.5 @ 12/5 betvictor
Small stake on this also, if USA can get an early goal you’d expect them to be at least 2-3 up by half time.
AL, as I said should win by something between four and six so you’re right to point out the value in the over 1.5 USA goals first half. I’ve got a few bets on the game and we’ll see in the morning if any have come in.
Sitting in hawaii waiting for ur tips to come up mr f… on point as always!
Kev, show-off! Anyway go buy yourself another cocktail with the winnings.