More or less the first shot the United States has of reasonably being knocked out of the Gold Cup will be on Wednesday night in the semifinals of the tournament when it takes on up and coming Jamaica.
ODDS ANALYSIS
The Americans have been the odds-on favorites in all of these matches so far in the Gold Cup, and this isn't an exception.
In fact, the margin is once again tremendous between the United States and Jamaica. The Americans are favored by a -200 margin on the money, the equivalent of being -1 on the Asian Handicap.
The United States is -500 to reach the Gold Cup Final.
Thanks to the stellar Jamaican defense, a unit which has been out of this world in this tournament, the total for this Gold Cup semi is relatively low at 2.5 (under -130).
QUOTE TO NOTE
"They've been solid at the back, and they're moving the ball well, exactly what you'd expect from a Jurgen Klinsmann team. So they'll be a tough test on Wednesday, but we're confident that we're more than capable of coming away with a result." – Jamaica forward Giles Barnes on the task ahead of trying to knock off the Gold Cup favorites
RECENT FORM
The United States finally showed its true colors in a romp of Cuba in the quarterfinals on Saturday. Clint Dempsey, who has definitively been the best player in this tournament, put together a hat trick against the Cubans, while Aron Johannsson, Gyasi Zardes and Omar Gonzalez also got on the score sheet.
It was a nice change for the United States after a rather drab 1-1 draw against Panama in the last of the group stage games. The Americans weren't impressive either in a 2-1 win over Honduras or a 1-0 win over Haiti in the group stage.
Jamaica has more or less used the same tactics throughout this tournament. The team has used a tight 4-4-2 to try to keep teams at bay on its end of the pitch, and it has only gone forward when it has had the chance to counterattack and get out and run.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
We're really not all that sure that the Americans have figured anything out yet, knowing that they beat up a very suspect Cuba team in the last round of the tournament.
The problem that the United States has had throughout the Gold Cup has been stopping teams on the counterattack. If Haiti and Honduras were both able to look dangerous on counters, clearly, Jamaica could be a nightmare.
There will be a lot of bets coming in on the Stars and Stripes at this juncture of the Gold Cup, but we're not all that sure that they are founded. The Reggae Boyz have a lot of speed at the front, and Barnes and Simon Dawkins could be very dangerous in this one.
With two attackers at the front of their formation, Jamaica is the first team to send more than just one striker at the United States defense. Brad Guzan could be kept busy in this one, and if he is, this could end up being a much tougher match than the American anticipate. We wouldn't be stunned if Jamaica pulled off this upset, even in just 90 minutes.
Jamaica 2, United States 1
BookMaker has live Gold Cup odds for every clash of the season. You can find a moneyline price on the United States of -200 and a total of 2.5 (under -130) right now! BookMaker is also going to have multiple betting options available for this nationally-televised match. Live wagering during commercials offers an adjusted moneyline, total and spread. Log in and start gambling during the soccer game now!
Access live betting lines from your mobile device at BookMaker Sportsbook! You can wager on sporting events as they unfold on television with BookMaker’s live betting platform. Real-time spreads, totals, props and moneyline odds are all available by clicking here, so start betting with BookMaker today! The fixture between the United States and Jamaica will take place at 6:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday, July 22, 2015 at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, GA. The game will be broadcast live on FOX Sports 1.
