-Betting-Lines.jpg)
The last match of the group stage of the Gold Cup suddenly took on a little more meaning for Mexico. After being held to a surprising draw by Jamaica, the Mexicans know they're still at least some sort of a result against Curacao away from winning this group.
Don't miss the Gold Cup action from the Alamodome at 8 p.m. ET on Sunday, July 16, 2017. Catch every moment of the match live on FOX Sports 1.
Soccer Odds at BookMaker.eu
Odds Analysis
Thanks to the fact that this one could end up meaning a lot for Mexico, it shouldn't be surprising that El Tri are going to be huge favorites, perhaps by as much as 2 or 2.5 goals on the Asian Handicap. That's a lot of lumber to be laying in a competitive match in a competition like this one, but with as poorly as Curacao has played to this point, this shouldn't be considered a tremendous shock.
How They Got Here
Mexico will very well be kicking itself for the fact that it couldn't quite finish off Jamaica in the second group stage match. In a vacuum, the result wasn't terrible, knowing that a win against Curacao will still surely win this group. However, this was a match Mexico dominated. Jamaica managed absolutely nothing going forward, yet the Mexicans couldn't breakthrough either in what turned out to be a relatively lifeless 0-0 draw.
That said, if you look at the possession Mexico has managed through two matches, you have to be impressed. They've had the ball for well over two-thirds of the total time elapsed, including a stunning 73 percent against Jamaica. But the Reggae Boyz held firm for the full 90 minutes and without a total of 14 shots, three of which hit the target.
Curacao hasn't been anywhere near as fortunate. Barring an absolute miracle, its Gold Cup is said and done with at this point, and it will almost certainly know that its fate is sealed by the time it actually gets on the pitch. Curacao has been taken down by both El Salvador and Jamaica, and it has a woeful -4 goal differential to show for its work after matching 2-0 defeats at the hands of middling CONCACAF teams.
Curacao has failed to really get much going offensively. It has probably deserved a better fate than it has mustered, especially with as well as Elson Hooi has looked at times. But you can't flop on penalties at this stage as Gevaro Nepomuceno did against El Salvador. That had a shot to make the match 2-1 after falling behind 2-0 early. Instead, Curacao never really threatened again.
Free Soccer Betting Pick
We're still not going to shy away from taking Curacao on the Asian Handicap. With the talent of the strikers that this team brought to the Gold Cup, we have a really tough time imagining that it isn't going to find a way to put at least one in the back of the net.
Sure, the Mexicans haven't yielded much on the defensive end of the pitch, but they're one sloppy play away from being punished the way they were when Nelson Bonilla put one home early on for El Salvador. That one goal could make this a mountain to climb for the purposes of the Asian Handicap, and we want no part of it. Curacao is sure to be the more sharp of the two plays, and that's why we're going to take it with the multiple goals we'll be sure to get.
Gold Cup Odds: Mexico 2, Curacao 1
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook!
