The Gold Cup kicks off this Saturday, and the favorite to win this year’s edition will be in action on the first day. Mexico have won the Gold Cup more times than any other country, and they are hefty favorites to win Group A. Accordingly, the oddsmakers have Mexico installed as massive favorites over Cuba in Los Angeles. They will certainly have the crowd with them as there will be hundreds of El Tri flags among the tens of thousands of supporters at the Rose Bowl.
Don't miss this Gold Cup match from the Rose Bowl in Los Angeles, California at 10 p.m. ET on Saturday, June 15, 2019. Catch every moment of the match live on FS2.
2019 Gold Cup Betting Odds at BookMaker.eu
Mexico -5000
Cuba +5490
Draw +1234
Over/Under 4
Odds Analysis
Cuba will be one of the lowest ranked teams taking part in the Gold Cup according to FIFA rankings. They are currently ranked 174th, and the last time they faced Mexico they were blasted 6-0. That meeting happened at the 2015 Gold Cup, and El Tri controlled every facet of the match. Mexico outshot Cuba 44 to 3, and they put 18 shots on goal compared to just one for Cuba. Oribe Peralta netted a hat trick, while Carlos Vela, Andres Guardado, and Giovani dos Santos also scored.
Coming into this match, Mexico have been sharp. They were dismayed at the tail end of 2018 after their seventh straight trip to the knockout stages of the World Cup and seventh straight failure to notch a win, but they have put that disappointment behind them.
New manager Tata Martino has installed the system that led Atlanta United to an MLS Cup win last year, and this offense has shined as a result. Mexico have played exciting football, knocking off four different South American teams in the last three months. El Tri beat Chile 3-1 and Paraguay 4-2 in March, and they finished up by beating Venezuela 3-1 and Ecuador 3-2 last week. Perhaps most impressively and indicative of a change, 12 different players scored those 13 goals.
As for Cuba, they have been a comparative minnow this decade, but the Lions of the Caribbean are looking to roar in the opener. They have won five of their last six matches, with the wins coming against Barbados, Turks and Caicos Islands, Grenada, the Dominican Republic, and Bermuda. Their last international match was all the way back in March when they lost 2-1 to Haiti.
Cuba Player to Watch
Luis Paradela is just 22 years old, but he has shown a lot of potential in his short time with the national team. Paradela has notched five goals in six matches with Cuba, and that makes him the second-leading scorer on the roster behind captain Yordan Santa Cruz. Paradela plays his club football with Universidad in Guatemala, and he has netted six goals in 12 matches this season.
Mexico Player to Watch
Tata has made the decision to go with younger players at the Gold Cup, so he will need the veterans to come through, especially in the early going. With that in mind, captain Andres Guardado will play a big role. He is on his way to becoming the most capped player in Mexican history, and he has 26 goals for the national team. Guardado is the talisman in the midfield, and he should have a field day against an overwhelmed Cuba.
Free Soccer Betting Pick
It won’t take long for this match to be decided. Mexico are clearly the superior team, and they have been in great form. While past teams would have struggled to cover such a lofty spread, this version of Mexico won’t have any trouble getting over the line.
2019 Gold Cup Odds: Mexico 5, Cuba 0
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