Our CONCACAF Nations League predictions anticipate the USMNT defense to be on its A-game in what should be a straightforward clean sheet. All indicators point to an American victory that would ultimately seal Group D.
When the United States and El Salvador meet on Monday night in Orlando, it will be a winner-take-all affair. Both teams know that a win will put them on top of their group and give them a leg up in the race for a position in the Nations League final.
Therefore, only El Salvador needs a victory to move on. The Americans are now in first place in the group after thrashing Grenada 7-1 on Friday night, and they would be in first place with a draw as well. Nevertheless, playing for a draw against a desperate El Salvador team would be hazardous.
How does Team USA plan to approach the game, and how does that affect your chances of generating money? Here, you’ll find our free betting predictions for the United States and El Salvador match.
USA vs El Salvador picks and predictions
It took me a while to figure out a way to approach this game that didn’t involve an unhealthy dose of juice that I wouldn’t want to share with anyone. With their thrashing of Grenada, the United States are huge favorites to win this match. They are to do so while displaying an abundance of offensive intent.
Of course not! On Friday night, the United States effectively conquered Grenada. I thought the home team would play conservatively and try to prevent goals, but they scored in the fifth minute and added three more before halftime.
Even though their defensive formation was unconventional, Grenada still scored a goal. Joe Scally, a fullback, was playing central defense as the rest of the starting back four watched from the bench. With a strong showing, however, he may be moved back to fullback.
So, a clean sheet is highly likely, but also excessively juiced, with the defense at full power. Instead, I looked at potential parlay strategies to bring costs down to a more manageable level. Using some ingenuity, I could parlay at least two goals being scored with only one team finding the back of the net for a significantly reduced price, almost guaranteeing a clean sheet.
With so much riding on this game, I anticipate a cautious opening from both sides. The United States can win with a tie, so they have no reason to overextend themselves at the outset. As El Salvador regains possession, they will look to strike the Americans on the break. Still, they will also want to avoid leaving themselves open to the counterattack like Grenada did.
If the game is scoreless or has only one goal at halfway, things should start to open up. I don’t see El Salvador scoring early, and the match will be more one-sided in favor of the United States if it starts scoreless. They have scored no goals in their last three trips to the United States, and they have scored only three times in a total of eleven matches played on American soil.
As a FIFA Top 80 team, the visitors have proven difficult to play against in previous qualifying rounds. In their qualifying match against the United States last January, the Americans could only muster one goal, scored by Antonee Robinson. On Monday night, I anticipate them attempting this, with a focus on going for the win in the game’s closing 15 minutes. If the Americans don’t achieve that sooner, they can score twice.
All bookies do not offer this parlay, so it’s a good idea to check around, but FanDuel presently has odds of -109. It offers the least amount of risk and the highest potential return compared to the alternatives.
The United States will keep a clean sheet for the fifth time in the last six encounters, and if they score two goals, you win money.
USA vs El Salvador side analysis
If you think El Salvador will win, then betting the 3-way line is a waste of time. Your best price of -720 on the United States is too high to wager on, just like on Friday night. It can be used in a parlay but will make little difference.
The United States national team will be at full strength (without Tyler Adams), and I anticipate a far more formidable defense than we witnessed on Friday night. Although Christian Pulisic is expected to return to the left wing, Ricardo Pepi may be substituted. Once Yunus Musah has recovered from his rest, he should return to his starting position.
El Salvador lost a friendly match against Honduras by a score of 1-0 on Wednesday. Seattle Sounders captain Alex Roldan helps the team attack from right back, so they have some good players to work with.
Eriq Zavaleta, also of LA Galaxy, defends alongside him. Romell Quioto, of CF Montreal, is a dangerous offensive threat; he scored twice against Philadelphia last weekend. He has scored three times in his last three games for his country.
El Salvador has only beaten the United States once in 27 matches. We shouldn’t expect a recurrence of something that happened 31 years ago. The Americans have won 19 of those games while their opponent has played only three times in the preceding nine months. Whoever wins will almost certainly do it with little difficulty.
USA vs El Salvador Over/Under analysis
As we’ve already established, the 2.5 total is heavily favored to go Over. Juice of -150 or more is hard to call given my prediction for the contest. A 2-0 score will likely happen, hence the Under is a good bet.
El Salvador has only scored once in their last three matches since their June 2018 match against the USMNT. In four of the last five games, they have failed to score against the hosts, and in each of those five matches, two or fewer goals have been scored.
The USMNT’s attacking play on Friday night against Grenada was a sight to behold, despite the fact that the Under has been the play for quite some time. It’s unlikely that they’ll score seven times again, but I wouldn’t be astonished if they scored twice.
If you’re not taking the optimal bet, I suggest betting the total live or being creative with a parlay because El Salvador is highly unlikely to add to the total.
USA vs El Salvador weather
Even though it’s still technically spring, these two squads will be playing like it’s the middle of summer on Monday. Near kickoff, temperatures will be in the high 80s, although they should fall slightly as the game unfolds. There is no danger of precipitation, and the reduced humidity should provide some welcome relief. Yet, the wind will have little effect on the game in that aspect. This weather forecast could be useful for those interested in football betting.
