Copa America 2024 continues on Monday with one of the pre-tournament favorites taking the field for the first time. Brazil, No. 4 in the FIFA World Ranking, will begin their run against No. 52 Costa Rica in a Group D battle between the favorite to win the group and one of the biggest longshots in the entire field. Costa Rica, however, rolled through two qualifying matches and competed well against Uruguay and Argentina in recent friendlies, making them an intriguing underdog in this spot.
Kickoff is set for 9 p.m. ET. Brazil are -1200 favorites (risk $1,200 to win $100), while Costa Rica are +4300 underdogs. A draw returns +1000 and the over/under is 3.5 goals. Before locking in any Costa Rica vs. Brazil picks, you need to see what proven SportsLine soccer expert Brandt Sutton has to say.
Sutton is a former collegiate soccer player and has been SportsLine's top soccer editor since 2017. He has followed soccer closely for much longer and factors in managerial tactics, projected lineups and past performances to make the most informed decisions possible.
Sutton finished the 2022-23 Champions League season with a 16-7 record (+8.93 units) on SportsLine's UCL pick sheet and is 25-20-2 (+3.20) in 2023-24. He also finished 2022 as SportsLine's No. 1 soccer expert with a 165-130-2 mark, returning nearly $2,200 for $100 players and is 139-136-5 since the 2022 World Cup. Anybody following saw big returns.
Now, Sutton has broken down Brazil vs. Costa Rica from every angle and locked in his picks and Copa America 2024 predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see Sutton's picks. Here are the betting lines and trends for Costa Rica vs. Brazil:
- Brazil vs. Costa Rica money line: Brazil -1200, Costa Rica +4300, Draw +1000
- Brazil vs. Costa Rica over/under: 3.5 goals
- Brazil vs. Costa Rica spread: Brazil -2.5 (-128)
- BRA: Have won Copa America nine times
- CR: Deepest Copa America run came in 2001 (5th)
- Brazil vs. Costa Rica picks: See picks here
Why you should back Brazil
The Brazilians have the potential to overwhelm Costa Rica with offensive firepower. Brazil feature a trio of players with ties to Real Madrid, the club that won Spain's La Liga in 2023-24. Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo were double-digit goal-scorers for Real Madrid. Endrick will join Real Madrid once he turns 18 this summer and he's been dynamic for Brazil recently, scoring in three of his last four matches.
Brazil have faced a rugged schedule in preparation for Copa America, going unbeaten against the USMNT, Mexico, Spain and England, all top-15 teams in the FIFA World Ranking. They've also scored three goals in two of their last three matches, showing their offensive upside as they enter this tournament. See which team to pick here.
Why you should back Costa Rica
A three-time Concacaf Championship/Gold Cup champion, a six-time World Cup participant, and a quarterfinalist in Copa America twice, Costa Rica are among the top soccer powers from Central America. This squad might lack the overall talent to pull off the outright upset against Brazil, but their recent defensive success gives them a chance to keep this game competitive.
That was on display in a friendly against Uruguay on June 1 where Costa Rica gave up just four shot attempts and one shot on goal in a scoreless draw. Forward Joel Campbell, formerly of Arsenal, brings experience to this squad, while their top-scoring threat might be Manfred Uganda, who currently plays for FC Spartak Moscow and scored in a qualifier against Grenada. See which team to pick here.
How to make Costa Rica vs. Brazil picks
Sutton has broken down Brazil vs. Costa Rica from every possible angle. He is leaning Under on the goal total and has locked in a confident best bet on the outcome. Head to SportsLine to see what it is.
So who wins Brazil vs. Costa Rica on Monday, and where does all the betting value lie? Visit SportsLine now to see which wager in Costa Rica vs. Brazil has all the value, all from the soccer expert who returned nearly $2,200 for $100 players, and find out.
