It looks like the last-chance saloon for both Costa Rica and Jamaica on Wednesday. With four matches left in FIFA World Cup Qualifying, both teams find themselves outside of the top three spots in the CONCACAF Octagonal.
The Reggae Boyz of Jamaica are in much worse shape, sitting 11 points behind third-place Mexico, so they need to win every remaining game.
Meanwhile, the Ticos have 13 points, putting them five points behind Mexico, but still giving Costa Rica a lot of work to do.
Costa Rica vs Jamaica Stats
Looking at the Costa Rica Stats
While the Ticos still have a lot of work to do, things are finally moving in the right direction for them. In the current window, Costa Rica has earned a 1-0 win over Panama and managed a scoreless draw away at Mexico. The Ticos now have three wins and a draw in their last six qualifying matches.
The most important stat for Costa Rica is keeping a clean sheet in both matches during the current window. The return of goalie Keylor Navas has been huge for the Ticos, helping to solidify an experienced defense. In fact, in 10 qualifying games, Costa Rica has conceded just seven goals, which is tied for the second-fewest in the Octagonal.
Unfortunately, Costa Rica has also scored just seven goals in those ten matches. Veteran Joel Campbell hasn’t provided the punch the Ticos were hoping he would over the last two matches. There is also little proven attacking options on the Costa Rica roster outside of aging midfielders Bryan Ruiz and Celso Borges.
Looking at the Jamaica Stats
The current window has proven disastrous for Jamaica. The Reggae Boyz blew a 1-0 lead in less than 10 minutes against Mexico and then lost 3-2 against Panama. At this point, it would take a miracle to get Jamaica to the World Cup.
Naturally, the Reggae Boyz have the second-worst defensive record of the eight teams left. Jamaica has conceded 15 goals in 10 matches. Even worse, five of those goals have come over the last 100 minutes of action, so Jamaica’s defensive struggles may not go away anytime soon.
To be fair, the Jamaicans have some impressive attacking players despite lacking international experience. Michail Antonio has already proven to be an impact player at the international level, while Andre Gray and Bobby Cordova-Reid also bring top-flight European club experience. But there is a lot of pressure on Jamaica’s attack because the Reggae Boys can’t seem to stop anyone.
Betting Trends for Costa Rica vs Jamaica
- Costa Rica hasn’t allowed a goal in back-to-back matches.
- Jamaica has one win in its last 13 matches
- Costa Rica has three goals in its last four qualifying matches.
- Jamaica has seven goals in its last five qualifying matches.
Who to Bet in this game?
The latest betting information from sportsbooks has tight odds in this match. At home, Jamaica has a moneyline of +185, while Costa Rica is a slight favorite with a moneyline of +165. The moneyline for a draw is set at +195.
While the Reggae Boyz are at home, they haven’t been able to take advantage of playing at home much, leaving the door open for a Costa Rica team that’s rounding into form to steal three points on Wednesday.
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