Thursday FIFA World Cup Qualifying Odds, Picks, Predictions: Our Top Parlay, Featuring USA vs. Jamaica & Honduras vs. Costa Rica (Oct. 7)
John Dorton/ISI Photos/Getty Images. Pictured: United States standout Cristian Roldan, center, and his teammates.
- American fireworks in Texas? Honduras to secure a home win? That's how our analysts see it for Thursday's FIFA World Cup qualifying matches.
- Soccer handicappers Jeremy Pond and Ian Quillen have partnered for their two-team parlay that sits at +378 odds.
- Check out below how they uncovered the plays, highlighted by the USA vs. Jamaica CONCACAF showdown.
If you're new to our in-depth coverage of global soccer, we have a feature that will appear at The Action Network that has two of our soccer analysts putting together their best bets to create a parlay with plenty of betting value.
Soccer analysts Ian Quillen and Jeremy Pond have you covered with our latest two-leg entry, targeting matches featuring the United States vs. Jamaica and Honduras vs. Costa Rica on Thursday's FIFA World Cup qualifying schedule in the CONCACAF region.
Check out their betting insight and the price they're getting on the parlay at PointsBet ahead of the latest contest on the North American landscape.
USA vs. Jamaica Odds
| USA Odds | -304 |
| Jamaica Odds | +850 |
| Draw | +400 |
| Over/Under | 2.5 (-130 / +100) |
| Day | Time | Thursday | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| How To Watch | ESPN2 | Univision | fuboTV |
| Odds via PointsBet. Get up-to-the-minute Soccer odds here. | |
Jeremy Pond: Without question, things will be pretty electric in the "Lone Star State" when the Americans look to further improve their chances of booking a trip to Qatar for next year's World Cup.
Head coach Gregg Berhalter and his group are heavy favorites, sitting at north of -300 odds on the moneyline. And it's a deserved price, largely due to the fact Jamaica sits at the bottom of the eight-nation table with a single point.
Berhalter doesn't have Christian Pulisic at his disposal this time around, with the standout dealing with an injury that has sidelined him with Premier League giant Chelsea. However, Weston McKennie has been called in despite being sent home early from the previous qualifying round after breaking health and safety protocols ahead of the U.S. match against Honduras.
Three of the last five meetings between these countries have finished with at least three goals, so I'm cautiously optimistic we make it four out of six in this intriguing matchup. Add in the fact two of Jamaica's three qualifiers have ended with at least three goals, and I'm cautiously optimistic with this leg.
The Americans should win this fixture, but the absence of defenders Tim Ream and John Brooks from an already shaky backline also gives Jamaica and standout Shamar Nicholson (two goals in three qualifying games) a better opportunity at finding a goal in this Texas showdown.
Pond's Pick: Total Over 2.5 Goals (-130)
Honduras vs. Costa Rica
| Honduras Odds | +170 |
| Costa Rica Odds | +190 |
| Draw | +185 |
| Over/Under | 1.5 (-165 / +124) |
| Day | Time | Thursday | 8:05 p.m. ET |
| How To Watch | Paramount+ |
| Odds via PointsBet. Get up-to-the-minute Soccer odds here | |
Ian Quillen: It can take time for betting markets to catch up to the ebb and flow of second-tier international teams in most regions. That’s what we have in the current three-way line that sees Honduras vs. Costa Rica basically as a Pick'em match.
Outside of Mexico and the United States, Costa Rica has been the most consistent CONCACAF performer over the last decade, reaching consecutive World Cups in 2014 and 2018.
However, the Ticos are decidedly old now in key positions like attacking midfield, where 36-year-old Bryan Ruiz is still seeing a large chunk of minutes.
Honduras have gone through a transition since the days of David Suazo, Wilson Palacios and Carlos Pavon, but its attacking core is in its prime, including in-form striker Romell Quioto and dynamic winger Alberth Elis.
Costa Rica has been thoroughly uninspiring, riding its luck considerably to earn a 0-0 home draw against Panama. The Catrachos opened qualifying with a deserved draw at Canada. They were easily the better team for the opening half of a 4-1 loss to the United States before wearing down against the Americans’ superior roster depth.
The odds suggest Costa Rica should be favored on neutral ground. That’s a non-starter with Elis back from an injury that kept him out in September. The Catrachos are the clear value here for me.
Quillen's Pick:Honduras ML (+170)
Pond & Quillen Parlay
USA vs. Jamaica Total Over 2.5 Goals (-130) & Honduras ML (+170) at +378 odds via PointsBet
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