USA vs Bolivia Preview | Copa America 2024 Picks & Predictions

Sunday, June 23

6 p.m. ET

FOX

USA Odds	-600
Bolivia Odds	+2000
Draw	+600
Over / Under	2.5  -175 / +135

Odds via bet365. Get up-to-the-minute Soccer odds here.

The United States begin their 2024 Copa America campaign as heavy favorites against Bolivia but with manager Gregg Berhalter under growing pressure.

Berhalter's squad looked awful in a 5-1 friendly defeat to Colombia to begin preparations for the event but were much improved in a 1-1 draw against Brazil less than a week later. Even so, there's a sense it's time to see some growth from what should be a maturing squad after its round-of-16 finish at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

They couldn't ask for a much gentler opening to the tournament on paper than Bolivia. One of South America's only two landlocked countries, La Verde were last serious Copa America challengers in the late 90s, finishing second at the '97 tournament they hosted. They've only advanced past the group stage once since the turn of the century.

These sides last met in a 2018 friendly with interim manager Dave Sarachan in charge of the USMNT, a 3-0 American victory in which both teams fielded far less than full-strength squads.

Let's get into this USA vs Bolivia preview.

Arguably the biggest question for the Americans entering the opener is the status of midfielder Tyler Adams, who has dealt with leg injuries throughout his career and particularly since his excellent 2022 World Cup showing.

At that tournament, the Bournemouth man revealed himself to be at worst the Americans' second-most important player behind attacking midfielder Christian Pulisic. He was able to feature in the Americans' successful CONCACAF Nations League campaign in March, but a setback since has limited him to only 15 minutes of action against Brazil in the two June friendlies.

Elsewhere, right back Sergino Dest's long-term absence may be most felt in a match like this one, given his strength in attack and the likelihood of the Americans dominating the ball. And up front, the center forward position remains the least certain, with Folarin Balogun and Ricardo Pepi splitting starts in the friendlies and both failing to score.

The constant in Bolivia's international history is that their success generally fails to travel. Their 1963 Copa America title and 1997 runners-up finish both came at home. That's understandable given elevation above 10,000 feet which can often leave unacclimated visiting opponents physically ill.

And that seems likely to repeat itself again with a current squad that is mostly based domestically. Of Bolivia's 15 points earned in their last complete failed World Cup Qualifying campaign, 13 came at home. Six matches into the 2026 cycle, they've earned three points at home and zero away.

Job No. 1 for manager Carlos Antonio Zago — hired in late October to resuscitate Bolivia's qualifying bid — is sorting out the striker position after the December retirement of Marcelo Martins Moreno, the nation's all-time leading international goalscorer.

One candidate for the job, Bruno Miranda, was briefly on the books in MLS with D.C. United early in his career.

Projecting the implications of past World Cup or Gold Cup performances to Copa America isn't perfect, but it can at least tell you habits. And under Berhalter, the Americans are habitually slow tournament starters, having seen more than two goals scored in their group openers only once. The opponent that day? Guyana.

Bolivia are no world beaters, but with a team full of regulars in their top flight with continental club experience, they're much better than Guyana, and probably more on the level of a upper-middle-tier CONCACAF side. Their six-game qualifying start is also slightly misleading, given that they've already had to face Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay, with two of those away.

La Verde's back line is a weakness, but you can buy a half-goal and still play an under at close even money. Do it here at -118 odds and an implied 54.1% probability with the knowledge that you'll push if the total lands on three.

Pick: Under 3 (-118 via BetRivers)