Mexico vs. Costa Rica: Picks, Predictions, Odds and Player Props

Both Mexico and Costa Rica have booked their place in the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Gold Cup with one game to spare, but we should still be treated to an intense clash between two teams who will have their eyes on going all the way in the competition.

Mexico vs. Costa Rica betting picks and predictions

Mexico to win and over 2.5 goals (+162)

There may not seem to be much at stake in Mexico’s game against Costa Rica in Nevada with both teams already looking forward to the knockout stages of the CONCACAF Gold Cup, but it could be Javier Aguirre's men who emerge from Group A with a maximum return from their three matches.

There has certainly been a greater degree of comfort for El Tri as they go in search of their 10th Gold Cup title and Aguirre has been able to field a strong squad which compares favorably to Costa Rica, who have gone into battle with a youthful looking roster that will surely benefit from the experience they can gain from this tournament.

Mexico’s 2-0 win in their most recent outing against Suriname was pretty routine even though they needed two second-half goals from defender Cesar Montes to secure the points, while Costa Rica have not been quite as comfortable.

They needed a 103rd-minute penalty from Manfred Ugalde to claim a 4-3 win over Suriname while Josimar Alcocer’s winner against the Dominican Republic did not arrive until five minutes from the end.

Costa Rica remain tenacious and will be conscious that they are likely to avoid the USA in the last eight if they win this game, and that should ensure a high-scoring encounter.

However, it looks as if Mexico has a greater ability and firmer control, so take El Tri to come out on top of what looks set to be a game with plenty of goals.

Santiago Gimenez to score at any time (+150)

While top place in Group A is still up for grabs, there is a strong possibility that both teams will make a few changes to rest some of their big names for the quarterfinals at the weekend.

One person who could be the beneficiary of that approach if Aguirre decides to shuffle the pack is Milan forward Santiago Gimenez.

He has found it a little difficult to establish himself in Serie A following a January move from Feuenoord, where he performed well in league-stage Champions League matches last season.

Gimenez did not get to start in Mexico’s game against Suriname, but he had four goal attempts against the Dominican Republic and should be charged to make a big impression in the final game of the group stage.

Second half to have most goals (+110)

It looks as if there will be a strong chance that there will be more goals in the second half judging by what has happened in the opening two group fixtures of both teams.

All five of the goals in Mexico’s victory over the Dominican Republic came after the 43rd minute and they did not break through against Suriname until after the interval, which suggested they are more than happy to be patient if needs be.

Meanwhile, Costa Rica have shown they are tenacious enough to go all the way to the final whistle as they have needed late goals to claim victories in their opening two encounters, so it would not be a surprise if this match turned out to be more open after the break.

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Mexico vs. Costa Rica odds

Mexico	-163
Tie	+290
Costa Rica	+450

Mexico vs. Costa Rica player props

Anytime Goalscorer

Raul Jimenez (Mexico)	+130
Santiago Gimenez (Mexico)	+150
Angel Sepulveda (Mexico)	+162
Julian Quinones (Mexico)	+200
Cesar Huerta (Mexico)	+220
Manfred Ugalde (Costa Rica)	+275

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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.