American soccer bettors have so far eschewed proximity and patriotism during a summer of ample soccer betting opportunities.
Euro 2024 betting is outpacing Copa America betting here, despite the latter tournament being hosted on this side of the Atlantic. Meanwhile, two major sportsbooks reported that a trio of South American countries have attracted more betting action to win Copa than the ousted Americans — and mighty Brazil is not among them.
As both tournaments round to the home stretch, there have been significant odds shifts at US soccer betting sites.
South American teams lead in Copa America betting handle
While the US men’s national team team is often a popular choice for American sports bettors in regional tournaments, this year saw some deviations from that standard.
According to FanDuel Sportsbook’s Rachel Spraker, Copa America betting has lagged behind action on the Euros. Among bettors, Colombia, Argentina and Uruguay topped the US in overall betting handle. All three teams advanced to the knockout stage, while the hosts were eliminated by a 1-0 loss to Uruguay on Monday.
“For the USMNT in the tournament, the US has greatest share of bets to win the tournament at 28% but only fourth highest share of handle at 12%,” Spraker said.
That data was similar at BetMGM, with Argentina topping the betting handle at 29.1%, followed by Colombia (23.9%) and Uruguay (17.1%).
The US was still a popular choice for some BetMGM bettors, coming in second in terms of total bets on the Copa America winner at 18.9%. But even after the US team was eliminated, BetMGM reported that its biggest liabilities in the tournament remained Colombia, Argentina, and Uruguay.
Messi, Martinez lead handle, odds for top Copa goalscorer
Not surprisingly, Argentina’s Lionel Messi was a top choice for bettors in the Copa America’s golden boot race, with 19.3% of tickets at BetMGM, though Uruguay’s Darwin Nunez edged him out in terms of betting handle with 28.9%.
The current goalscoring leader in this year’s tournament is Argentina’s Lautaro Martinez, who has moved from +800 to -165 after scoring four goals in the first three matches.
The Copa America quarterfinal round begins on Thursday and wraps up play on Saturday.
Germany, France among top choices for Euro bettors
According to data supplied by BetMGM Sportsbook, host country Germany and 2022 World Cup finalists France remain the top picks for Euro betting. While Germany accounts for the biggest share of total tickets at 18.5%, France is the leader in total handle at 19.3%.
France defeated Belgium 1-0 in the Round of 16, advancing to a quarterfinal meeting with Portugal. Germany made short work of Denmark with a 2-0 victory but now faces Spain, a squad whose odds to win the tournament have gone from +800 to +400, making it one of the favorites.
England, which has remained the top favorite through every round of the tournament so far, is currently fourth in both ticket percentage and overall handle, according to BetMGM.
The Euro 2024 quarterfinal round begins Friday and continues through Saturday.
