USWNT vs. Jamaica: Odds and Predictions for 2022 CONCACAF W Championship
The United States women's national team faces a different sort of challenge against Jamaica on Thursday night than it first expected to see at the Concacaf W Championship.
The USWNT is tied on points with Jamaica, not Mexico, at the top of Group A after one set of matches.
Vlatko Andonovski's American side picked up a 3-0 win over Haiti, while Jamaica delivered a shocking 1-0 win over host nation Mexico to shake up the group.
First place and a clear path to winning Group A are on the line on Thursday night for the USWNT. A victory would make it the only team in the group sitting on six points going into the final group matchday, and it can solidify the top spot with a win over Mexico on Monday.
USWNT vs. Jamaica Odds
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.
Money Line: USWNT (-20000; bet $20,000 to win $100), Jamaica (+3000; bet $100 to win $3,000)
Over/Under: Over 2.5 Goals (-600); Over 3.5 Goals (-205)
Prediction
USWNT 4, Jamaica 0
The USWNT passed its first test at the Concacaf W Championship with a three-goal victory over Haiti, with Alex Morgan and Midge Purce taking care of the scoring for the tournament favorites.
Jamaica stunned host nation Mexico with an early goal in the eighth minute through Khadija "Bunny" Shaw, and they didn't allow many significant chances over 90 minutes.
Jamaica's win over Mexico was the most shocking result of the tournament to date, but it will be hard for the Caribbean nation to replicate that feat against the USWNT.
The USWNT comes into Thursday sporting a 4-0 record against Jamaica and having never conceded a goal in those encounters. The Americans won their last meeting with Jamaica by six goals in the 2018 version of Concacaf World Cup qualifying.
The 2022 Concacaf W Championship determines which Concacaf nations will go to the 2023 Women's World Cup and 2024 Summer Olympics. The top two teams in each group advance to the Women's World Cup, while the winner of the competition secures passage to the Olympics.
The American defense needs to be wary of the threat Shaw poses in the final third. The Manchester City player is one of the most dangerous attackers in North America, and as she proved against Mexico, all she needs is one chance to make a top-tier opponent pay.
Andonovski should have his defense prepared to deal with Shaw, and that may require putting an extra defender in her vicinity during parts of the match.
The USWNT has its own dangerous attackers for Jamaica to deal with, and it may be hard for the Caribbean side to control Alex Morgan if she starts for a second straight game.
Morgan scored twice against Haiti and is in some of the best form of any strikers in the world at the moment. She entered the tournament as the leading scorer in the NWSL for the San Diego Wave.
Andonovski could use some rotation up front if he wanted to. Morgan, Sophia Smith and Mallory Pugh started up top on Monday. The Americans have Trinity Rodman, Ashley Hatch, Midge Purce and Megan Rapinoe waiting to take on starting roles if called upon.
The USWNT should use most of the same lineup from Monday's win since it had two days to rest, but the attack is where the most changes may happen because of how many prolific goal scorers are on the roster.
The Americans should get by the Jamaicans with a multiple-goal win. The 3-0 score produced against Haiti was an average result based on the team's scoring potential. We could see five or six goals if the USWNT pounces early.
The main goal is to win, no matter what the score is, to set the USWNT up in the best position possible to win Group A on Monday night against Mexico and to secure one of the four berths to the 2023 Women's World Cup.
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