World Cup Qualifying Odds: Uneasy US Team Continues World Cup Bid In Honduras

A pair of draws complicated the US Men’s National Team (USMNT) efforts to reach the 2022 World Cup.

Eight CONCACAF teams are in the final round of qualifying as they continue a seven-month journey to Qatar. Only three or four will reach the 2022 World Cup.

Team USA began its quest Sept. 2 with a scoreless tie in El Salvador for the first match of the final qualifying round. The USMNT then stumbled to a 1-1 result Sunday vs. Canada in Nashville. Customers at Iowa sportsbooks who bet on draws in either match picked up roughly a +300 moneyline win. Odds are closer to +200 for a draw in Honduras. Odds for a Team USA win are shorter for customers who place soccer bets in Iowa.

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USA at Honduras — CONCACAF World Cup qualifying odds

Wednesday’s US-Honduras match moves to the Paramount+ streaming platform at 9:05 p.m. Universo is a broadcast option — it won’t be in English, but at least you won’t have to subscribe.

The US automatically advanced to the final round as a top-five team in the region. The team was coming off a strong summer as well. They captured the CONCACAF Nations League trophy in June and their seventh Gold Cup title in August. They’ve surged to No. 10 in the latest FIFA world rankings. Honduras is the 63rd-ranked team.

How CONCACAF qualifying works

The eight remaining CONCACAF (North America, Central America and the Caribbean) teams play each other twice over the next seven months for a total of 14 matches. Teams get three points for every win and one point for a draw. Goal differentials break any ties in the standings table.

• Currently Mexico stands at the top of the CONCACAF table with two wins for 6 points.
• A win and draw by Panama is good for second with 4 points.
• Canada, the US, Honduras and El Salvador all have a pair of draws for 2 points each.
• Costa Rica has a draw for one point.
• Jamaica has an 0-2 start to round out the table.

FIFA dedicates three of its 32 World Cup spots to the CONCACAF region. FIFA will then pair CONCACAF’s fourth-place team with a fourth-place team from Asia, the South Pacific or South America. The winner of that head-to-head earns a spot as well.

The US will still have a chance to qualify, even with its draws against El Salvador and Canada. A win over Honduras would certainly ease pressure as the seven-month schedule continues.

Professional soccer leagues around the world coordinate pauses their season schedules to give the world’s best players a chance to play for their country.  Some of windows for World Cup qualifiers were supposed to open a year ago, but the pandemic grounded travel to international matches.

In normal years, national teams play two matches during these professional league breaks, but they’ll be play three qualifying matches during upcoming windows to get the matches in.

CONCACAF World Cup schedule

Wednesday, Sept. 8

• 6:30 p.m. — El Salvador at Canada
• 7:05 p.m. — Mexico at Panama
• 8 p.m. — Jamaica at Costa Rica
• 9:05 p.m. — US at Honduras

The next World Cup qualifying window opens up Oct. 7-13 with another set of three games. It’s another Thursday-Sunday-Wednesday schedule.

Thursday, Oct. 7

• 6:30 p.m. — Jamaica at US in Austin, TX
• 7:05 p.m. — Costa Rica at Honduras
• 8:40 p.m. — Canada at Mexico
• 9:05 p.m. — Panama at El Salvador

Sunday, Oct. 10

• 5 p.m. — Canada at Jamaica
• 5 p.m. — El Salvador at Costa Rica
• 5:45 p.m. — Honduras at Mexico
• 7:45 p.m. — US at Panama

Wednesday, Oct. 13

• 6 p.m. — Costa Rico at US in Columbus, OH
• 6:30 p.m. — Panama at Canada
• 7:05 p.m. — Jamaica at Honduras
• 9:05 p.m. — Mexico at El Salvador