El Salvador vs Costa Rica Prediction, Odds & Best Bet for CONCACAF Gold Cup Match (Expect a Close Group C Contest)

The 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup continues on Friday with an exciting group stage contest between El Salvador and Costa Rica at Red Bull Arena.

El Salvador vs Costa Rica Match Info

2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup Group Stage
El Salvador vs. Costa Rica
Date: Friday, June 30, 2023
Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
Venue: Red Bull Arena — Harrison, NJ
Coverage: FS1

The CONCACAF Gold Cup didn't exactly start off on the right foot for either one of these squads. El Salvador fell short in a 2-1 loss to Martinique despite playing with a man advantage in the second half, while Costa Rice couldn't keep up in a 2-1 loss to Panama. Which team will turn things around?

El Salvador vs Costa Rica Odds & Spread

All CONCACAF Gold Cup betting lines, odds and prop bets are from FanDuel Sportsbook.
Moneyline: ELSL: (+240) | CR: (+110) | Draw (+210)
Spread: ELSL: +1 (-160) | CR: -1 (+360)
Total: 2.5 – Over: (+120) | Under: (-168)
Team to Score the First Goal: ELSL: (+130) | CR: (-130) I NO GOALS: (+700)

Costa Rica enters this contest as the favorite on FanDuel Sportsbook's odds. This 8:30 p.m. ET clash also features an over/under of 2.5 goals with the Under favored at -168 odds.

El Salvador vs Costa Rica Betting Trends

- El Salvador is 0-1-4 (W-D-L) in its last five matches.
- Costa Rica is 1-0-4 (W-D-L) in its last five matches.
- El Salvador is 0-0-1 (W-D-L) in 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup group play.
- Costa Rica is 0-0-1 (W-D-L) in 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup group play.
- Costa Rica defeated El Salvador 2-1 in the most recent matchup in 2022.

El Salvador vs Costa Rica Prediction & Pick

El Salvador has not tasted victory in any of the country's last seven matches dating back to June of last year. Seeing head coach Hugo Perez's team enter Monday night as the favored squad, but still lose to Martinique doesn't inspire much confidence ahead of Friday. There is no momentum here.

It's still not a bad matchup for El Salvador, though, as Costa Rica has little momentum of its own. It has suffered four straight losses and has only tallied a pair of goals in that span. I like the idea of backing a draw due to the fact that each side will be doing everything it can to keep this one close.

A draw could set up some interesting final games in Group C, too, so give me an even contest.

Final Score Prediction: El Salvador: 1 | Costa Rica: 1

See more 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup content from The Duel:

El Salvador vs Costa Rica Best Bet

There's value in backing a draw at +210 odds, but I'm just going to trust both teams to find the back of the net. It leaves a bit of leeway in case a team scores a late goal to secure a victory. Both teams have scored in seven of El Salvador's last 11 matches and in four of Costa Rica's last six matches. The same thing can also be said about three of the last five matches between these two countries.

Bet: Both Teams to Score - Yes (+104)

Larry Rupp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Larry Rupp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username phillyfan424. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel. 

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.