Seeley’s Selections – Copa America – Chile v Ecuador

Who fancies some late nights staying up and watching some red-hot action from South America?

Sounds like the usual around my gaff, but that is what all of us football punters will be doing from Thursday evening when the 44th Copa America starts in Santiago.

The hosts kick the tournament off with their Group A opener with Ecuador and I really like the chances of the Chileans in this match, and the tournament, despite having NEVER won the Copa America, the oldest tournament in world football. They’ve not even failed to get past the quarter-final stages since 1999.

La Roja won’t have a better chance this time around on home soil and have been given a dream draw all the way through to the semi-finals. At 4/1 they look a great wager with BoyleSports.

They are just 40/85 to start off with a win on Thursday and that does look a little short to me to get financially involved in.

Opening matches in any international tournament are tough for the hosts and I do expect this to be a difficult one with the Ecuadorians parking the bus and hoping to frustrate.

In the last Copa America hosts Argentina, when heavy odds-on, were held to a 1-1 draw with Colombia and trusting odds-on favourites in tournament curtain raisers is the first way to the punting poorhouse.

I still believe with a passionate home support and far superior players Jorge Sampaoli’s side will be too strong for their opponents, but it will take a bit of time and patience.

Chile have only lost twice in Santiago in the last two years.

However big the 13/2 on Ecuador might appear, Chile won’t lose this match against a side that have only won twice in their last seven internationals against world football’s powerhouses, Panama and El Salvador.

I like the home side to win this to nil which is my best bet of the game at 23/20 with BoyleSports.

The Chileans get all the plaudits going forward but they are also a very tough nut to crack at the back and have kept five clean sheets in their home games in 2015, winning four of them to nil.

In the last six visits to Santiago the visitors have only scored ONCE and they aren’t scoring in this one. Both teams to score punters should be punting on the “NO” in this one in the BTTS coupons this weekend at 8/13 with BoyleSports.

I believe it might take Chile some time to score and the draw at half-time and a Chile win at full-time is on my bet radar at the 14/5. I also like the 5/1 on the hosts to start the tournament off with a 2-0 victory with BoyleSports.

Arsenal’s Alexis Sanchez ended the domestic season with Arsenal on a higher scoring in the FA Cup Final win over Aston Villa and he is my 12/1 selection with BoyleSports to be the tournament’s top goalscorer.

The former Barcelona striker plays in a much more advanced role for the national team than for the Gunners and 7/2 with BoyleSports on the red-hot Chilean to start the tournament with a bang and grab the opener that will do for me.

Seeley’s Selections:
Both Teams To Score – No @ 8/13
Chile To Win To Nil @ 23/20
Draw Half-Time/Chile Full-Time @ 14/5
Correct Score Chile 2-0 @ 5/1
Alexis Sanchez First Goalscorer @ 7/2

B Lucky.
Nigel