Argentina vs Bolivia prediction, H2H & Probable Line-ups - October 16, 2024
One of the 19th round fixtures in the South American qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup will take place on Wednesday at the Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires, where Argentina will face Bolivia. Here’s a prediction for the match from the experts at Dailysports.
Argentina
The reigning world champions continue their steady march through the qualifiers, topping the standings with 19 points from nine matches. However, the "Albiceleste" cannot be described as an overly prolific team, averaging just 1.5 goals per game – modest for a squad featuring stars like Lionel Messi.
At the moment, Argentina is going through a slight dip in form, having gone two games without a win. A 2-1 away loss to Colombia and a 1-1 home draw with Venezuela suggest a temporary drop in performance. Offensive leaders – Messi and Nicolás Otamendi – have each netted three goals, but the absence of key players like González and Dybala due to injuries could impact their upcoming results.
Bolivia
Bolivia started the qualification campaign from an underdog position but has gradually picked up pace, climbing into the top six of the standings, thanks to four wins in their last five games. During this period, coach Óscar Villegas’ team has shown impressive form, losing only to Uruguay.
Heading into this away clash against the world champions, Bolivia is riding a three-match winning streak, including a 1-0 victory over Colombia last week, a team seriously contending for first place. This came despite a 20th-minute red card for Cuéllar. However, Bolivia has won just one of their four away matches, losing the other three.
Match Facts
- The "Total Over 2.5" bet has hit in four of the last five matches between these teams.
- The "Both Teams to Score" bet has won in three of the last five matches.
- The "Both Teams to Score" bet has hit in two of Argentina's last five matches.
Head-to-Head
Argentina has dominated recent encounters, winning their last four meetings, with three of those victories by a three-goal margin.
Probable Lineups
- Argentina: Rulli; Molina, Otamendi, Romero, Tagliafico; De Paul, Enzo Fernández, Mac Allister, Álvarez; Lautaro Martínez, Messi
- Bolivia: Viscarra, Cuéllar Rosales, Jaquín, Suárez, Rocha Rodríguez, Céspedes, Villamil Cortés, Sagredo, Terceros, Vaca, Algaranaz
Prediction
Betting on Argentina to win outright isn't very profitable due to the heavily reduced odds (1.05 for a home victory). However, Bolivia has been playing well in recent matches, and Argentina hasn't been particularly high-scoring. A bet on Bolivia with a +3.5 goal handicap at odds of 1.69 looks much more appealing.
