David Flower
Dailysports's expert
In one of the South American qualifying matches for the 2026 World Cup, Ecuador will host Bolivia on Friday at the Banco Pichincha stadium. Here’s a betting prediction for this match with promising odds of success.
Match Preview
Ecuador has shown consistent form following their impressive Copa America campaign, where “La Tri” nearly eliminated Argentina in the quarterfinals. Under Sebastián Beccacece, they kicked off their South American qualifiers with a narrow away loss to Brazil, followed by a 1-0 home victory over Peru. The following matches ended in scoreless draws against Paraguay and Uruguay.
Currently, “La Tri” sits fifth in the qualifying standings, boasting four wins, four draws, and only two losses, with a goal difference of 6:4. Alongside Paraguay, Ecuador has the fewest goals conceded in this round. To solidify their position in the upper part of the table, Ecuador will need a decisive home win against Bolivia, remaining unbeaten at home with three wins and two draws, with a goal difference of 4:1.
After a disappointing Copa America showing, where Bolivia suffered three heavy defeats with a goal difference of 10:1, the team opted for a fresh start. Oscar Villegas took charge, and Bolivia quickly reaped the rewards. They began their autumn series of matches with three consecutive victories—a remarkable breakthrough for “La Verde.”
Bolivia crushed Venezuela 4-0 at home, then secured a long-awaited away win over Chile (2:1), and completed the series by defeating Colombia 1-0. However, their momentum faltered in the latest match, a humbling 0-6 loss to Argentina. These victories propelled Bolivia to seventh place in the standings, within reach of an intercontinental playoff spot for World Cup qualification.
Probable Lineups
- Ecuador: Galíndez – Hincapié, Pacho, Torres – Estupiñán, Caicedo, Franco, Preciado – Páez, Valencia, Plata
- Bolivia: Viscarra – Sagredo, Suárez, Akin, Medina – Vaca, Villamil, Fernandez, Cuéllar, Mateus – Algaranas
Match Facts and Head-to-Head
- Ecuador has defeated Bolivia in their last seven meetings.
- The "Over 2.5 Goals" bet hit in seven of their last eight games.
- Both teams scored in four of their last six encounters.
Prediction
Bolivia has certainly been a pleasant surprise in this qualification campaign, but Ecuador should confidently secure all three points in this match. Our bet is "Over 3.0 goals" with a coefficient of 1.70.
