Football Bet of the Day for Sunday: USA vs Costa Rica prediction with our expert’s top tip on a confident home win without conceding.
One of our trusted experts, known for his deep knowledge of International football, has picked this game as Today’s Best Bet, and the selection makes plenty of sense.
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⚽ Football Bet of the Day
USA vs Costa Rica
Steve Harrington; Sports journalist at BettingTips4You
Espanyol to Win & Both Teams to Score | |
4/1 - odds when tipped |  |
Reasoning Espanyol are confident at RCDE and possess multiple scorers, with Milla, Puado and Kike Garcia dovetailing. Mallorca rarely die wondering: Darder to Muriqi remains dangerous, especially in transition and at set plays. The hosts can out-create the Pirates, but a clean sheet looks unlikely. Home win with both teams netting. | |
🧮 Quickfire Stats
- USA have conceded just once in their last six competitive fixtures
- Costa Rica have lost all four of their previous Gold Cup knockout ties against the USA
- Keylor Navas has faced 11 shots on target in just three matches at the tournament
Rationale:
Sunday’s standout selection from our panel of analysts comes from Minneapolis, where the United States take on Costa Rica in the Gold Cup quarter-finals. Our expert Steve Harrington has chosen USA to win without conceding, based on the stark contrast in form, squad availability, and recent head-to-head history between these two CONCACAF sides.
The USA arrive with serious momentum, having won all three of their group games and conceding just once in the process. Under Mauricio Pochettino, the Stars and Stripes appear to have rediscovered structure and belief after a rocky spell in early 2025. Their 2-1 and 4-0 losses in warm-up games are now firmly behind them, replaced by a purposeful blend of youth and tactical clarity. Key to their resurgence has been the excellent form of Malik Tillman, who has notched three goals in the tournament so far. Behind him, Max Arfsten and Diego Luna have created multiple chances, and the team have a clear identity on home turf.
In stark contrast, Costa Rica are hampered by both suspensions and injuries. Manfred Ugalde and Joseph Mora are unavailable due to disciplinary issues, while Lassiter and Madrigal are doubtful due to fitness concerns. While the Ticos are unbeaten in the tournament, their final group game—a 0-0 draw against a rotated Mexico side—exposed their lack of creativity. Much of their success has been built on counter-attacking and defensive organisation, but missing key players removes much of their transitional threat.
USA have never lost to Costa Rica in a Gold Cup quarter-final and have progressed from 12 of their last 13 appearances at this stage. More crucially, four of those knockout wins have come directly at Costa Rica’s expense, suggesting a psychological edge as well.
With goalkeeper Keylor Navas expected to face another high shot volume, this may be a case of damage limitation for Costa Rica. The US midfield will dominate possession, and with defensive leaders like Tim Ream and Chris Richards marshalling the backline, it’s difficult to see the Ticos breaching the net.
Add in the fact that Costa Rica have reached the semi-finals just four times in 13 previous attempts and the pattern becomes clearer: when they face high-calibre opposition in the knockouts, they tend to falter. The United States, on the other hand, are playing in front of a home crowd, with belief rising and a line-up that has grown in confidence over the course of the group stage.
This looks like a professional, controlled win for the hosts—one built on midfield superiority and a rigid defensive shape that Costa Rica are unlikely to break down. With both teams’ trends aligning and personnel issues stacked against the visitors, backing the USA to win without conceding offers excellent value.
🎯 Best Bet – USA to Win to Nil
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