Canada vs Jamaica: CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying Odds, Prediction

Daniel Coyle
March 26, 2022

Canada will try once again to clinch a berth in the FIFA World Cup for the first time in 36 years when they return home on Sunday to take on Jamaica in CONCACAF octagonal action.

Canada fell short on Thursday in their bid to punch their ticket to Qatar, falling 1-0 to Costa Rica. The Canucks remain in control of their own destiny and can advance simply by avoiding defeat on Sunday afternoon. Already eliminated from contention for a World Cup berth, Jamaica rides a seven-match winless streak, capped by Thursday’s 1-1 draw with El Salvador.

Fresh off their first loss in 17 World Cup qualifying matches, Canada heads into Sunday’s contest as heavy -316 favourites on the World Cup odds board. Jamaica lag as distant +800 underdogs, while OVER 2.5 is slightly favoured at -122 in totals betting.

Canada vs. Jamaica World Cup Qualifying Betting Analysis

Sunday afternoon’s matchup at BMO Field marks the second final meeting between these sides in this round of CONCACAF World Cup qualifying. The two squads played to a scoreless draw when they met in Jamaica on October 10, extending Canada’s winless streak in non-friendly dates with the “Reggae Boyz” to three matches. The Canadians have scored just one total goal over that stretch. However, the Canucks are unbeaten in three previous non-friendly dates on home turf, with the Jamaicans mustering just one total goal in those contests. Low scoring has been commonplace when these sides meet in non-friendly competition, with the total topping 2.0 just twice in 10 clashes since 1991.

Denied a World Cup berth by Thursday’s defeat, Canada now looks to avoid losing two in a row in non-friendly competitions since 2016. However, this side has been dominant on home turf, piling up a 13-1-0 win-draw-loss record over their past 14 non-friendlies across all competitions while outscoring opponents by a massive 45-6 margin. While Jamaica managed to contain the Canadians in their November clash, they have struggled on the road, surrendering three goals in each of their past two in all competitions.

Canada

Canada turned in a valiant effort in Thursday’s loss to Costa Rica. Playing a man short after Mark-Anthony Kaye was sent off for receiving a red card, the Canucks dominated in the second half but were unable to beat Ticos netminder Keylor Navas. Canada also remains without Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies, who remains sidelined with myocarditis. In addition, Cyle Larin and Jonathan Davies’ current scoring droughts continued in Thursday’s defeat. Despite their recent struggles, the duo continues to lead all goalscorers so far in CONCACAF qualifying, with Larin scoring each of Canada’s three games over their past two home matches.

Jamaica

The Reggae Boyz attack has been led by veteran Andre Gray. The Queen’s Park Rangers striker has scored twice in qualifying, including Jamaica’s lone goal in Thursday’s draw with El Salvador. However, the side will hit the pitch on Sunday without leading goalscorer Michail Antonio. The West Ham United forward has cooled off considerably, scoring just once in his past 11 outings across all competitions. Consequently, he was omitted from the Reggae Boyz roster for the side’s final three qualifying matches, which features 11 players currently playing in Jamaica’s Premier League.