USA VS Jamaica Match Prediction

The United States have only ever lost twice to Jamaica, but it was their most recent meeting in the Gold Cup that will be firmly on the minds of all involved. Two years ago in Atlanta, Jamaica saw off the Americans comfortably to reach the final, and that will be the driving force for both teams here. In 21 matches, the Americans have 11 wins, eight draws, and just two losses. Here is a look at their last five meetings:

Feb 3, 2017: USA 1-0 Jamaica (Friendly)
Jul 22, 2015: USA 1-2 Jamaica (Gold Cup Semi-final)
Oct 11, 2013: USA 2-0 Jamaica (World Cup Qualifier)
Jun 7, 2013: Jamaica 1-2 USA (World Cup Qualifier)
Sep 11, 2012: USA 1-0 Jamaica (World Cup Qualifier)

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USA vs Jamaica Betting Tips and Odds

Bet365 have the following odds available for this match:

USA are at 4/9 to win, a draw is at 3/1, and a Jamaica win is at 7/1.

The odds here are very obviously in the way of the American side due to their performances against Jamaica in the past, and the fact that they are basically a home side in this tournament when not playing against Mexico. Despite Jamaica's victories over the USA and Mexico in successive Gold Cups now, they still haven't shown they can win the big one.

That is the reason the odds are so high here, and it's also the reason why we believe you should shy away from them. The Reggae Boyz can beat the USA on a bad day, but it looks like Bruce Arena's side have turned a corner with that performance against Costa Rica. As a result, we believe they'll get the win here and keep a clean sheet while doing so.

The USA to win 1-0 could bring you 8/1 odds here. A 2-0 win also gives you the same odds. We don't' see both teams scoring, so both of these bets look decent odds in this match.

USA vs Jamaica Prediction

The United States have just about hit their stride at the right time, and they should be able to see this over the line and hoist the trophy at the end of it all.

Correct Score Prediction: United States 1-0 Jamaica

Team News

Bruce Arena will have some interesting choices to make for this final. After bringing in the big guns for the knockout stages, he decided to sit Clint Dempsey for much of the match with Costa Rica. The decision paid off when he came on, and he could be in for a tough choice on whether to play him from the off or not. Don't expect many changes to be made, but that choice is the main one to watch.

Key Man

We're going to go with Clint Dempsey here, even though we believe he's likely to come off the bench. The #28 for the tournament was exceptional after coming on with 24 minutes left on Saturday. He assisted Altidore's goal and then scored to seal the game and tie the record for most USA goals. Dempsey can be a massive impact in a tight game with fresh legs, and he might just break that record in the final here.

Team Form

The USA have four wins and a draw in their last five matches, all of which were at this tournament. They drew the opener 1-1 against Panama before getting wins over Martinique (3-2) and Nicaragua (3-0) to give them first place in the group. Upon entry into the knockout rounds, they called in the heavy hitters and they won 2-0 over El Salvador before winning by that same score over Costa Rica in the semi-final on Saturday.

USA Predicted Starting Line-up

Expected Line-up: 4-4-2

Team News

Interim manager Theodore Whitmore has gone a long way to claiming the job for himself so far. His side have been brilliant in this tournament, and he is very unlikely to make changes to the way they play or set up after that victory over Mexico.

Key Man

We usually don't pick the same man twice in a row, but in this instance it's very warranted. Goalkeeper Andre Blake has been the tournament's best goalkeeper by far, making save after save round after round to keep his side in it. His double save against the Mexicans where he kick-saved a deflected effort and then got up to parry away another stinging shot shows just how good he can be. It will take a special effort to score on him, which means the USA will have to move the ball very well around him.

Team Form

Jamaica have also gone unbeaten in the Gold Cup, taking three wins and two draws so far. They began with a 2-0 win over Curacao, and they ensured themselves of second place by drawing 0-0 with Mexico and 1-1 with Honduras. That allowed them to meet Canada in the quarterfinals, and they made it pay off with a 2-1 win. On Sunday, they defeated Mexico 0-1 to give them their first victory over Mexico in over 20 years and advance to the final.

Jamaica Predicted Starting Line-up

Expected Line-up: 4-4-2

For all the problems with the Jamaican federation, they have proven themselves to be a great tournament team. They consistently are able to get results and move forward, and they just need to make these sorts of things happen in qualifying to really make it pay off. This match will bring back memories for both sides of 2015 when Jamaica beat the US to clinch a spot in that year\'s final. Both teams will be eager to either avenge that loss, or to replicate it, and it should fuel both teams. Due to how much better the Americans played last time out, though, it\'s hard to see them letting this chance go to waste against Jamaica, the first ever Caribbean finalists in the tournament.

Jamaica and the USA are both undefeated in the Gold Cup coming into this match, and both will take some beating here to change that.