USA vs. Panama – FIFA World Cup Qualifying, Sunday, March 27, 2022

The USMNT can all but secure qualification for the 2022 FIFA World Cup with a victory over Panama on Sunday, March 28. The two sides meet at Orlando City’s Exploria Stadium in the penultimate round of the campaign.

It is worth noting, however, that Panama is one of five CONCACAF nations that can still qualify for Qatar 2022. With two matches remaining, Los Canaleros find themselves fifth in the standings – four points behind second-place USA.

Given the magnitude of the match, I decided to put together a USA vs. Panama betting preview for those who plan to wager on Sunday’s showdown. Below, you will find odds, analysis, my prediction, and a free pick.

Here are the latest odds for USA vs. Panama. The prices above are courtesy of Betway’s sportsbook.

With the home-field advantage on their side, Gregg Berhalter’s boys are the bookmakers’ clear favorites to secure the win on Sunday. On the flip side, Panama heads to Florida as the rank outsider.

Still, we shouldn’t forget that Panama claimed a shock 1-0 win over the USMNT in the reverse fixture back in October. Bettors are bound to be attracted to the high odds for both the away win and draw after what happened in Panama City.

The United States and Panama have faced each other 24 times across all competitions over the years. You only need to take a quick glance at the H2H record to understand the USMNT’s dominance in this fixture.

Between 2017 and 2020, the US clinched four straight victories over Panama – scoring 14 goals while conceding just once. However, Panama shocked the CONCACAF region with a rare 1-0 win against the States back in October.

Thomas Christiansen’s men couldn’t upset the odds again, could they?

The USMNT heads into Sunday’s showdown on the back of a goalless draw against Mexico. Despite seeing just 37% possession, the Stars and Stripes managed to keep a clean sheet.

That draw means Berhalter’s boys sit second in the CONCACAF group – level with the Mexicans on 22 points. Although Costa Rica (19 points) and Panama (18 points) are hot on their heels, they should qualify for Qatar 2022 without any real problems.

When you look at the bigger picture, Berhalter’s boys have lost just two of their previous 22 outings across all competitions. Pretty impressive, huh?

I wouldn’t be surprised if fans of the Panama national team are still celebrating last year’s win over the US. As we learned by studying the head-to-head stats, triumphs like that don’t come around very often.

On Thursday, Panama was held to a 1-1 draw by lowly Honduras. Since the Hondurans have failed to win any of their 12 World Cup qualifiers, Christiansen’s men will be kicking themselves after missing an opportunity to move into the top four.

As it stands, La Marea Roja sits fifth in the standings – one point shy of the play-off spot and four points outside the automatic qualification places. Unfortunately for them, their remaining games are against the US and Canada.

I can’t see Panama pulling off another shock win over the States. Sure, Los Canaleros maximized the home-field advantage when they welcomed the US to Panama City in October. But they will find life more difficult in Orlando.

Not only are the Yanks the second-highest scorers in the group, but Christiansen’s men have one of the worst defensive records. All the signs point towards a high-scoring home victory here.

I’m backing the USMNT to gain revenge on Panama. Although Los Canaleros showed great spirit to beat the Stars and Stripes on home soil, they will likely struggle to avoid defeat in Floria.

Remember – there is another crucial CONCACAF World Cup qualifier taking place on Sunday, as the Canadians aim to punch their ticket to Qatar 2022 at the expense of Jamaica. You can find my betting preview for that clash below.