Jamaica vs Panama Betting Tips

This has the makings of a close match. Jamaica impressively made the final of the CONCACAF Gold Cup this summer, disposing of the host nation USA along the way. Panama meanwhile felt they should have been in the final after numerous refereeing decisions went against them in the Semi-Finals against eventual winners Mexico.

They had a fair case but given all 6 of their matches at the Gold Cup finished in 1-1 draws after 90 minutes, they would hardly have been worthy winners. They have impressed in several recent editions of that event but have a habit of choking when it comes to the bigger deal of World Cup qualifying.

Panama have never made the World Cup finals despite often ranking in the top 3 or 4 sides in the region. They have only won 1 of their last 12 World Cup qualifying games and away from home tend to struggle.

They’ve lost 3 of their 4 friendlies since the Gold Cup too and haven’t won any of their last 12 games inside 90 minutes. Jamaica meanwhile with a lower ranking had to qualify for this stage and suffered an almighty scare when they went 3-0 down at home in their 1st leg against Nicaragua. They somehow fought back to win the tie 4-3 with a 90th minute goal from Simon Dawkins finally seeing them through in the return match in Managua.

You sense perhaps they had began to believe their own hype after that Gold Cup final run and Nicaragua certainly caught them cold in a freak first hour of the tie. It’s hard to see them making the same mistake twice though and they’ll fancy this against an out-of-form Panama side and at 11/10 a home victory looks decent value although it is likely to be a close game.

There aren’t usually many goals in matches involving Panama who are typically quite a compact side. 3 of Jamaica’s victories in the United States in July were by slender 1-0 margins and a repeat here looks to be worth a punt at 9/2.