Get Better Value Than Messi for Argentina vs Ecuador Prop Picks
- Argentina leads the all-time series vs. Ecuador 24-11-5.
- Four of the last five matches between the two finished with a draw or a one-goal difference.
- Ecuador scored in six of its last 10 games in all competitions.
The Copa America 2024 quarterfinals begin with Argentina, arguably the best team during the group stage, facing Ecuador, a team that suffered a bit more than expected to get here. La Albiceleste is heavily favored in the soccer odds at -212, but it’s time to go beyond a straight-up winner. It’s time to make some soccer prop picks!

Argentina vs Ecuador Match Information
- Match: Argentina vs Ecuador
- Date: Thursday, July 4
- Time: 9 p.m. ET
- Venue: NRG Stadium, Houston
- Argentina vs Ecuador Live Streaming: fuboTV
Argentina vs Ecuador Odds and Spread
Which Players are Best Bets to Score?
With a ticket for the semifinals on the line, I expect both sides to go all-in right from the start. I also expect that to translate into goals, which is why we’re checking the soccer lines for anytime goalscorer first.
We must start with Argentina’s Lautaro Martinez, the tournament’s top scorer with four goals. Martinez has scored in every game despite only starting once. Most recently, he scored a brace against Peru, and the first one was a beauty.
Di Maria ➡️ Lautaro Martinez ⚽️
Argentina breeze through to the quarter-finals with a 2-0 win over Peru. Inter’s main man leads the goal scoring charts (4) after his brace. 🇦🇷#CA2024pic.twitter.com/MzJt4wDOrI
— The Copa Club (@TheCopaClub) June 30, 2024
Inter Milan’s center-striker is +150 to score against Ecuador. That’s related to the fact that he’s not the No. 1 striker, a t tag belongs to Julian Alvarez. Even so, that’s a deal you can’t ignore.
If Martinez isn’t atop the odds board, who is? Of course, Lionel Messi. Argentina’s captain hasn’t scored in the current edition of the continental tournament, but he’s offering a +120 price in the sportsbook. Being in charge of taking penalties and free kicks has a lot to do with that.
As for Ecuador, Enner Valencia leads the way at +450. Like Messi, he hasn’t scored, but keep in mind that he’s Ecuador’s all-time top scorer with 41 goals.
Finally, if you were looking for an underdog, Argentina’s Angel Di Maria at +450 is the way to go. Di Maria always scores when it matters the most. However, he’s not a starter either.
Will Both Teams Score?
The last time these two met and both managed to score was in 2022. Since then, they’ve collided twice, including a friendly match a couple of days before the start of the continental tournament, in which Argentina won 1-0.
However, considering what’s on the line, I do expect both sides to score. Plus, the +185 price is worth the risk. Yes, Argentina kept a clean sheet in all three matches during the group stage, but only Chile ended up being a real menace.
Ecuador doesn’t have what it takes to pull off the stunner, but for you to cash in, it doesn’t matter if Argentina ends up winning 10-1. In fact, my score prediction is 3-1 for La Albiceleste.
Argentina: Slow Starts, Fast Finishes
Argentina finished the group stage with a perfect 3-0-0 record, five goals for and none against. La Albiceleste defeated Canada 2-0, Chile 1-0 and Peru 2-0. No other team finished the group stage without conceding a single goal.
Not so fast, though. In all three matches, the first half finished with a goalless draw, which makes draw-Argentina for halftime-fulltime a very attractive option to include in your soccer picks, especially at +300. The first half also finished with a draw in Ecuador’s last match.
Summing up, Argentina deserves to be the favorite, but La Tricolor won’t be easy prey coming out of the locker room.
2 Magic Betting Number for Winning Margin
I already said my score prediction is 3-1, which means Argentina will win by two goals. I have very good news for you and your soccer parlay because Argentina winning by 2 offers +325 odds.
It’s good news because don’t forget that La Albiceleste won two of its previous three Copa America games by two goals. In the end, you don’t have to worry about the score; all you need is for Argentina to win by 2, which means the score can end up being 2-0, 3-1, 4-2, 5-3, etc.
Odds and information are accurate at the time of writing. Please check with official sources for the latest updates before placing any bets.
Questions Of The Day
Which team is the favorite to win the Copa America 2024 title?
Argentina at +120.