Costa Rica vs. Zambia start time, odds, lines: Soccer expert reveals Women's World Cup picks, predictions
Costa Rica and Zambia meet on Monday in the final Group C match in the 2023 Women's World Cup for both sides. The teams will battle at Waikato Stadium in Hamilton, New Zealand. Both teams are eliminated from progression as a result of back-to-back losses to open the tournament. Both teams fell to Spain and Japan, though each side will be aiming for a meaningful World Cup victory.
Kickoff is scheduled for 3 a.m. ET. Caesars Sportsbook lists Zambia as the +114 favorites (risk $100 to win $114) in its latest Costa Rica vs. Zambia odds. Costa Rica are the +210 underdogs, a draw is priced at +250, and the over/under for total goals scored is 2.5. Before making any Zambia vs. Costa Rica picks or World Cup predictions, be sure to see what proven SportsLine soccer insider Jon Eimer is saying.
Eimer is a high-volume bettor who has vast knowledge of leagues and players across the globe. Since joining SportsLine, he has covered the English Premier League, Serie A, the FA Cup and much more. Since the end of last year's World Cup he has been red-hot, going 167-149-8 for a profit of $2,787 for $100 bettors. Anybody following him is way up.
Now, Eimer has taken an in-depth look at Costa Rica vs. Zambia and just locked in his picks and Women's World Cup predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see his picks. Here are the betting lines for Zambia vs. Costa Rica:
- Costa Rica vs. Zambia money line: Zambia +114, Costa Rica +210, Draw +250
- Costa Rica vs. Zambia spread: Zambia -0.5 (+110)
- Costa Rica vs. Zambia over/under: 2.5 goals
- Costa Rica vs. Zambia picks: See picks at SportsLine
Featured Game| Costa Rica vs. Zambia
Why you should back Costa Rica
Costa Rica's attack is led by Portland Thorns star Raquel Rodriguez. Rodriguez has 55 international goals in 101 caps for her country and is the all-time leading scorer for Costa Rica. Up-and-coming star Priscila Chinchilla is also a budding star, scoring 20 goals for Costa Rica despite only being 21 years old. Costa Rica also have a wily veteran in vice-captain Katherine Alvarado, who has extended World Cup experience and a recent match with two goals during Costa Rica's World Cup qualifying run.
In addition to talent, Costa Rica have better recent results than Zambia. Though neither team has a win in the tournament, Costa Rica were outscored by only five goals against the same opponents that blanked Zambia by a combined 10-0 margin. Zambia did not manage to generate a single shot in a 5-0 loss to Japan and, against Spain, Zambia yielded 13 shots on goal and 75% possession to their opponent. See which team to pick here.
Why you should back Zambia
Like Costa Rica, Zambia have suffered a slow start to the tournament, but the team does have offensive upside. Zambia scored eight goals in the final three matches before the World Cup, and Barbra Banda is a budding star. The 23-year-old has 39 career goals and nine multi-goal games for Zambia. Banda once scored six goals in a single match during the 2022 COSAFA Women's Championship, and she netted two goals in a friendly win over Germany earlier this month.
Grace Chanda is also a strong player for Zambia with 15 goals in 29 appearances, and Costa Rica have had issues scoring. Costa Rica have only four wins in the last 22 international games, and the team had only 19% possession in a 3-0 loss to Spain while giving up 46 shots in the game. Costa Rica were closer against Japan but only produced six shots against 24 to Japan, and Costa Rica have a general lack of experience. See which team to pick here.
How to make Zambia vs. Costa Rica picks
Eimer has taken an intensive look at this matchup and has locked in a pair of best bets, including one that returns plus money. He's only sharing his picks and analysis at SportsLine.
