A massive game will wrap up this international window for Canada and Panama at Toronto's BMO Field on Wednesday night.
Though it's just the sixth game of 14 in the final round of CONCACAF World Cup qualifying, the stakes are already sky-high for both teams, as one point separates third-place Panama and fourth-place Canada, with the difference in places being automatic qualification for the 2022 World Cup or inter-confederation playoffs.
Check out our Canada vs. Panama picks and predictions, with kickoff on October 13.
Canada vs Panama game info
• Location: BMO Field, Toronto, ON
• Date: Wednesday, October 13, 2021
• Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
• TV: Paramount+, OneSoccer
Canada vs Panama betting tips
Read on for complete analysis
Canada vs Panama match odds
Canada: -175
Panama: +550
Draw: +260
Total: 2.5
Over: +150
Under: -184
Canada vs Panama betting preview
Weather
Panama and Canada will have good conditions for their Wednesday night match, with no rain forecast in the lead-up nor during the game. Temperatures are expected around 65 degrees Fahrenheit, with little wind.
Injuries
Canada: Atiba Hutchinson CM (Out), Cyle Larin ST (Out), Junior Hoilett AM (Out), Lucas Cavallini ST (Out).
Panama: No injuries to report.
Canada vs Panama predictions
Canada (-175)
As expected, Panama took advantage of brutal conditions and a young USMNT in their home win over the United States on Sunday. While a set piece was the difference in a 1-0 Panama win, they were the dominant side and unlucky not to win by a bigger margin.
However, that is a Panana team playing at home. They take great advantage of the hostility presented to visiting teams and rarely drop points, having last lost a competitive game at home in November 2015. Away from home, they can be had and were just five days ago in a 1-0 loss against El Salvador. A 0-0 draw away to an increasingly poor-looking Costa Rica team last month aside, the last time Panama went away to a top CONCACAF side, they lost 6-2 to the USA in a friendly.
So, while Panama have started well in the final round of qualifying and have overcome several national team stalwarts aging out of the national team, they are there for the taking against CONCACAF's best teams — especially away from home. Undefeated Canada may have dropped points on several occasions already in this round but they are, talent-wise, the third-best team in CONCACAF at worst (and have an increasingly good argument as better than the USA currently).
The last time Canada faced this type of urgency at home in World Cup qualifying was the third of three games in the previous window. In that game, they delivered a 3-0 win over El Salvador in front of a wild home crowd, giving themselves a huge three points which followed back-to-back draws. History will repeat here, with Canada responding to the occasion with a win.
Under 2.5 (-184)
Canada have been defensively very solid in the third round of World Cup qualifying, allowing three goals total and just one at home (a suspect penalty awarded to Honduras), while keeping two clean sheets. Unfortunately, they haven't been exactly clinical in attack, scoring more than once on just one occasion, their 3-0 hammering of El Salvador last month.
Panama haven't been too different, with just two goals conceded and three clean sheets, including one away from home against lowly Jamaica. Goals have been harder to come by for Panama, too, as they have been held out completely twice and have scored five goals across five games compared to Canada's six.
Regardless of the result in this one, it will be a tight and nervy affair unlikely to be decided by several goals. That became even less likely with news that Cyle Larin, Canada's most clinical scorer, as well as Junior Hoilett, their veteran in attack, would not play. This result will have to be hard-earned, and it will come in a low-scoring game.
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