The Centenario is different in many ways from any Copa America that came before it. Perhaps the biggest difference is the size of the tournament – 16 teams instead of the usual 12, with six of those squads representing the CONCACAF region. The quality of soccer being played in CONCACAF is weaker than it is in the CONMEBOL region. Five of the Top 10 national teams on the World Elo Football Ratings are from CONMEBOL.
But there is one CONCACAF club that has a legitimate shot of winning the Centenario. Mexico is No. 10 in the Elo rankings, and they've been given a relatively easy ride coming out of Group C, with all three of their Group Stage matches taking place in the southern United States. El Tri have to be considered a value pick at +120 to win Group C and +1100 to take home their first-ever Copa America trophy.
That doesn't mean Mexico is the best team in Group C. That honor goes to Uruguay, the seven-time Cup champions, at No. 7 in the Elo rankings. Luis Suarez will likely miss the group stage of the tournament with a hamstring injury, making Uruguay +195 underdogs at press time to beat Mexico on June 5 at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale. Mexico is a slight favorite at +155, with the draw a very real possibility at +210. Uruguay beat Mexico 1-0 at both the 2010 World Cup (in South Africa) and the 2011 Copa America (in Argentina); we'll see how things unfold when they meet in Arizona.
High Plains Drifters
Expectations are pretty low at the Centenario for both Venezuela (+10000) and Jamaica (+12500). Venezuela is one of the worst teams in CONMEBOL at No. 55 in the Elo rankings. The Llaneros are a mess right now, hit by a lack of funding from a government in crisis. They have one draw and five losses in six qualifying matches for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. It's a bad situation.
Jamaica is even worse at No. 60 on the Elo rankings. The Reggae Boyz play with spirit, though, and they're led by center-back Wes Morgan, who just enjoyed a magical Premiership season with Leicester City. They could be worth a flyer at +200 for their match with Venezuela (+155) on June 5 at Soldier Field in Chicago, but they should find themselves well over their heads against Uruguay and Mexico.
*Odds as of June 1, 2016