Our Ecuador vs Costa Rica prediction, best bets and odds for Friday’s friendly in Quito — Ecuador back at the Atahualpa, and Bryan Ruiz taking charge of Costa Rica.
Kick-off at the Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa is 7:00 PM ET on Friday, November 13. Broadcast details are below.
Ecuador vs Costa Rica: Best Bets & Predictions
Ecuador do not concede and do not score. At altitude against a side arriving from sea level, that points one way.
Our approach: take the clean sheet rather than the -400, and buy the narrow scoreline rather than the goals.
Odds correct at time of writing and shown in American format for illustration; your local odds may vary. 19+ (18+ in AB/MB/QC). Please play responsibly. ConnexOntario: 1-866-531-2600 (ON).
bet365 T&Cs: Not available in Ontario and Alberta.
Where to watch Ecuador vs Costa Rica
Ecuador vs Costa Rica kicks off at 7:00 PM ET / 4:00 PM PT on Friday, November 13, at the Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa in Quito. That is also 7:00 PM locally.
No US broadcaster had been confirmed at the time of writing — the match carries no network on ESPN’s listing and is not on TUDN’s or Telemundo’s schedules. Teleamazonas has it in Ecuador. Check local listings closer to kick-off.
Ecuador vs Costa Rica: what’s at stake?
Ecuador’s last competitive football was a World Cup that said a lot about them. They beat Germany 2-1 in the group stage, drew 0-0 with Curaçao, lost 1-0 to Ivory Coast and went out 2-0 to Mexico in the round of 32 — four games, two goals scored. In September they were beaten 3-0 by South Korea.
That is the pattern worth holding on to: two goals in their last five matches, and three clean sheets in the same run. This is a side that is hard to beat and harder to watch.
Costa Rica arrive mid-rebuild under Bryan Ruiz, who took the national job this autumn. Their recent football has been CONCACAF Nations League — 2-0 and 3-0 wins over Haiti and Nicaragua, a 2-0 defeat to Haiti and a 4-3 loss to Curaçao. Quito, and the 2,850 metres that come with it, is a different proposition entirely.
Team news and talking points
Ecuador named a 29-man squad on Sunday with Piero Hincapié and Moisés Caicedo both back from injury, which matters more than most returns for a team whose record is built on its defence rather than its attack. This is also Ecuador’s first senior outing at the Atahualpa in more than nine years, so expect a full house and a loud one. Costa Rica named their list last Friday, with Alajuelense goalkeeper Bayron Mora included. The rest of the window is in our international coverage.
Ecuador vs Costa Rica prediction
Altitude does most of the talking here. Costa Rica are a reasonable side in CONCACAF but they are arriving in Quito from sea level with a new manager and a squad still being assembled, and Ecuador have conceded in only two of their last five. The hesitation is at the other end: this Ecuador team does not score goals, and one may well be enough. Prediction: Ecuador 1-0 Costa Rica.
Ecuador vs Costa Rica FAQ
Ecuador vs Costa Rica kicks off at 7:00 PM ET / 4:00 PM PT on Friday, November 13.
No Canadian broadcaster had been confirmed at the time of writing. Check local listings closer to kick-off.
Ecuador vs Costa Rica is being played at the Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa in Quito, 2,850 metres above sea level.
Our prediction is Ecuador 1-0 Costa Rica. Our top pick is Ecuador to win to nil at -105.
19+ (18+ in AB/MB/QC) | Please play responsibly | ConnexOntario: 1-866-531-2600 (ON)