Three reasons Brazil look Copa America 2019 shoo-in material even without Neymar

Brazil are 11/10 favourites in the Copa America 2019 outright betting despite being unable to call upon temperamental talisman Neymar, who suffered ankle ligament damage in a recent friendly.

Canarinho coach Tite must make do without the man who’s hit 44 more international goals than anyone in his squad for the tournament.

Yet on home soil, on the kinder side of the draw and with the potential they could function better as a unit without the divisive superstar, their odds on Brazil lifting the trophy remain fair.

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Brazil’s competitive home record is absurdly good

Yes, apart from that jaw-dropping 7-1 defeat to Germany.

Their loss in the semi-finals of the 2014 World Cup is the sole competitive defeat the Selecao have suffered in their own enormous backyard since a 1-3 defeat to Peru back in 1975.

Tite’s men have won their last six competitive home games – all qualifiers for the 2018 World Cup.

Three of the next four in the Copa America 2019 outright betting – Argentina, Colombia and Chile – were amongst the victims in a sequence in which they conceded just one (own) goal.

They’ve been blessed with the easier side of the draw

Brazil’s Group A berth means that should they justify odds of 1/6 in topping their section, they’ll avoid either of the other group winners until the final.

A third-place side from mini-leagues B or C await in the quarters, before they should face the victors of the face-off between the two silver medallists from those quartets in the last four.

With the likes of Argentina and Chile arriving at the tournament in periods of transition and Uruguay having lost five times in six outings prior to recent wins over Uzbekistan, Thailand and Panama, the sides finishing second or third in their groups should be particularly beatable.

Could the team function better without Neymar?

OFFICIAL:

The Brazil XI to face Honduras! 🇧🇷 pic.twitter.com/LFZqb0PJTf

— Brasil Football 🇧🇷 (@BrasilEdition) June 9, 2019

Their 7-0 slapping of Honduras last time out certainly could be read as such, with the entire front four on the scoresheet in the absence of the man who was stripped of the captaincy last month.

Brazil had largely been struggling for fluency up front in the preceding seven matches, bagging more than two just once on a run that included a 2-0 wins over Saudi Arabia and Qatar, a 1-0 success at the expense of Cameroon and 1-1 draw with Panama.