At the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Mexico will face New Zealand this Saturday in what will be Javier Aguirre’s first game in charge of his third spell as head coach of El Tri.
Mexico come into this match after a poor performance at the Copa America this year, where they were eliminated at the group stage and ended the competition with just one victory: a 1-0 win over Jamaica in their opening fixture. They followed that with a defeat to Venezuela and a draw with Ecuador, which were not sufficient results for them to progress.
After that failure, coach Jaime Lozano brought his time in charge to an end — a situation that paved the way for the return of ‘Vasco’ Aguirre. Now, his objective is to prepare the team in the best way for the 2026 World Cup, of which El Tri will be one of the three hosts alongside the United States and Canada.
They are certainly firm favorites to win this fixture in California against a side they have not faced since a 2-1 victory back in the FIFA Confederations Cup of 2017.
The Sporting News looks at the latest odds and predictions for this fixture.
MORE: A complete guide to betting on soccer in the United States
Mexico vs. New Zealand prediction, odds
- Moneyline lean:Â Mexico (-275)
- Score prediction:Â Mexico 3-0 New Zealand
While there is no such thing as a sure bet, it feels pretty safe to back Mexico to win this game comfortably. In five previous meetings with New Zealand, only once were the team from Oceania able to score more than one goal, and that was at the end of a playoff tie for the 2014 World Cup that Mexico had already effectively won.
The All Whites have also managed to score more than one goal in just one of their past 15 international games.
Mexico and Aguirre will be eager to get the fans back onside after a difficult Copa America, so expect them to come out with a point to prove in front of what is likely to be a lively crowd in California. Backing a win for El Tri, perhaps to nil, is worth considering.
| Â | BetMGM (USA) |
| Mexico win | -275 |
| Draw | +380 |
| New Zealand win | +700 |
| Both teams to score |
Y: +115 N: -165 |
| Over / Under 2.5 goals |
O: -130 U: -110 |
| Mexico -1.5 goals |
+100 |
| New Zealand +1.5 goals |
-145 |
Mexico vs. New Zealand match facts
- Date:Â Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024
- Kickoff Time:Â 5:00 p.m. local (8:00 p.m. ET / 5:00 p.m. PT)
- Location:Â Rose Bowl (California, USA)
- Referee:Â TBC
- Last meeting: Mexico 2-1 New Zealand (Jun. 21, 2017| FIFA Confederations Cup)
Mexico vs. New Zealand prop bet
- Pick:Â Santiago Gimenez to score two or more goals
- Odds:Â +675 (BetMGM)
This selection may seem a little bold, especially given Santiago Gimenez failed to score at the Copa America. However, the Feyenoord forward is enjoying a great moment at club level and will be looking to transfer that to the national team.
The striker, who was linked with a move to Premier League side Nottingham Forest in the closing days of the recent transfer window, has scored twice in three of his past five club games.
Mexico vs. New Zealand live stream, TV channel
| Â | TV channel | Streaming |
| USA | Universo, Univision, Fox Deportes, TUDN USA | Fubo, Fox Sports, Univision NOW, TUDN |
| Canada |  — | — |
| UK | — | — |