USA vs Ecuador: Best Bets, Odds, Picks, and Props

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Written By Blaise Bourgeois | Published at October 10, 2025
United States’ Diego Luna #14 in actions against the Canada during the CONCACAF Nations League Third Place Match at Sofi Stadium, March 23, 2025 in Inglewood, Calif.

The United States Men's National Team are now in full-time preparation mode for next year's World Cup. Tonight, they get their October friendlies underway, hosting Ecuador at Q2 Stadium in Austin, Texas, before taking on Australia on Tuesday in Colorado.

Last time the USMNT went out, they broke a three-match losing streak in international play, defeating a second-string Japan side 2-0 in Columbus, Ohio, thanks to goals from Alejandro Zendejas and Folarin Balogun.

Following the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, it was widely expected that the US could have its most competitive World Cup squad ever in 2026. Instead, it's been a series of extreme disappointments in competitive matches that have kept USA supporters extremely pessimistic.

It's been just over a year since USMNT manager Mauricio Pochettino took charge, and, needless to say, the US has not become any better. Playing a schedule where the US could have run the table, Pochettino has managed a feeble record of 10 wins, one draw, and seven losses.

Now, it's time for Pochettino to begin the process of deciding who's in and who's out of the World Cup squad.

“Now I promise you that no one is assured a spot on the World Cup 2026 roster,” Pochettino said on Thursday. “I don’t think it was the same before. But today, I promise you that all the players feel they need to fight to be there. And that is invaluable, because everyone feels they must step out of their comfort zone.”

Between now and next year's World Cup, the USMNT will take part in international friendlies, mostly against sides who will also take part in the showcase held in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. One of those sides is Ecuador, who stunned all of South America by finishing in 2nd place in CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying, despite being penalized three points from the onset.

Ecuador is led by manager Sebastián Beccacece, who has done a tremendous job since taking charge in August 2024, leading Ecuador to a record of five wins, six draws, and just one defeat.

USA vs. Ecuador Best Bets

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Unfortunately for viewers at home, both sides will be missing a lot of talent. As a result, betting apps have predicted a low-scoring affair. Chelsea superstar Moisés Caicedo and Arsenal defender Piero Hincapié weren't included in Ecuador's October friendly squad, while the USMNT will have, arguably, its strongest squad since Pochettino took over last year, with Tyler Adams, Yunus Musah, Johnny Cardoso, and Sergino Dest being the biggest absentees.

Weston McKennie and Malik Tillman are all back in the USMNT squad, though Christian Pulisic, Antonee Robinson, and Alejandro Zendejas may miss out due to fitness issues.

“We have some issues with players like Christian, who didn’t train today, and Antonee Robinson, and we need to assess tomorrow if they can be available. We don’t think Alex will be part of tomorrow’s match,” stated Pochettino on Thursday.

Monaco's Folarin Balogun will undoubtedly get the start up top for the United States. While he scored for the USMNT in their friendly last time out, he's off to a bit of a slow start in France, netting just once in seven matches to begin the new campaign. Nevertheless, he's the biggest goalscoring threat the US will put out there, and will certainly make him a solo striker in a 4-3-3 or a 4-2-3-1 tonight.

We don't expect a high-scoring game tonight, as Ecuador is known worldwide for its incredible defense, allowing just five goals in its 18 World Cup qualifying matches. Though their back line will be missing plenty of pieces, which could make for more of an even match, they'll still trot out Willian Pacho and Pervis Estupiñán. We're predicting a 1-1 match, with goals from Balogun and Enner Valencia.

Mandatory Photo Credit: ID: 2603120507 by Ringo Chiu on Shutterstock

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