Chile vs Bolivia Prediction: La Roja to extend La Verde’s rotten away run

Bolivia secured their first 2026 World Cup qualification campaign victory in thrilling style last Thursday, thrashing Venezuela 4-0 in El Alto. However, La Verde will lose their altitude advantage when they head to the Estadio Nacional Julio Martinez Pradanos to face Chile on Tuesday (22:00).

Read on for my Chile vs Bolivia prediction and all the latest team news ahead of this crucial clash in Santiago de Chile.

Team News

Chile held out for 48 minutes against Argentina in Buenos Aires last Friday but were eventually undone by a strike from Liverpool's Alexis Mac Allister before Julian Alvarez (Atletico Madrid) and substitute Paulo Dybala (AS Roma) added a goal each late on to make it 3-0 to La Albiceleste.

La Roja must now pick themselves off the floor for the visit of Bolivia on Tuesday, but Norwich City midfielder Marcelino Nunez won't be taking to the field in the Chilean capital as he serves a one-game ban for an accumulation of yellow cards. The 24-year-old could be replaced by Flamengo's Erick Pulgar, who missed the defeat to Argentina through injury, but if Pulgar is not passed fit, Colo-Colo's Carlos Palacios could be the man to come into the midfield.

Toulouse defender Gabriel Suazo is back in contention to start, however, after missing Friday's match through suspension. The 27-year-old could replace Samara's Thomas Galdames at left-back.

Football Odds

Bolivia battered Venezuela at the Estadio Municipal de El Alto last Thursday but their first scorer in that victory - Bolivar's Ramiro Vaca - is banned for Tuesday's trip to Santiago, as is Always Ready defender Hector Cuellar, after the duo picked up their second bookings of the qualification campaign.

A third change to the starting XI is required after Bolivar forward Henry Vaca was forced off in the first half against Venezuela due to injury.

Miguelito (Santos), Jose Sagredo (Bolivar) and Gabriel Villamil (LDU Quito, on loan from Bolivar) are all in line to start in place of the aforementioned trio against Chile.

Chile vs Bolivia Odds

*Please click on the link above to be taken to the main Chile vs Bolivia page on betfred.com (or app) for all the live betting prices on this match.

Chile are 1/4 to claim just a second victory over their qualification campaign on Tuesday, giving La Roja an implied win probability of 80%, while Bolivia, who haven't beaten their next opponents since September 2017, are 9/1 (10%) to achieve back-to-back wins.

The sides last met in a friendly international in June 2023, drawing 0-0 in Santa Cruz; another stalemate is priced at 4/1 while a repeat of that scoreline is 12/1.

Correct Score - Chile 1-0 @ 5/1

Bolivia's seven qualifiers have produced 22 goals so far - eight in their favour, 14 against - which is four more than any other nation, so you could be forgiven for expecting some entertainment in Santiago, particularly when also seeing that Chile have been involved in 13 goals (three for, 10 against).

However, the majority of the goals have arrived in Chile's away games, with just two scored in their three home qualifiers. La Roja are yet to concede on home soil, holding Colombia and Paraguay to goalless draws either side of a 2-0 victory over Peru in Santiago last October.

Bolivia, meanwhile, have lost all three matches on their travels, scoring just once and conceding nine times. La Verde started with a 5-1 thrashing at the hands of Brazil before losing 1-0 in Paraguay and 3-0 in Uruguay, and they haven't won a World Cup qualifier away since beating Venezuela (1-7) in July 1993, going pointless in their 2006 and 2018 qualification campaigns. They rely heavily on their home form and the advantage that the higher altitude brings, but without it, they are poor, so we can expect Chile to win this one tonight.

The odds of a Chile victory aren't very enticing, so I'm looking to nail a correct scoreline here. Chile's only win so far was 2-0 against Peru last October but they didn't score their first of that game until the 74th minute and only made sure of the three points with a second strike in the first minute of added time.

Bolivia are a weaker side than Peru but are on a high after their triumph last Thursday, while Ricardo Gareca's side failed to score at the 2024 Copa America, crashing out at the group stage with just a solitary point in the USA, and so are without a goal in their last four internationals.

The visitors will look to frustrate Chile for as long as possible, but I think La Roja will eventually break the Bolivians down to claim a narrow victory.

Corner Over/Under - Over 8.5 @ 1/1

No names are drawing me to the goalscorer markets so, instead, I'm backing there to be at least nine corners in Tuesday's contest. This selection landed in Chile's first two home qualifiers against Colombia (nine corners) and Peru (14), falling narrowly short in their third against Paraguay (eight), while either side of a nine-corner game in Paraguay, Bolivia saw eight corners in Brazil and Uruguay.

There were also eight corners taken in the last meeting between these two nations in June 2023.

I think Chile will be pressing hard for the win in Santiago, launching attack after attack in the capital and firing off shots from all angles in their bid to open the scoring. That should result in a few saves and deflections, which are always handy for the overs in the corners market.

At EVS, over 8.5 corners looks a solid shout.

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