Chile vs Venezuela Prediction: La Roja to wave white flag after another failure to win

Chile and Venezuela both drew in round 11 of the 2026 Fifa World Cup qualifiers last week, leaving them seventh and 10th in the South American standings, respectively. The two nations square off against each other next, on Wednesday (00:00) at the Estadio Nacional Julio Martinez Pradanos in Santiago.

Below is my Chile vs Venezuela prediction, complete with all the latest team news and match odds, as the hosts enter must-win territory in their bid to reach the finals.

Team News

Arturo Vidal (Colo-Colo) made his return to the Chilean midfield in their goalless draw with Peru in the Clasico del Pacifico in Lima last Saturday, and the 37-year-old is expected to start again in Santiago on Wednesday.

La Roja head coach Ricardo Gareca is unlikely to make many changes to his lineup for the visit of Venezuela, with Eduardo Vargas (Atletico Mineiro), Guillermo Maripan (Torino) and Felipe Loyola (Huachipato) among those set to keep their spots.

Football Odds

Venezuela were dealt a big blow in their 1-1 draw with Brazil in Maturin last Friday as Girona midfielder Yangel Herrera was forced from the field in the 15th minute. The 26-year-old has been ruled out of Wednesday's trip to Santiago and is likely to be replaced in the starting XI by Toulouse's Cristian Casseres, who came on for Herrera against the Selecao.

La Vinotinto boss Fernando 'Bocha' Batista will also be without Alexander Gonzalez on Wednesday after the Emelec defender was dismissed in the 89th minute last week. The 32-year-old was only introduced nine minutes earlier, though, so no further changes are required to Venezuela's starting lineup.

Chile vs Venezuela Odds

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

Chile are 1/1 to triumph for just the second time in this qualification campaign, giving Wednesday's hosts an implied win probability of 50%, while Venezuela are 3/1, or a 25% chance, to triumph on their travels for the first time.

The draw is priced at 15/8, both teams to score at 6/5, and over 2.5 total goals at 13/8.

Vargas (11/5) heads the anytime goalscorer market, followed by Venezuela and Pachuca centre-forward Salomon Rondon (13/5).

Double Chance & Both Teams to Score - Draw or Venezuela & No @ 9/4

Both teams to score has landed in just 27.8 per cent (three) of Chile's 11 World Cup qualifiers this campaign, and just 45.5 per cent (five) of Venezuela's. Interestingly, BTTS - Yes has landed in La Vinotinto's last three games - 1-1 draws at home to Argentina and Brazil either side of a 2-1 defeat away to Paraguay; however, a trip to Santiago represents, in theory, their easiest away assignment to date, and possibly for the entire campaign.

Chile (five) have taken fewer points at home than any other side, winning just once (2-0 v Peru in October 2023) and scoring only four times. La Roja have blanked against both Colombia and Paraguay in Santiago, as well as away to Venezuela, Ecuador, Argentina, Colombia and Peru.

Venezuela aren't exactly prolific on their travels, scoring just three times in five games and failing to breach the defences of Colombia and Bolivia away from home, while they've also been shut out at home by Ecuador and Uruguay.

Batista's side have lost their last two away from Venezuela, against Bolivia and Paraguay, but on Wednesday they will face a team that is winless in their last 11 competitive contests, and one that has scored in just two of those games.

After restricting Brazil to just a single goal last week, I'm backing Venezuela to keep a fifth clean sheet of the campaign in Santiago, which would see them at least avoid defeat.

I'm not prepared to go all out on them to win, so the double chance on the visitors and BTTS - No at 9/4 takes my fancy here.

First Half Total Goals 2-Way - Under 0.5 @ 5/4

There have been under 0.5 first-half goals in five of Chile's 11 qualifiers so far and eight of their last 14 competitive contests including the 2024 Copa America, where they played three times without either them or the opposition scoring before the interval.

Venezuela, meanwhile, have also seen a goalless first half five times in this qualification campaign, including twice away from home. Two of their three group-stage games at the 2024 Copa America also failed to see a first-half strike.

La Vinotinto's match with Brazil last week nearly saw the sides enter half-time goalless, with Raphinha only popping up in the 43rd minute to prevent such an outcome, while Venezuela's only goal of the first half in their 3-0 win over Chile in Maturin came in the first minute of added time.

I think we could see a tepid start to proceedings in Santiago before both teams look to turn the screw in the second half, although a stalemate would be a much better result for the visitors, who have home games against Peru and Bolivia still to come.

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