Costa Rica attempts to earn a third straight World Cup appearance for the first time when it faces New Zealand in the Concacaf-OFC playoff on Tuesday. Los Ticos qualified for the competition in both 2002 and 2006 but failed to earn a spot four years later. They returned in 2014 and reached the quarterfinals, where they lost to the Netherlands, and went 0-1-2 in the group stage in 2018. New Zealand is seeking the third berth in the nation’s history and first since 2010, when it played to three draws during group play.

Kickoff from Ahmad bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayyan, Qatar is set for 2 p.m. ET. Costa Rica is the -113 favorite (risk $113 to win $100) on the 90-minute money line in the latest Costa Rica vs. New Zealand odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while New Zealand is a +360 underdog. A regulation draw is priced at +165 and the over-under for total goals is set at 1.5. Before you lock in any New Zealand vs. Costa Rica picks or World Cup qualifying predictions, you have to see what soccer insider Jon Eimer has to say.

Eimer is a high-volume bettor who has vast knowledge of leagues and players across the globe. Since joining SportsLine, Eimer has covered the English Premier League, Serie A, the FA Cup and much more. The Indiana-based handicapper is 18-10 on his World Cup qualifying picks for SportsLine, for a return of well over $600 for $100 bettors. He also is 11-8 on his last 19 soccer picks overall, for a profit of more than $400 for $100 bettors.

Now, Eimer has broken down the Costa Rica vs. New Zealand matchup from every angle and just locked in his coveted World Cup qualifying picks and predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see his picks. Here are the betting lines and trends for New Zealand vs. Costa Rica:

• Costa Rica vs. New Zealand spread: Costa Rica -0.5 (-105)
• Costa Rica vs. New Zealand over-under: 1.5 goals
• Costa Rica vs. New Zealand money line: Costa Rica -113, New Zealand +360, Draw +165
• CR: Los Ticos have allowed a total of one goal over their final six qualifying matches
• NZ: The All Whites yielded one goal in their five qualifying contests 

Why you should back Costa Rica

Los Ticos ended 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifying play with a flourish, winning their final four matches and going unbeaten in their last seven. The squad was strong defensively as it posted five clean sheets while allowing a total of two goals during that stretch. In a span of seven days at the end of March, Costa Rica recorded victories against Canada, El Salvador and the United States, outscoring the three opponents 5-1.

Costa Rica held foes to fewer than two goals in all but one of its 14 qualifying matches, a 2-1 loss to the USMNT last October. Nine different players scored for Los Ticos, with four tied for the team lead with a pair of goals. One of those is 22-year-old forward Anthony Contreras, who appeared in only four contests but scored in each of the last two.

Why you should back New Zealand

The All Whites failed to score in two international friendly matches earlier this month but were explosive during their World Cup qualifiers, producing 18 goals over five contests. They netted four or more tallies in three of those games while receiving four two-goal performances. Forward Chris Wood notched two of them and leads New Zealand with five goals, while defender Bill Tuiloma and forward Alex Greive posted the others.

The 27-year-old Tuiloma ranks second on the team with three goals after scoring twice in the victory against the Solomon Islands. Wood, who has amassed 33 goals in 67 matches for New Zealand, posted two-goal efforts in 4-0 and 7-1 triumphs over Fiji and New Caledonia, respectively, that were just four days apart. The All Whites also were strong defensively during their qualifying matches, recording four clean sheets while allowing just one goal in their other contest.

How to make New Zealand vs. Costa Rica picks

Eimer has scrutinized the Costa Rica vs. New Zealand match from every angle, and he is leaning over on the goal total. He’s also provided another confident best bet and has a full breakdown of the match. He’s only sharing his coveted soccer picks and predictions at SportsLine.

So, who wins Costa Rica vs. New Zealand? And where does all the betting value lie? Visit SportsLine now to see the best bets for the New Zealand vs. Costa Rica match, all from the soccer expert who has his finger on the pulse of the game all over the world, and find out.