USMNT vs. Jamaica: World Cup Qualifying Odds, Time, Live Stream and TV Schedule

The United States men's national team is all set for another three FIFA World Cup qualifying matches in October, starting with a home game against Jamaica on Thursday night.

The Stars and Stripes are in a solid position after getting one win and two draws during the September break, but they will have to get through this next stretch without some of their brightest stars.

Christian Pulisic, Giovanni Reyna and John Brooks will all miss the October qualifiers because of injury. Pulisic and Reyna are creative forces, and the former is also a team captain. When healthy, Brooks is a mainstay in central defense.

It also appears players based in the United Kingdom such as goalkeeper Zack Steffen and defender Antonee Robinson won't be able to join the team for the Oct. 10 contest in Panama because of COVID-19 travel restrictions that would force them to quarantine upon returning to England, per NBC Sports' Nicholas Mendola.

The absences of key starters means several players will have to take on bigger roles in October. It also puts added pressure on head coach Gregg Berhalter to get his tactics right.

USMNT vs. Jamaica Match Info

When: Thursday, Oct. 7 at 7:30 p.m. ET

Where: Q2 Stadium in Austin, Texas

TV: ESPN2, TUDN

Live stream: ESPN.com, ESPN+

Odds: USA -330 (wager $330 to win $100), Jamaica +750 (wager $100 to win $750), draw +425

Odds via DraftKings.

2022 World Cup CONCACAF Qualifier Standings

1. Mexico (2-1-0, 7 pts)

2. Canada (1-2-0, 5 pts)

3. USA (1-2-0, 5 pts)

4. Panama (1-2-0, 5 pts)

5. Costa Rica (0-2-1, 2 pts)

6. Honduras (0-2-1, 2 pts)

7. El Salvador (0-2-1, 2 pts)

8. Jamaica (0-1-2, 1 pts)

Brad Smith/ISI Photos/Getty Images

While coaches typically keep their lineups a secret for as long as possible, Berhalter has already let one of his starting XI slip. He plans to start Weston McKennie against Jamaica, even though the 23-year-old Juventus midfielder was dismissed from the team in the September qualifying window for two COVID-19 protocol violations.

"He's been focused coming into this week, and we're not holding anything against him," said Berhalter, per MLSSoccer.com's Charles Boehm. "Is he going to have to rebuild trust by a time period of showing that he's the leader that we expect him to be? Of course. But there's nothing held against him."

McKennie has struggled with consistency, but he's a capable attacker with seven goals in 25 appearances for the USMNT. With Pulisic and Reyna out, Berhalter will be relying on McKennie to provide leadership and stability in midfield.

Another player to keep an eye on is Ricardo Pepi, the 18-year-old FC Dallas striker. He made his senior team debut in Team USA's 4-1 comeback win over Honduras, scoring a goal and notching an assist. He's a strong target forward and was a key spark for the U.S. when it badly needed a win.

Berhalter singled him out after the game for his performance, per The Athletic's Christopher Kamrani, but Pepi was just happy to help the team.

"I don't like to always have the spotlight on me," he lsaid, per Kamrani. "I just did the best that I can for my team. If I do the best for the team, like, personal things such as scoring goals or having good games will come my way. I don't always like the attention, but if you offer it, I'll take it."

While the USMNT is coming off a wave of optimism after the big win over Honduras, it can't afford to get complacent. Berhalter's men started the qualifying campaign with disappointing draws against El Salvador and Canada, looking disjointed in attack and shaky in defense at times. With key players missing, it could all unravel just as quickly as it came together in that second-half blitz against Honduras.

Luckily, Team USA is a big favorite against Jamaica, currently at the bottom of the Concacaf qualifying standings with one draw and two losses. The Reggae Boyz are also missing key attackers in Aston Villa's Leon Bailey and West Ham United's Michail Antonio, both out with injuries.

Jamaica will hope that the likes of Shamar Nicholson (24 caps, 10 goals) and Bobby Decordova-Reid (eight caps, two goals) can pick up the slack on offense while longtime goalkeeper Andre Blake (51 caps) can snuff out chances on the other end. The USMNT is no stranger to difficult, frustrating Concacaf matches, and Jamaica is going to be desperate for a result to get back in contention to qualify for Qatar 2022.

After taking on Jamaica, Team USA then has a tricky away match against Panama on Sunday before a home game against Costa Rica on Wednesday. If they can get a couple wins in October without some of their top talents, the Stars and Stripes will be well on their way to making the World Cup finals.

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