Bolivia vs Scotland predictions and betting tips – Clarke’s men head Stateside

Jun 6, 2026 - 06:15

Fresh from a 4-1 victory over Curacao on home turf last weekend, Scotland will play their first match of the summer on North American soil when they face Bolivia in a friendly.

Their opponents have not qualified for the World Cup, but are they capable of causing Scotland problems? Here is our preview of the encounter.

Draw/Scotland half/time/full-time – 3/1 with Tote
Both teams to score- 11/8 with Betfred
Che Adams to score any time – 9/8 with 247Bet

Bolivia vs Scotland head to head overview

Date: Saturday 6th June.
Kick-off: 9pm.
Venue: Sports Illustrated Stadium, New Jersey, USA.
Where to watch: BBC Two and BBC iPlayer.
Referee: TBC.
VAR: TBC.
Last meeting: Never played before.
Favourite to win: Scotland.

Bolivia vs Scotland predicted lineups

Bolivia expected lineup: Viscarra; Medina, Haquin, Morales; Cuellar, Vaca, Villamil; Terceros, Ribera, Paniagua.
Scotland expected lineup: Kelly; Patterson, Souttar, Hyam, Tierney; Christie, McLean; McGinn, McTominay, Curtis; Adams.

Bolivia vs Scotland predictions

Performances are more important than results in warm-up friendlies ahead of a major tournament, yet a loss to Curacao last weekend would have raised eyebrows among the Scottish public.

Thankfully for Steve Clarke’s side, they survived an early scare and came from a goal down to win 4-1 at Hampden Park, benefitting from the reduction of Curacao to 10 men late in the first half.

A Lawrence Shankland brace, plus efforts from Findlay Curtis and Ryan Christie, gave Scotland a comprehensive victory in their send-off game.

There were plenty of takeaways from the match against Curacao. Scotland were slow out of the blocks and defended sloppily in certain moments. Perhaps they would have fallen to defeat had Jurgen Locadia not seen red in the 38th minute.

On the other hand, Scotland succeeded in turning possession into goals and got minutes under the belts of numerous players.

The squad has since travelled to the USA, where they will continue their World Cup preparations with a friendly against Bolivia in New Jersey on Saturday.

One man who is not with him is Billy Gilmour, who suffered an injury against Curacao that cruelly ruled him out of the tournament. There are other options in the deep-lying role, but Gilmour’s absence is still a blow.

Bolivia failed to qualify for the World Cup, finishing seventh in South America’s 10-team table, in which six teams advanced automatically.

They did get a second chance via the interconfederation play-offs, but Bolivia were beaten by Iraq in Mexico. Saturday’s showdown with Scotland is thus their only taste of action in North America this summer.

Bolivia vs Scotland betting tips

Scotland are ready to face Bolivia in their first game in North America this summer.

Scotland to get stronger

Bolivia accumulated 20 points in World Cup qualification, finishing above Venezuela, Peru and Chile.

However, 17 of those points were collected at their home ground in El Alto, which is more than 4000 metres above sea level. Without the benefit of altitude, they are a much weaker side.

Scotland are therefore clear favourites this weekend. They should have too much for a Bolivia team which has lost seven of its last eight outings.

However, Scotland started sluggishly against Curacao and it could take them a while to find their feet in this fixture as well. Clarke’s side may have to wait until the second period before moving clear of Bolivia.

Back a draw at half-time and a Scotland win at full-time at 3/1 with Tote

Clean sheets elusive?

Clarke has at times been criticised for his cautious tactical approach, but that does not mean Scotland are defensively solid at all times.

They certainly looked shaky at the back in the first half against Curacao, who could have scored more than one goal on another day.

Scotland have now gone seven matches without a clean sheet, which will be a slight concern for Clarke ahead of the big kick-off.

Bolivia are not necessarily a free-scoring outfit, but the attractive odds shown below makes this a bet worthy of consideration, particularly as the South Americans have scored in three of their last four games.

Tip both teams to score at 11/8 with Betfred

Adams one to watch

Shankland staked his claim for a starting berth at World Cup 2026 by scoring twice against Curacao.

Of the options available to Clarke at centre-forward, there is no doubt that Shankland is the most natural finisher. However, Che Adams is still more likely to start up front once the tournament begins.

Adams offers more than Shankland outside the penalty area, and Clarke looks set to keep faith with the Torino frontman.

A goal against Bolivia would do Adams’ chances of starting the opening game against Haiti on June 14 (BST) no harm whatsoever.

Go for Che Adams to score any time at 9/8 with 247Bet

Bolivia vs Scotland latest odds

Find the latest Bolivia vs Scotland betting odds here. All odds are provided by our recommended football bookmakers and are subject to change.

More international friendly predictions

We have plenty more international friendly predictions and picks – find our latest betting tips from expert punters in our match preview overview.

Important historical facts about Bolivia and Scotland for betting

There have been fewer than four goals in each of Bolivia’s last 15 games.

This is Scotland’s fourth consecutive match against a non-European team. Scotland’s last meeting with a South American nation was a 2-0 loss to Peru in May 2018.

About the author

Greg Lea

Greg Lea is a freelance football writer from London. He predominantly covers the Premier League and has had work published by the Guardian, FourFourTwo, ESPN and others.

Follow Greg on X: @GregLeaFootball

Commercial content notice: Taking one of the bookmaker offers featured in this article may result in a payment to talkSPORT. 18+. T&Cs apply.

Remember to gamble responsibly

A responsible gambler is someone who:

Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
Never chase their losses
Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed
Gamcare – www.gamcare.org.uk

Find our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here.

For help with a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or go to www.gamstop.co.uk to be excluded from all UK-regulated gambling websites.