Liga MX Apertura 2024 Winner Outrights - Odds, Prediction, and Best Picks

The second part of the 77th edition of the Liga MX commences on Friday, January 12, with Querétaro FC hosting Deportivo Toluca at Estadio La Corregidora in the Clausura 2024 season opener. On that same day, Mazatlan FC will take on Apertura 2023 playoff semifinalists Atletico de San Luis at Estadio El Encanto.

After winning the Apertura 2023 playoffs, Club America lifted a record-extending 14th top-division title. The club’s roster was strong on paper and proved to be equally strong on the pitch as they defeated Clausura 2023 winners Tigres UANL in the final. Club America’s title defense will begin on Saturday, January 13, against Club Tijuana at Estadio Caliente.

Meanwhile, the Apertura 2023 runners-up, Tigres UANL, will start their season on Wednesday, 17 January, when they visit the CONCACAF Champions Cup holders Club Leon. Both teams have won eight top-division titles, and it is set to be an interesting match. If no surprises are in store, Tigres UANL are favorites to win.

Liga MX Apertura 2023 Winner - Outrights

Odds taken from BetMGM Sportsbook. Place your bets at BetMGM and get up to $1,500 in Bonus Bets!

As expected, the bookmakers have backed the defending champions with the best odds to go on and successfully defend their title in this Clausura campaign. The runners-up are not far behind and are sandwiched between the most successful Mexican club and their arch-rivals – CF Monterrey, who faced a shock defeat against San Luis in the Clausura playoff quarterfinals.

Chivas Guadalajara were on the verge of securing their 13th Liga MX title in the previous Clausura season but were beaten by Tigres UANL in the final. In the Apertura 2023 season, the side faced defeat against Pumas UNAM in the playoff quarterfinals. Despite that, they are the fourth-favorite to win the title and close the gap to their arch-rivals, Club America.

Liga MX Clausura 2024 Winner - Changes & Reinforcements

While many Mexican top-division clubs are content with their respective coaches, there are six teams that will be under new management in the Clausura 2024 season. After a quarterfinal exit in the Apertura 2023 season, Chivas Guadalajara were unhappy with the services of Veljko Paunovic. For this Clausura campaign, they have replaced Paunovic with Fernando Gago.

The young coach left Argentine side Racing Club after two years and lifted two trophies with them during that tenure. However, the move is a gamble for Chivas as Gago only has coaching experience of three years. The pressure will be high as the 12-time Liga MX champions aim for a better outcome this season. 

Pumas UNAM beat Chivas in the Apertura 2023 playoff quarterfinal before losing against Tigres UANL in the semifinal. The club was aiming for big things and making promising progress before Antonio Mohamed decided to call it quits and passed on the responsibility to Gustavo Lema, who has been an assistant of Mohamed for over 20 years.

After winning their maiden CONCACAF Champions League title last year, Club Leon failed to perform in other competitions. They finished eighth in the regular Apertura 2023 season and made their way to the playoffs via a tricky play-in route. However, they were eliminated by Club America in the first round of the playoffs.

In addition to that, Club Leon also experienced a disappointing exit from the Club World Cup last month, and that ensured the end of Nicolas Larcamon’s tenure at the club. Jorge Bava will be in the team’s dugout for this Clausura campaign. The former Uruguayan goalkeeper played in the Liga MX during his loan spell with Atlas FC over 25 years ago.

Bava’s former club has also decided to play under a different coach this season, and they have opted to secure the services of former Mazatlan FC coach Benat San Jose. Expectations were high from Atlas after the club won the Apertura 2021 and Clausura 2022 titles. However, the team form has slumped after that and San Jose has come in to change that.

Fallen giants Cruz Azul and Toluca will try to bounce back this season and both clubs have opted for new coaches ahead of the new campaign. Martín Anselmi will take charge of Cruz Azul, while Renato Paiva will try to turn Toluca into a title contenders once again. The two clubs have combined won 19 titles but neither side has won the league in the last three years.

Transfers and Speculation

Andre Jardine is looking to take the "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" approach this season, as it seems there are no notable transfers lined up for Club America ahead of the Clausura 2024 season. However, there are other teams who are looking to bolster their respective squads with new promising talents.

So far, the biggest transfer in the transfer window has been Juan Brunetta’s sensational move from Santos Laguna to Tigres UANL. In 18 Liga MX appearances last season, the Argentine midfielder scored ten goals and registered 11 assists. The 26-year-old finished with the most goal contributions last season, six clear of Julian Quinones in second place.

This is the second successive year in which Tigres UANL have snatched a top attacking midfielder away from Santos, as they did the same with Fernando Gorriaran last year. Brunetta is expected to replace Gorriaran in the first team this season, as the Uruguayan failed to impress last season, registering just four assists and no goals in 22 appearances.

Santos have apparently already found an attacking replacement for their star man and have signed Franco Fagundez from Nacional de Montevideo. This will be the first time the Uruguayan will play for a foreign club, and it will be interesting to see how well he gels with last season’s top scorer, Harold Preciado.

Meanwhile, Cruz Azul and Pachuca have also added a player each to their respective rosters. The former has signed striker Gabriel Fernández from Pumas UNAM. Fernandez scored seven goals in 20 appearances last season. Pachuca have strengthened their defense by adding goal-scoring center-back Andres Micolta to their squad.

Liga MX Clausura 2024 Winner - Prediction

The bookmakers have backed Club America to retain their title at the end of this Clausura campaign. Despite having a strong squad, it will be an uphill task for Jardine’s men this season. Veteran striker Henry Martin is aging and may be prone to injuries as he was in the previous season. Quinones will have to remain consistent if Martin is out injured.

There is a plethora of attacking options available for Jardine in his current squad, but consistency will be the key. Tigres UANL have increased their attacking prowess significantly with the signing of Brunetta and will compete for the title again. CF Monterrey will also be right up there with them. However, it seems that Tigres UANL will win the Clausura 2024 title.