Sports Betting. Australia vs Japan [11.10.16] : the harakiri will be put off

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2018 FIFA World Cup, qualification

AFC, Third round, Group B

11.10.2016

Bet: Both Teams to Score

Confirming all sports betting predictions Australia passed the second qualifying round for 2018 FIFA World Cup with flying colors. Having lost only once – to Jordan – the Socceroos gained 21 points out of 24. However, the betting experts share the same opinion – the third round of qualification is a more difficult challenge. Here all the opponents are tough and only the first two teams will secure the trip to Russia. Ange Postecoglou’s side started like on wheels. The Australians beat Iraq (2-0) and the United Arab Emirates (1-0). However, the last fixture against Saudi Arabia brought a real disappointment as the Socceroos let the victory go (2-2).

Read also: Cricket Betting

As it was expected by sports betting companies Japan has easily overcome its opponents in the second qualifying round. The Blue Samurai had 7 wins and one draw on their record. What is more impressive – the Japanese didn’t concede any goal. Nevertheless, that was only the preliminary stage and the real race for participation in the World Cup begins now. Despite being considered to be a favorite by betting markets Halilhodzic’s team started the final qualifying round with a devastating loss against the United Arab Emirates (1-2). But then, the Blue Samurai pulled together and gained 6 points in the games against Thailand (2-0) and Iraq (2-1).

While choosing a bet you should take into account the fact that both teams are assumed to be the main contenders for the top-3 in group B. As the third spot will only guarantee the play-off match, the Australians and the Japanese will fight hard to get on top. If we take a look at the teams’ call-ups we will see that the away team has a powerful squad. At the same time the sports betting experts admit that Japan’s main stars (Kagawa, Honda, Nagatomo, Okazaki etc.) have barely played so far this season for their clubs in Europe. One the one hand, it can play right in Australians’ hands, on the other – these players are eager to remain everyone what they are capable of. They are motivated and ready to kick into top gear. So the game promises to be frantic.

No wonder that the bookmakers don’t name a clear favorite: Australia – 2,55, Draw – 3,25, Japan – 2,80. The Australians have a home field advantage, but the Japanese have nothing to lose and no longer have the room for error. Besides, if we look at the last five head-to-head matches, Australia has two draws and 3 defeats on its record. In addition, all 5 encounters have seen both teams scoring. So on the basis of the above analysis and head-to-head statistics it is recommended to bet either on “Both Teams to Score” (1,82) or on the “Total Goals over 2,25” (1,82). Also it may be worth backing the draw (3,55).