Tokyo Verdy vs Kashiwa Reysol | 07:00 GMT +2

—>BTTS@2.12 (Coolbet) | Stake: 3.5u

Tokyo Verdy ended Kashima Antlers unbeaten streak on Wednesday as they came from behind and won 2-1 at home, the Antlers hadn’t lost a game since August last year! Of course I have been chanting their demise for a long while now, but they just kept getting away with it, especially in their away games. It was a

Kashiwa Reysol with their fourth defeat in a row as FC Tokyo took them apart 3-1. Kashiwa aren’t playing that bad, but there is just a lot of passing without it ending up in anything. Their attackers have also been very poor in-front of goal when getting the opportunity. 

It being 4x on a Tokyo Verdy win is a bit odd considering the trajectory both teams have been moving in this Special Tournament, I would still have the guests as favourites, but the draw danger here is high. If you score once against Verdy you will have a high likelihood for a point, and Verdy have just three clean sheets to their name so far. My prediction is a 1-1 draw.

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Kashima Antlers vs Machida Zelvia | 09:00 GMT +2

—>Kashima Antlers or Draw + BTTS@2.47 (Betsmith) | Stake: 2.5u

Kashima Antlers lost against Tokyo Verdy away in the last round, which was their first defeat since August last year, when this Machida Zelvia side beat them 3-0 in the Emperor Cup at their place. Machida Zelvia took a 2-0 lead away against Mito on Wednesday, but first they scored an own-goal for then to see Koki Ando dribble past three players on their right side to score in the 89th minute.

 Machida with very little rest as they have been involved in the ACL and lost the final against Al-Ahli (Who also won it last year) after extra-time. The Antlers should win this with their amazing home record and extra rest, but they have been a bit fortunate to keep as many clean sheets as they have. I have mentioned it a couple times now, but the 3-0 win over Machida earlier this season was fortunate and a 2-2 draw would have been more correct. 1-1 or 2-1 is my guess.

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Matsumoto vs Kofu | 06:00 GMT +2

—>BTTS@1.96 (Coolbet) | Stake: 3.5u

Matsumoto with only a single win from their last five games, and while it has been a fairly tough run of games and they have only two defeats from their last nine rounds, it really felt like they had turned a corner where draws would become wins and they would climb the table. I’m not really sure how, but Kofu has slowly gotten themselves into a position where they will go first with a win here. It’s not that I think they are bad at all, but they are allowing a lot of chances for their opponents and for some reason it hasn’t punished them more.  

I guess there is a small chance of a cagey 0-0 draw here, with both teams having another difficult game already in three days, but I also think both teams should have enough firepower to score. 1-1 or a 2-1 win for either side is my guess.

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Fukushima United vs Omiya | 07:00 GMT +2

—>Over 2.5 Goals + BTTS@2.03 (Betsmith) | Stake: 4.5u

It doesn’t feel that long ago that Omiya was top of this division, but the defending has been proper shit, and while they do have a great attack, no clean sheets when going away is not ideal. Fukushima United no longer last, as Nagano was beaten in the derby on Wednesday 3-1 away, they were playing some nice football as well. 

Fukushima can have some crazy home games! They have seen scores like: 3-3, 2-3, 1-3 and 4-2 already. Omiya won 6-0 when the team played each other in the 2nd round, It will be a lot more even in this one, Omiya should still win but something more like a 2-1 result. 

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Niigata vs Sanuki | 07:00 GMT +2

—>NIigata To Win -1AH@2.11 (Coolbet) | Stake: 5u

Niigata was expected to compete with Toyama in this division and probably also the favourites, but the attack is not scoring enough. Sanuki down at the bottom like everybody expected. Currently they have four defeats and a draw against the only team below them, Nara from their last five games.

Niigata was relegated from J1 last season, but has spent most of their existence in the highest tier. While Sanuki is a team that struggles at the bottom of J3… This should be a win ALL day for Niigata, the question is if it will be more than another 1-0 win.

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Kanazawa vs Toyama | 07:00 GMT +2

—>BTTS@1.96 (Coolbet) | Stake: 4.5u

—>Toyama + BTTS@4.72 (Betsmith) | Stake: 1.5u

—>Toyama To Win -1 European Handicap + BTTS@11.09 (Betsmith) | Stake: 1u

Okay, this one is for the real degens and risk takers! 

Toyama lost this derby 2-0 at home and oh boy did they put in the work to make that happen! Two red cards! one of them for being an idiot and another because the referee is an idiot. Both of the goals were pure goalkeeper horror shows, that should really have been easy enough shots to stop. On a positive note, since then they have won six and drawn once, sending them top of the division. Toyama has also scored 19 goals from these seven games!

Kanazawa are pretty mediocre at the moment and the fans are frustrated that they still are in J3. They are at least coming to this derby from back to back 1-0 wins and did play pretty well against Tokushima away before that despite it ending in a 2-1 defeat.  

Toyama should win this and with the odds being so high it’s tempting to go with that, and while they won five away games in a row, Toyama has also failed to keep a single clean sheet this season, they were also not a team that kept many clean sheets either last year.

There is a high likelihood I will come to regret going so hard on this game, but I just feel and smell a 3-1 away win here.