The 2018 World Cup is two weeks away. Sportsbook players who bet on the World Cup will be on the lookout for Colombia, who is one of this year’s favorites to make a deep tournament push. The first matchup of the World Cup for them will be Japan vs. Colombia. What kind of turnout will the World Cup teaser sports betting odds predict for this intriguing pairing?
2018 World Cup – Japan vs. Colombia – Tuesday, June 19th
When: 8:00 am ET
Where: Mordovia Arena, Saransk, Mordovia, Russia
TV: Fox
Stream: Fox Sports Go
Bet on the World Cup Odds:
| Team | SP/RL | TOTAL | ML | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | +½ (+120) | 2 (-138) | +440 | |
| Colombia | -½ (-135) | 2 (+123) | -130 |  |
| Japan/Colombia Draw | — | — | +265 | |
| ||||
🇧🇷🇿🇦🇸🇦🇦🇪🇰🇼
He has led 5⃣ teams at 6⃣ World Cups (a record), winning one of them!🏆🗣️We hear from Carlos Alberto Parreira, Head of the Technical Study Group at Russia 2018
👉https://t.co/90ePy01ySB pic.twitter.com/93r0hIjX5i— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) May 31, 2018
Japan
Japan had to deliver a 2-0 win over Australia to earn their ticket to the 2018 FIFA World Cup. With that win the Japanese finished a lone point over the 2nd seeded Saudi Arabians and 3rd place Australia. Throughout qualification Japan relied heavily on their defense and it paid off. All in all they conceded just 7 goals through qualifying matches and delivered four clean sheets on top of that. Metz goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima is the stronghold of the defense and has proven durability as he has over 80 caps for Japan already. In addition to a great keeper, Japan also boasts tremendous talent at defender. Yuto Nagatomo from Inter Milan forms a wall alongside Southampton’s Maya Yoshida. Eintracht Frankfurt’s midfielder Makoto Hasebe harpoons the sides for Japan’s defense as well.
Players to Watch: Shinji Okazaki (Leicester City), Takuma Asano (Stuttgart), and Genki Haraguchi (Fortuna Dusseldorf).
Colombia
James Rodriguez made a splash at the 2014 World Cup as he delivered 6 brilliant goals to explode into international fame. Four years later and Rodriguez has blossomed into one of the best players in the world as he’s won 2 Champions League titles with Madrid before departing to Bayern Munich – where he was excelled as well. Rodriguez heralds Colombia’s elite attacking play but the club also wields some incredible defense. The most obvious name to pop out is Tottenham’s Davinson Sanchez and Barca’s Yerry Mina.
Players to Watch: James Rodriguez (Bayern Munich), Radamel Falcao (Monaco), and Carlos Sanchez (Fiorentina).
Japan vs. Colombia || World Cup Betting Predictions
Trends
- Japan is 0-4-2 SU in their last 6 games
- Japan has scored 6 goals in their last 6 games
- The Japanese have allowed 12 goals in their last 6 games
- Colombia is 2-2-2 SU in their last 6 games
- Colombia has scored 10 goals in their last 6 games
- The Colombians have allowed 7 goals in their last 6 games
Japan vs. Colombia || World Cup Betting Picks
So which side should betting sportsbook bettors take in this Japan vs. Colombia when they bet on the World Cup? All things considered, it’s probably best to side with Colombia. That side has more talent and has found more success on the international stage.
Score Prediction: 2-0 Croatia. The Croatians kick things off on a high note with a dominant win over Nigeria.
