Raphael Durand
Dailysports's expert
One of the fixtures of the 21st round of the Japanese Championship will take place on Saturday at the Nissan Stadium, where local side Yokohama Marinos will host Okayama. I suggest betting on goals in this encounter, with an attractive odds offer.
Match preview
Yokohama Marinos are still fighting to climb off the bottom of the table, but results have been disappointing so far. The team has already suffered 11 defeats this season and, with just 14 points, sits at the bottom of the J1 League—far below the club's ambitions. Despite occasional flashes, like the wins over Machida Zelvia and Kashima, the Marinos remain inconsistent and have lost far too often even at home.
In their recent home outings, Yokohama have struggled to find rhythm: four of their last five matches ended in defeat, and those came against teams also battling relegation. Defensive issues are compounded by a lack of firepower—just 18 goals in 19 matches.
Okayama look like the more organized side in this matchup, though they too lack consistency. After 20 rounds they've collected 24 points and sit mid-table, but even that says more about the league's struggles than the team's form. On the road, Okayama tend to play pragmatically: they don't score much, but they also keep opponents quiet.
In their last five away games, Okayama have drawn three times and are yet to register a win. In the previous round, Yokohama played away to Albirex Niigata and lost 0-1.
Probable lineups
- Yokohama Marinos: H. Iikura, R. Kato, K. Matsubara, T. Deng, T. Suzuki, Yan, T. Kida, R. Yamane, D. Tono, J. Amano, Anderson Lopes
- Okayama: S. Brodersen, Y. Tatsuta, D. Tagami, K. Kudo, R. Sato, I. Fujita, Yuta Kamiya, H. Kato, T. Kimura, A. Esaka, K. Ichimi
Match facts and H2H
- In their last head-to-head, Okayama defeated Yokohama 1-0.
- Yokohama have lost three of their last five home matches.
- Okayama are winless in their last five away games.
Prediction
Given Yokohama's inconsistency and Okayama's cautious away approach, this match promises to be tight with few goals. Okayama will be satisfied with a draw and are likely to play solid defensively. We recommend the double chance bet on Okayama (X2) at odds of 1.60.
