Japan vs Senegal Free World Cup Picks and Group H Odds

by Guy Bruhn - 6/18/2018

World Cup Group H

Sunday, June 24, 2018

Ekaterinburg Arena

Japan will take on Senegal at Ekaterinburg Arena in a Group H matchup on Sunday, June 24, 2018. The opening line for this World Cup matchup has Japan at +240 and Senegal at +118. The total opened at 2.25.

Both teams will be looking to grab all three points from this matchup in order to stay close enough to group favorites Columbia and Poland. This game has the potential to have a slow start and a bit of chaos late on as both nations look to steal the three points.

Japan

Japan will know that they are facing one of the quickest teams in the competition in the matchup, so they might sit a little bit deeper than usual. That could be a problem, though, because they don't have a ton of firepower up front so allowing a team like Senegal to retain possession could backfire. New coach Akira Nishino will probably want to deploy a more attacking style if he wants to come away with the win in this one.

Yuya Osako

Osako is the type of forward that is tough to match up against. He's excellent at holding up the ball and retaining possession, making him a very important player in this matchup. On top of those skills, he can also put the ball in the net as he has seven goals in about 30 appearances for Japan so far.

Maya Yoshida

Yoshida is going to have to lead by example in the middle of Japan's defense to slow down Senegal in this one. He's going to need to deal with what might be many crosses coming into the box and he needs to keep a good position when Senegal's stars try to make runs through the middle. He's Japan's best defender and will need to have a great game to give his team a chance.

Senegal

Senegal used to be known for its relentless attack and very weak defense, but they have become a bit more balanced over the last year or so. However, they will probably want to be a bit more aggressive in this game since Japan likes to sit back and defend and don't mind losing the possession battle. The key for Senegal is getting down the flanks and getting into some favorable one-one-ones, which could open up Japan's defense a bit.

Badou Ndiaye

Though he doesn't always start for Senegal, the 28-year-old midfielder should be given a look in this game. If he is in the lineup, his job will be to win the ball back quickly when Senegal loses possession and quickly find his star forwards. He's not going to provide many key stats in games like this, but he will play a vital role if Senegal is going to come away with a win.

Ismaila Sarr

Sarr is seen as a huge part of the future for this team, but the 20-year-old winger has shown that he can do some special things on the pitch right now. He has three goals for his country already and should get a lot of freedom on the right side since most of Japan's focus will be on Sadio Mane.

Key Japan Injuries

No key injuries to report

Key Senegal Injuries

No key injuries to report

Who will win tonight's Japan/Senegal World Cup game against the spread?

Guy's Pick: Take Senegal +118

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Japan vs Senegal Group H World Cup Picks & Predictions 6/24/2018

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