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England vs Japan betting tips:
- England -21.5 - 9/10 with Unibet
- England not to trail in match - 4/5 with bet365
- Highest scoring half: Second - 8/11 with William Hill
England are the overwhelming favourites to beat Japan when the two clash in the Rugby World Cup on Sunday and the Red Roses should be full of confidence after battling to a 27-10 victory over Argentina in their opening game.
Betting sites responded to that win by making England the 1/25 favourites to beat Japan when they meet in Nice on Sunday night.
The Brave Blossoms also made a winning start to the group stage as they ran in six converted tries to secure a bonus point win against debutants Chile.
However, the Japanese players will face a far more daunting task when they take on a fired-up England side on the French Riviera.
Most bookies have set the handicap line at 21.5 points for this match, but will England win by such a large margin or can Japan keep things tight?
England vs Japan betting: England can secure a comfortable victory
England seized control of Pool D after surging to that emphatic win against the Pumas in Marseille last weekend.
They made a disastrous start to proceedings when Tom Curry was sent off for a dangerous tackle after just three minutes.
Steve Borthwick’s men were clear underdogs in the in-play betting markets at that point, but a magnificent performance from George Ford inspired them to victory.
His 27-point masterclass included three drop goals, evoking memories of Johnny Wilkinson back in 1999.
Argentina are ranked sixth in the world – two places ahead of England – so they were always seen as the Red Rose’s toughest opponents in Pool D.
England are now priced at just 1/12 with bet365 to win the group, ahead of Argentina (13/2), Samoa (33/1), Japan (40/1) and Chile (2000/1).
We cannot read too much into Japan’s 42-12 victory over an unheralded Chile team whose best player plies his trade in the Championship.
Japan’s form in the build-up to the tournament leaves a lot to be desired – a 35-12 defeat to Fiji and a 42-21 loss against Italy – so another famous upset looks highly unlikely.
England have also struggled for form over the past year but they still managed to beat Japan 52-13 in November 2022.
That seven-try drubbing bodes well for their chances of covering a 21.5-point handicap in Sunday’s game.
The players will gain a great deal of confidence from the nature of that victory over Argentina and they should be able to beat the Brave Blossoms comfortably.
Tip: England -21.5 - 9/10 with Unibet
Japan’s tendency to start slowly could be their undoing
Japan made a slow start against Chile and found themselves 7-0 down after some dismal defending allowed fly-half Rodrigo Fernandez to score an early try.
That has been a common theme in the Brave Blossoms’ recent outings: they conceded a try just five minutes into their 42-21 defeat to Italy and they also fell behind in the early stages of their loss to Fiji.
Japan could be torn apart if they make such a sluggish start to proceedings at Allianz Riviera this weekend.
England are likely to dominate possession in this match and they could open up an unassailable lead if they expose Japan’s defensive frailties.
The Red Roses opened up a 20-0 lead against Japan when the teams met at Twickenham back in November.
Japan did not get on the scoresheet until the 32nd minute of the match and England ended up cruising to victory.
Odds of 4/5 on the Red Roses not trailing at any stage in this match is therefore our second betting pick for this match.
Tip: England not to trail in match - 4/5 with bet365
Back the second half to see the most points
England scored 24 points in the first half and 28 points after the break when they thrashed Japan in London last year.
The Brave Blossoms also looked more dangerous in the second half and they got their reward when Naoto Saitō crossed for a try.
We expect the second half to be the highest scoring half once again when the teams renew hostilities in Nice.
England have a lot of quality on the bench and they could overwhelm Japan in the final 15 minutes of the match.
You can find odds of 8/11 at William Hill on the second half seeing the most points, which is our third bet on England vs. Japan.
This bet has been a winner in each of England’s last four matches, which have all exploded into life after the break.
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Last Updated: 14th March 2024, 07:22 AM
