Our Japan vs Venezuela prediction, best bets and odds for Monday in Hiroshima — the Samurai Blue back home after a World Cup that ended against Brazil.
Kick-off at Edion Peace Wing Hiroshima is 6:25 AM ET on Monday, September 28. Full US broadcast details are below.
Japan vs Venezuela: Best Bets & Predictions
A heavy home favorite against a side that never reached the tournament. The question is the margin.
Our approach: back Japan to win this on their own terms, and take the shutout at evens.
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Where to watch Japan vs Venezuela
Japan vs Venezuela kicks off at 6:25 AM ET / 5:25 AM CT / 3:25 AM PT on Monday, September 28, at Edion Peace Wing Hiroshima in Hiroshima, Japan.
No US broadcaster has been confirmed for this fixture. Check local listings closer to kick-off.
Japan vs Venezuela: what’s at stake?
Japan went out of the World Cup 2-1 to Brazil in the round of 32, which is the kind of defeat a country can live with. They have become one of the most consistently well-organised sides outside the traditional powers, and the task now is to convert that into something that survives a knockout draw. This is the first of two home fixtures in the window, with Ecuador to follow on October 1.
Venezuela have no such tournament to reflect on. They finished eighth in CONMEBOL qualifying on 18 points, outside even the inter-confederation playoff place that went to Bolivia, and have spent the summer watching the rest of the continent. A long trip to Hiroshima for a friendly is not where anybody rebuilds a national team, but it is what the calendar has given them.
Team news and talking points
Both squads will be experimental to a degree, though for different reasons. Japan have a second fixture four days later and a domestic season to protect, while Venezuela are simply looking at players. One thing worth flagging: this fixture currently has a single sportsbook pricing it, and that book last refreshed its numbers in late August, so treat the prices as indicative rather than sharp until the market fills out nearer kick-off. South Korea are staging their own double-header in the same window, starting with Ecuador on Thursday.
Japan vs Venezuela prediction
Japan at home against an opponent in this condition is about as one-sided as international friendlies get, and the Hiroshima crowd will expect a performance rather than a workout. Prediction: Japan 3-0.
Japan vs Venezuela FAQ
Japan vs Venezuela kicks off at 6:25 AM ET / 5:25 AM CT / 3:25 AM PT on Monday, September 28.
No US broadcaster has been confirmed for Japan vs Venezuela. Check local listings closer to kick-off.
Japan vs Venezuela is being played at Edion Peace Wing Hiroshima in Hiroshima, Japan.
Our prediction is Japan 3-0. Our top pick is Japan to win at -333.
21+ | Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER | Odds correct at time of writing