Shonan Bellmare vs Urawa Reds - 17/03/24 | Fast live stats

Shonan Bellmare vs Urawa Reds Prediction & Preview

Preview

As the Japan J-League heats into its 4th round this Sunday, 17th March, all eyes will be on the Lemon Gas Stadium Hiratsuka where Shonan Bellmare welcomes Urawa Reds for what promises to be a riveting encounter. Kickoff is at the bright and early time of 06:00, setting the stage for a day of football that fans won't want to miss.

Under the guidance of Satoshi Yamaguchi, Shonan Bellmare are looking to make their home advantage count against Per-Mathias Høgmo's Urawa Reds. Both teams have had a mirror start to their campaign with identical records in their last three matches (1 win, 1 loss, and 1 draw), placing them neck-and-neck in the league standings - Shonan Bellmare sitting at 10th with Urawa Reds just two spots below at 12th, both amassing four points apiece.

Their recent head-to-head record tips in favor of Urawa Reds slightly with two wins out of their last five meetings and three ending in draws. Notably, when these sides last clashed on this ground on August 25th, it was a narrow affair that saw Urawa edge out as victors by a solitary goal.

Delving into recent form further reveals both teams coming off different experiences in their latest outings; Shonan secured a draw away at Avispa Fukuoka while Urawa grabbed all three points against Consadole Sapporo away from home. This sets an intriguing backdrop considering both squads have shown similar patterns both offensively and defensively; Shonan averages slightly more goals per game (1.1) compared to Urawa's (1), but also concedes fewer (0.9) than their opponents' average of 1.3 per match.

However, playing at home hasn't been overly advantageous for Shonan based on recent performances – scoring fewer and conceding more on average than when they're away – whereas Urawa seems equally potent no matter where they play but boasts better defensive stats when traveling.

Bet

Considering the performance metrics and historical context between these two sides alongside current form indicators presents quite an evenly matched scenario despite what odds suggest with Urawa being slight favorites due to better head-to-head outcomes recently. The odds lean towards an 'Away Win' for Urawa Reds at 2.1 which does offer value given they've managed wins over Shonan before including one not too long ago right here at Lemon Gas Stadium Hiratsuka. However, given both team's comparable forms coming into this clash coupled with how closely contested previous fixtures have been — reflected by three draws out of five — choosing 'Draw' might present itself as not only a sensible choice but also offers good value bet-wise pegged currently at odds of 3.4. Given each side’s tendency towards relatively low-scoring encounters coupled with tight defenses especially from the visiting side when away from home suggests leaning toward 'Under 2.5 goals', offered at odds of 1.6 might be another solid recommendation considering it falls well within each team's scoring averages thus far into the season