The Japanese J1 League will enter matchday 11 this weekend, offering numerous betting opportunities for us to wager on. Of all the matches to be played, I am looking forward to the interesting mid-table clash between Shonan Bellmare and Kashiwa Reysol, scheduled for 20.04.2025 at the Lemon Gas Stadium, Hiratsuka, at 6:00 AM GMT. The stakes are far higher for Kashiwa Reysol than for their host! Kashiwa aims for the title this season, and this away match is a good test for their ambitions. Knowing this, let’s have an overview of both teams.
A Team of Inconsistency – Shonan Bellmare
Shonan Bellmare began the season on a decent note, losing just one match in 5. However, this good start was short-lived as they then lost 2 consecutive games without scoring a single goal. That was against Shimizu S-Pulse (0-3) and Kawasaki Frontale (2-0). After this, they managed to win two consecutive games: 2-1 at home against bottom-placed Nagoya Grampus, then 1-2 away in the Cup against V-Varen Nagasaki.
Currently, they are on a 1-game losing streak after losing 0-2 away to Kyoto Sanga last week and occupy the 9th spot, just 5 points below the league leaders. Their detailed record so far in the league is as follows: 10 matches played, 4 won, 2 draws, 4 losses, 9 goals scored, 13 goals conceded, for a total of 14 points. Taiga Hata, Junnosuke Suzuki, and Kim Min-Tae need to up their game in the defense line to prevent the attackers of Kashiwa Reysol from scoring.
Kashiwa Reysol – The Favorite
Although they don’t score many goals, Kashiwa Reysol is one of the most consistent teams in the J1 League this season. They’re unbeaten in the last 5 matches and concede only 2 goals in the process. Taiyo Koga, Wataru Harada, and Hayato Tanaka form a defensive barrier that is very hard to penetrate, barely giving goalkeeper Ryosuke Kojima any work to do in most games. Ricardo Rodríguez’s squad has a record of 4 wins, 5 draws, and 1 loss in 10 matches, occupying the 5th position with 17 points (that’s just 2 points below the league leaders).
Despite the consistency, Kashiwa Reysol is a team that draws a lot of games and often struggles against better teams. Furthermore, their draw against a modest FC Tokyo side last week raised doubts about their ability to compete for a top 3 finish.
The attack department is also an area that needs improvement! Mao Hosoya and Yuki Kakita are having a hard time finding the back of the net, but will once again be depended upon in this crucial duel.
Head-to-Head Statistics
The H2H stats give Kashiwa Reysol as the favorite! In 29 matches between the two teams, Kashiwa won 15, 9 ended in draws, and Shonan Bellmare won 5. Kashiwa Reysol won the last 2 times they met, with the score 2-1.
The Bet
Despite playing at home, I think Shonan Bellmare isn’t strong enough to contend with Kashiwa Reysol. However, I anticipate a win by a small margin, hence I’m backing Kashima @2.65. To follow this bet, sign up on Game2Bet today.
