After a dominating first performance in their first game, Japan looks to keep it going against Mali. It is time to continue our 2024 Olympics Men’s Soccer odds series with a Japan-Mali prediction and pick.
Japan is coming off a dominating performance. Shunsuke Mito scored in the 18th minute to give Japan the lead over Paraguay. In the 25th minute, Wilder Viera of Paraguay was given a red card, but Japan would not score again until the second half. There, they would add four goals in the second half, including a second from Mito and two from Shota Fujio making it a 5-0 for Japan.
Meanwhile, took on Israel. Mali had plenty of opportunities to score in the first half but was not able to find the back of the net. In the 56th minute, Hamidou Diallo had an own goal, giving Israel the lead. Then in the 63rd minute, Cheickna Doumbia scored to tie the game. Malie would have more opportunities, including a shot three minutes into stoppage time of the second half that was saved. The game would end in a 1-1 draw.
Here are the 2024 Olympic Men’s soccer odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
2024 Olympics Odds: Japan-Mali Odds
Japan: -125
Mali: +320
Draw: +270
Over 2.5 goals: -113
Under 2.5 goals: -120
How to Watch Japan vs. Mali in Paris
Time: 3:00 PM ET/noon PT
TV: Peacock
Stream: (Click Here for Free Trial)
Why Japan Will Win
The Japanese attack starts with Shota Fujio. In domestic league play, he has nine goals and one assist, good for a total of ten points. He has been shooting a bunch in these games with 2.84 shots and 1.07 on target per 90 minutes of play. Fujio came on as a sub in the game, but would immediately make an impact. She scored after being on the pitch for just five minutes and would score again six minutes later. Shunsuke Mito also had a great first game of the Olympics. He scored on his first shot of the game in the 18th minute. He would also score on his second shot of the game in the 63rd minute. Mito would shoot two more times, missing both attempts.
Mao Hosoya will also be part of Japan’s offensive focus. He scored seven times for the Japan Under-23 squad, and each time he scored, Japan won the game. Hosoya did not score in the first game of the Olympics. He assisted Shunsuke Mito on an attempt in the 64th minute and then missed a shot later. In the 87th minute, she was the assist on the Shota Fujip goal and nearly had a second assist in stoppage time, but Joel Chima Fujita had hit a shot blocked.
Leo Kukobo is expected to be in goal for Japan. He was also solid in his first game of the Olympics. Kukobo stopped all three shots he faced, taking the clean sheet and the victory in the process.
Why Mali Will Win
Mali was solid against Israel but was unable to get the win. This is going to start with Thiemoko Diarra. He assisted the second shot of the game for Mali which was just wide. Diarra also would create three more chances, and take two shots, both being blocked in the first half. He would create five more opportunities in the second half, including having the assist on the lone goal of the game, and assisting what would have been the winner in stoppage time. Meanwhile, Brahima Diarra also had a solid first game. He created two chances off assisted shots while taking three shots of his own in the first half. He would create another chance in the second half but did not score.
Also having a solid first game was Abdou Jiddou. He missed a shot early in the first half and would create two more chances in the first half. He created one more chance in the second half but failed to have a goal converted.
Lassine Diarra was in goal for Mali and is expected to be in goal again for Mali. He was solid in the first game, stopping both shots on target. He did allow an own goal in nthe game, which resulted in the draw.
Final Japan-Mali Prediction & Pick
Japan had a dominating first performance, but many of the chances were created after the red card for Paraguay. Mali created plenty of chances against Israel but now needs to get a win to make sure they stay in contention to move to the knockout stage. With how Japan played, but how Mali was on offense, expect there to be plenty of goals. Still, Japan is the better squad, take them to win a second game at the 2024 Olympics.
Click here for more betting news & predictions
Final Japan-Mali Prediction & Pick: Japan ML (-125)
Follow Us
Subscribe
