The 2022 Meiji Yasuda J1 League, Japan’s first-tier football tournament, officially returned last February 18.
Eighteen teams will play in a double round-robin through the home and away format to determine Nippon’s best domestic club this season. The eventual champion and first runner-up will also earn spots in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League group stage. Besides, the third placers will proceed in the AFC Champions League playoff round.
Sports bettors can try their luck with the J1 League and bet on the outright betting market. However, betting without prior knowledge about football, players, teams, and the league is a bad idea. It is not advisable to bet based solely on tips or gut feelings when betting on futures. Instead, bettors should increase their winning chances by knowing which teams have the highest chances of winning. Currently, here are the top five teams with the highest chances of taking home the J1 title, per Singapore Pools football betting odds:
Kawasaki Frontale
The defending champion is still the title favourite this year. As of writing, Singapore Pools current odds for Azzurro Nero to win J1 is 1.45. Kawasaki Frontale had already lifted the coveted J1 trophy with four more rounds to go.
The Toru Oniki-mentored squad finished the 2021 league 13 and 19 points cleared against Yokohama F. Marinos and Vissel Kobe. Kawasaki collected 92 points from 28 wins, eight draws, and two losses. Brazilian striker Leandro Damião led them in offence with 23 goals and was recognized as J. League Top Scorer alongside Yokohama F. Marinos’ Daizen Maeda, who tallied the same goal count.
The four-time J1 titlist will bid for a three-peat and fifth crown in team history. It is imminent considering that seven of the 11 2021 J. League Best XI awardees play for them. Though minus one as Reo Hatate headed to Europe for Celtic. Yet, Kawasaki still has the talent to compete. Expect youngsters Ten Miyagi and Daiya Tono to do wonders for them. The arrival of Thai superstar Chanathip Songkrasin will also bolster their squad. Even without Brazilian defender Jesiel, the reigning champ proved last year their indomitable strength.
Yokohama F. Marinos
Yokohama F. Marinos is almost close to capturing their fifth J. League tilt last season. But their inconsistency made them suffer as Tricolor ended the season rough with a 4-2-4 win-draw-loss record, finishing 24 victories and seven draws and losses apiece.
Yokohama will have a different look this 2022 under its new Australian manager Kevin Muscat as Ange Postecoglou departed for Celtic midway through 2021. Their top goalscorer Daizen Maeda also went to Postecoglou’s Scotland-based squad.
Revenge-seeking Muscat will try to redeem himself by leading the new faces of Yokohama. Former Tokushima Vortis midfielder Joel Fujita, with Eduardo (Sagan Tosu), Anderson Lopes (Wuhan FC), and Takuma Nishimura (Vegalta Sendai), will represent the Nissan Stadium from now on.
Yokohama’s current odds in Singapore Pools is 5.00.
Kashima Antlers
Even Japan’s most successful club Kashima Antlers, failed to threaten Kawasaki Frontale’s dominance last 2021. Many believed they were title challengers until everything went wrong. Their foreign signings didn’t provide the much-needed help. A fourth-place finish with 21 wins, 11 losses, and six draws was still a dismal performance for Kashima.
Swiss mentor René Weiler aims to bring the Ibaraki-based club to new heights. Fans are getting excited about his strategies in how different it is from the past Japanese or Brazilian coaches who handled Kashima. Striker Yuma Suzuki also returned from Belgium and will join newly-signed Korean defender Kim Min-tae and 2021 J. League Rookie of the Year Ryotaro Araki. The three will power the Antlers’ search for their ninth J1 League trophy.
Kashima’s Singapore Pools odds: 9.00.
Nagoya Grampus
The fifth-placed ending of Nagoya Grampus is a fair result. The Grampus recorded 19 wins, 10 losses, and nine draws amid the lowest goalscoring team within the Top 6. Changes also tweaked most of Nagoya, with Kenta Hasegawa of FC Tokyo replacing Italian Massimo Ficcadenti in the dugout. Gabriel Xavier and Naoki Maeda also departed.
Critics pointed to the team’s goal production. For them, Polish striker Jakub Świerczok shouldering the scoring responsibility is not be enough. On the other hand, this is not the case in defence as erstwhile Socceroos keeper Mitch Langerak rewriting clean sheets record in his career’s best form for the second straight season.
Nagoya’s Singapore Pools odds: 13.00.
Kashiwa Reysol
Resurgence could be Kashiwa Reysol’s storyline this 2022 season. Nelsinho Baptista troops sustained 21 losses on top of 12 wins and five draws to finish 15th in the 2021 standings. A measly tally that dropped them eight notches lower from their previous 2020 performance. The catalyst is the departure of the high-scoring Michael Olunga. The Kenyan alone scored 28 goals in 2020 and without him, Kashiwa only struck 37 in 2021 in total.
Nelsinho found a hope in the then-20 years old Mao Hosoya who fired three goals. Not to mention, Douglas from Vissel Kobe will sign with Nagoya. He can be perfect fill to the void left by striker Cristiano who departed in the off-season.
Kashiwa’s Singapore Pools odds: 15.00.
Conclusion
Unpredictability is a natural part of football. These are mere predictions that don’t necessarily translate to instant wins in punting. So, do not rely too much on a sportsbook’s or Singapore Pools odds and fixtures to determine what to bet.
Bettors should understand that guessing the winner is not a piece of cake. It comes with checking the latest statistics, reviewing the previous head-to-head matchups, and more. Bettors must also find a trusted and reliable online casino.
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