Rugby World Cup: Japan v Russia betting odds, predictions & tips

HOST nation Japan should get off to a winning start at the Rugby World Cup against Russia on Friday.

The Brave Blossoms might be at odds of $251.00 to win RWC2019, but there are some genuine opportunities to win some money on the home team throughout the tournament.

We think Japan have an opportunity to advance from Pool A and potentially reach a quarter-final, with our Brave Blossoms preview detailing the journey it will take.

Russia on the other hand are at odds of $5001 to win the World Cup, and recent results suggest they are making up the numbers this time around.

Here are our free picks, odds and predictions for day 1 of the 2019 Rugby World Cup.

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Pool A: Japan v Russia

Kick-off: 19:45 LOCAL TIME (GMT +9)
Venue: Tokyo Stadium, Tokyo
Head to head odds: Japan $1, Russia $34
Handicap line odds: Japan $1.91 (-39.5 points), Russia $1.91 (+39.5 points)
Japan v Russia prediction: Japan have shone on the big stage before, including defeating South Africa in their memorable run at the 2015 World Cup, and with a parochial home crowd behind them, we can see a similar run here. The Russia match-up is a perfect first-up encounter for Japan, and we are predicting the home team to win big. The head to head odds for Japan v Russia are far too short to attract our attention, with most betting sites installing Japan at $1.01 or shorter! Instead, look to the line betting options and player markets.

Best bets for Japan v Russia RWC2019 match

Japan to cover the 39.5-point line

Japan to cover the 39.5-point line was paying around $1.91 with William Hill at the time of writing. This seems close to a good thing with Russia having recently lost to Jersey. Even Japan, themselves considered minnows, are a massive step up from the nation of 107,000.

William Tupou, Kotaro Matsushima and Lomano Lemeki to score a try for Japan

This match is going to be a high-scoring one, for Japan at least, and we are tipping all three of these guys to score. Tupou we think might even score a double. If you’re looking for something with a bit more value, why not roll these three into a multi-bet, with all three to score paying $6.90 with William Hill.