• Home
  • Football

Netherlands vs Japan Betting Tips & Predictions – Points Shared at the World Cup 2026

vedran-ostojic
Editor
Last updated: Thu 11 Jun 2026 12:55
Japan enter their match against the Netherlands in top form, boasting an unbeaten run and recent wins over Brazil, England, and Scotland. The Netherlands, despite qualifying early for the 2026 World Cup, have shown inconsistency, most recently scraping a win against Uzbekistan. Statistics point to both teams being likely to score, with Japan's current confidence and resilience suggesting that a draw offers significant value for bettors. A 1-1 result looks plausible, underlining Japan’s underrated strength at this stage.
Vedran Ostojic 1 hour ago
Share this article
Or copy link
  • Japan are unbeaten since October, while claiming some big scalps in 2026
  • We are backing them to hold favored Netherlands to a draw
  • Check our full preview for Netherlands vs Japan below
Japan have lost just one of their last 13 games (Getty)

It wouldn’t be wise to underestimate Japan here. They defeated Brazil, England and Scotland in international friendlies and cruised through the Asian qualifiers. The Netherlands haven’t been that convincing in 2026, so a scoring draw looks like a value bet.

Key Stats  


  • Netherlands are winless in 2 of their last 3 matches. 
  • Netherlands have seen BTTS in 3 of their last 4 matches. 
  • Japan are unbeaten in 12 of their last 13 matches. 
  • Japan have scored in their last 7 matches. 

Three Previous Meetings 


This is going to be the fourth time these two sides lock horns. Netherlands won two head-to-heads so far, one ending without a winner. 

Oranje Punched Their WC Ticket Early


Netherlands had a great run in the World Cup 2026 qualifiers, advancing as Group G winners with six wins and two draws ahead of Poland, Finland, Malta and Lithuania. 

Oranje started the year with a 2-1 win over Norway in late March friendly, followed by a 1-1 draw against Ecuador a couple of days later.   

Earlier this month, Ronald Koeman’s side lost 1-0 at home to Algeria despite having 2.19 expected goals and firing 17 shots (Donyell Malen missed two, Cody Gakpo one goal chance). 

They returned to winning ways with a 2-1 win over Uzbekistan on Monday, Gakpo scoring both goals from penalty spot. It was a well-deserved victory, posting 4.62-0.98 expected goals. 

Japan Full of Confidence


Japan were one of the most dominant teams in the Asian World Cup 2026 qualifiers, topping Group C with 23 out of possible 30 points with an impressive 30-3 goal difference. 

Their confidence received a huge boost after claiming two big victories on British soil in March, earning back to back victories against Scotland 1-0 at Hampden Park and England 1-0 at Wembley. 

The Blue Samurai hosted Iceland in their last test match earlier this week and claimed another narrow 1-0 win, Koki Ogawa netting the winning goal just before stoppage time. This was their sixth straight victory in international friendlies. 

Team News & Predicted Lineups 


Netherlands (4-3-3) Bart Verbruggen; Denzel Dumfries, Virgil van Dijk, Nathan Ake, Micky van de Ven; Frenkie de Jong, Ryan Gravenberch, Tijjani Reijnders; Donyell Malen, Memphis Depay, Cody Gakpo

Jurrien Timber and Xavi Simons will miss the World Cup action due to recent injuries, Matthijs De Ligt also being injured from before.

Virgil van Dijk has the most appearances for the national team on this roster (91), while Memphis Depay is the all-time best scorer with 55 goals.

Japan (3-4-3) Zion Suzuki; Takehiro Tomiyasu, Ko Itakura, Hiroki Ito; Yukinari Sugawara, Wataru Endo, Ao Tanaka, Daichi Kamada; Ritsu Doan, Ayase Ueda, Takefusa Kubo

One of Japanese best players Kaoru Mitoma will miss the tournament due to an ankle injury, as well as Takumi Minamino. 

Feyenoord's Ayase Ueda is expected to lead the attack. He is currently at 39 appearances and 16 goals for the national team.

Verdict

Japan are undefeated for seven games straight, while beating Brazil, England, Scotland and a couple of more teams in this stretch. The Netherlands barely ended their two-game winless run with a stoppage time win over Uzbekistan, so I don’t trust them to win here. 

Best Bet1: BTTS Yes Both Teams to Score @17/20 at Hollywood bets - 2 Units
Best Bet2: Draw Full-Time Result @13/5 at bet365 - 2 Units
Best Bet3: 1-1 Draw Correct Score @6/1 at Star Sports - 1 Unit
BTTS Yes
Both Teams to Score
@17/20 - 2 Units
£30 Free Bet
Use promo code NEWBONUS

Claim £30 free bet & 20 Free Spins. Use the promo code NEWBONUS. New Hollywoodbets account holders. 18 years or older. United Kingdom residents only. T&Cs apply.

Bet at Hollywood bets
Draw
Full-Time Result
@13/5 - 2 Units
Bet £10 Get £30
with bonus code NEWBONUS

Available to new customers only. Make a qualifying deposit of £5 or more and claim the offer within 30 days of registering your account to qualify for 300% of that amount in Bet Credits, up to a maximum of £30 in Bet Credits. Once released, your Bet Credits will be held in your account balance and are non-withdrawable. Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of qualifying bets. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Registration required. Time limits and T&Cs apply. The bonus code NEWBONUS can be used during registration but does not change the offer amount in any way. #ad

Bet at bet365
1-1 Draw
Correct Score
@6/1 - 1 Unit
Bet £20 Get £10
Use promo code NEWBONUS

18+ New customers only. Bet £20 (or more) EVS (2.0) or greater Get 2 x £5 Free Bets. 1 x £5 Free Bet paid automatically & following £5 Free Bet after 24hrs. Min Free Bet odds 4/1 (5.0) on accumulators Trebles & upwards. Expires after 24hrs. Full T&Cs apply. GambleAware.org

Bet at Star Sports

Top Betting Sites

special-offer-1Betting offers

Upcoming Events

14 Jun 2026

Netherlands v Japan

days

hours

min

Add to Calendar
Hear more from Freetips.com