Japan vs. Brazil Odds, Picks & Predictions 1/32, June 29
After all the hoopla and the run up, Day 2 of the knockout stages of the 2026 World Cup kicks off with a matchup as Japan takes on Brazil Monday afternoon and we have you covered with our Japan vs. Brazil prediction. Japan closed group play with a 1-1 draw with Sweden in their finale Thursday in their previous match. Brazil rolled to a 3-0 victory over Scotland in their group play finale Wednesday in their previous match. These sides have met just once previously in World Cup play, a 4-1 Brazil win in a Group F matchup on June 22, 2006.
Don’t forget to check out all the World Cup odds as the tournament progresses!
Japan Seeking to Spring Massive Upset
Japan in the World Cup
The Samurai Blue make their eighth World Cup appearance here and their eighth consecutive as well. Japan owns a record of eight wins, 12 losses and eight draws in World Cup play entering this contest. The Samurai Blue are currently ranked 18th in the FIFA world rankings and hope to advance past the round of 16 for the first time. Japan finished group play with a record of one win, two draws and no losses in group play. They finished second in Group F, two points behind the Netherlands.
Japan Last Match
Against Sweden, Japan played rather conservatively, knowing a draw earned them at least second place in the group and a spot in the round of 32. The Samurai Blue owned a narrow 52% to 48% advantage in terms of possession in the match. In addition, Japan held a 1.21 to 0.64 advantage in terms of expected goals though they lost the shots on goal by a 5-3 margin. The first half didn’t see much in the way of scoring opportunities with Japan’s best chance coming in the 45th minute off the foot of Keito Nakamura. As a result, the match was scoreless at the half.
In the second half, Japan took the lead In the 56th minute on a goal by Daizen Maeda off an assist from Ritsu Doan. The Samurai Blue failed to maintain that momentum as they allowed the tying goal in the 62nd minute of play. Japan didn’t muster much in the way of a scoring opportunity the rest of the way. Meanwhile, Zion Suzuki had to make several key stops, including a pair in stoppage time, to preserve the draw. Suzuki makes his fourth career World Cup start in this contest. He has one win and two draws, along with one clean sheet in his history on this stage.
Brazil Looking to Reach Round of 16
Brazil in the World Cup
In 2026, Brazil makes their 23rd consecutive appearance in World Cup play. They have five titles to boot. The Seleçao owns an impressive record with 78 wins, 20 draws and 19 defeats in their 117 World Cup matches. They enter the World Cup ranked sixth in the most recent FIFA rankings. Brazil won Group C with a record of two wins, one draw and no losses. They drew Morocco in the opener before beating Haiti and Scotland. The Seleçao is the benchmark to which all countries hope to measure up to when it comes to World Cup success.
Brazil Last Match
Against Scotland, Brazil jumped in front early and that set the tone for the match as they rolled to the win. The Seleçao won the possession by a 54% to 46% margin in the contest. In addition, Brazil dominated the expected goals by a 4.33 to 1.04 margin while owning a 9-5 advantage in terms of shots on goal in the match. Vinicius Junior gave Brazil the lone goal they needed as he scored in the seventh minute of the match. Rayan drew the lone assist. Vinicius Junior nearly scored again in the 22nd minute but that goal was overturned by VAR because of a foul. As it turned out, that was merely a minor setback as he scored his second goal of the match in third minute of extra time. Bruno Guimarães assisted on that goal, which gave Brazil a 2-0 advantage at halftime.
In the second half, Brazil kept the pressure on and went on to victory. Matheus Cunha scored in the 60th minute of play for a 3-0 advantage. Guimarães drew the assist on that goal. The Seleçao played solid defense the rest of the way and kept Scotland at bay. Alisson Becker projects to make his 13th World Cup start between the sticks in this contest. He owns a record of eight wins, three draws and one loss in those contests. In addition, he has seven clean sheets to his credit. Make sure you keep track of the Brazil World Cup odds as they progress through the tournament.
Up To $1500 in Bonus Bets Paid Back if your First Bet Does Not Win Japan vs. Brazil Prediction
Give credit to the Samurai Blue for rolling through qualifying and then playing well enough in group play to advance. Japan has the ability to test Brazil but the fact remains that they are facing the gold standard when it comes to the World Cup. The Seleçao are dangerous, as we saw Vinicius turn in a stellar showing in the win over Scotland. It’s tough to slow Brazil down for a full 90 minutes and that’s the task Japan faces as you don’t want to get in a freewheeling match with the Seleçao. This has the makings of a 2-1 or 3-1 style of match so taking the over is sound strategy.
Our Prediction: Over 2.5 Goals (FanDuel, +112)
With the fact that we just discussed this being a 2-1 or 3-1 match, that of course gives a strong lean toward another option. Taking both teams to score is a sound strategy. We saw both teams score in two of Japan’s three group stage matches. Brazil had both teams score once in their three group matches but this is a higher level of competition. Take both teams to score here.
Our Prediction: Both Teams to Score (DraftKings, +100)
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