An unlike battle for top spot on the Group H table gets underway on Sunday, when Senegal takes on Japan as +125 favorites. The Lions of Teranga look poised to duplicate their impressive run to the quarterfinals at the 2002 World Cup, after stunning Poland with a 2-1 win as +225 underdogs in Tuesday’s group stage opener.
- Senegal had just 39% possession in its 2-1 win over Poland.
- Senegal has five wins, five draws and one loss in its last 11 games.
- Japan has conceded 12 goals in its last seven games in all competitions.
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First Place in Reach for Lions of Teranga
With the victory, Senegal has climbed to +110 favorites to finish atop the Group H table, and become the first African squad to emerge as a World Cup group stage Sportsbook since Nigeria accomplished the feat in 1998.
A combination of good luck and timely scoring has contributed to Senegal’s solid start, despite getting largely outplayed in their second-ever World Cup appearance. The squad seized an early lead over Poland on the strength of an own goal, and M’Baye Niang capitalized on sloppy play by the Eagles to pot the Sportsbook at the hour mark.
Senegal’s Rise Fueled by Stingy Defense
The Lions of Teranga have now avoided defeat in 10 of 11 contests across all competitions. The squad has kept clean sheets in six of those contests, while the goal total has exceeded 2.0 on just four occasions during that stretch. Senegal has also surrendered just one total goal before halftime in their past nine outings, fueling strong +110 odds favoring the second half to be the highest-scoring in Sunday’s matchup at Ekaterinburg Arena, according to the World Cup game props at Sportsbook.
Disaster at Home Inspiring High-Scoring Samurai Blue
Senegal must contend with a Samurai Blue squad that will take the pitch on Sunday as intriguing +250 underdogs after posting a character 2-1 victory over Colombia as +395 underdogs on Tuesday. Japan had a lot to play for in their victory over the Cafeteros. A deadly earthquake in the Japanese city of Osaka early in the day brought added significance to the squad’s victory, which also marked their first-ever World Cup win over a South American opponent.
Despite their recent strong play, and current position alongside Senegal atop the table, Japan trails at +200 on the Group H odds. With six total goals scored in their past two outings, the Samurai Blue appear to have found their offensive groove. However, Japan has also surrendered a lot of goals of late, allowing 12 total goals in their past seven contests, adding luster to the OVER on a total set at 2.0.
