World Cup Odds: Group C action on Saturday includes Japan taking on Ivory Coast in a match that can be seen on ESPN. Colombia is the favorite to win Group C but then it appears wide open for the second spot between Greece, Japan and Ivory Coast. This match looks really even with Ivory Coast listed as a very slight favorite with the total at 2 over. Here is a look at the game and World Cup predictions.
Ivory Coast +160, Japan +190, Draw +215, total 2 over
The money line has Ivory Coast at -125 and Japan at +105.
Ivory Coast
If Ivory Coast is going to make it out of Group C then this is a match where they need to get at least a point. And it may not be easy as coach Sabri Lamouchi is concerned about the fitness level of some of his injured players.
Sol Bamba hasn’t played a meaningful match in about a year. Top player Yaya Toure is still recovering from an injury he suffered in the last game of the season for Manchester City. If Toure is not ready to go then it will probably be Max Gradel in the starting lineup.
The one positive for the team is that Didier Drogba has looked healthy and ready to go. Whether he still has anything left at 36 years old is the question. He did score two goals and had an assist in recent friendlies so perhaps the answer is positive on Drogba. Ivory Coast also has Salomon Kalou and Wilfried Bony so they should have some offense. But their chances really revolve around Toure as he is their top player. Ivory Coast needs to score because they don’t have a great goalkeeper and their defense is weak.
Japan
The Japan team is flying under the radar in Group C and they might just surprise everyone. This is the fifth straight World Cup for Japan so they know what to expect. The team has some talented players like Shinji Okazaki, Keisuke Honda and Shinji Kagawa. Their goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima has also looked good lately.
World Cup Predictions
I think Japan has a real chance to win this game so I will take them at +190 and I will also play the game over the total.
