Japan vs USA Prediction & Betting Tips - Nations League

Prediction published on 31/07/2026, 10:31  by Devesh Jaganath | Modified on 31/07/2026 at 10:33 in Nations League Predictions

The second semi-final of the 2026 Volleyball Nations League will see Japan taking on the USA on Saturday afternoon. These two played to a deciding set earlier in this competition, which sees us leaning toward the total points market for our prediction in this one. 

Japan finished as runners-up in the 2025 VNL, and they have followed up incredibly this year, as they are the only nation not to have tasted a single defeat en route to the semi-finals. 

Ryujin Nippon made light work of China in the quarters with a 3-1 victory. They have only dropped 15 sets in 13 matches in this competition - the joint-fewest alongside Poland. 

Ran Takahashi leads the team with 229 points, which is the fifth-most by any player in the 2026 VNL. Yuki Ishikawa has 159 points in his 13 games with a 53.07% attacking efficiency. 

Meanwhile, after securing their place in the final round early, the USA were able to rest players in their final two games in Week 3, which they ended up losing to Poland and Bulgaria. 

However, after returning to full strength in the quarter-final, they secured an against-the-odds straight-sets victory over Italy to send a clear message to the other three semi-finalists. 

Jake Hanes has been the USA’s chief contributor in this competition with 178 points, including an impressive 20 points off his service, followed by Matthew Anderson with 153 points.