Scotland vs Japan Prediction & Betting Tips - International Friendlies
International - International Friendlies
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by Daniel Ngulu | in Football Predictions
Scotland and Japan, both bound for the 2026 World Cup, will have a warm-up match in a fixture planned for this Saturday. The two will clash at Hampden Park in the first of their friendly games ahead of the global event. Read on for our prediction of the match.
The Scots are heading to the World Cup for the first time since 1998 and aren’t leaving anything to chance in their preparations. After this, they have lined up matches against Ivory Coast and Curacao before embarking on the finals, where they are pooled with Brazil, Haiti, and Morocco in Group C.
Japan are regulars at the World Cup and will also hope to gain from this game. They are drawn in Group F, where they will face Netherlands, Tunisia, and a team still in the qualification journey. So far the Asian giants have only confirmed two friendly matches ahead of the World Cup. They will be up against England after this game.
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Scotland v Japan Best Betting Odds
| Bookmaker | 1 | X | 2 | Bonus up to |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
100 | 11.75 | 1.01 |
|
|
3.19 | 3.28 | 2.3 |
|
|
3.15 | 3.38 | 2.28 |
|
|
3 | 3.2 | 2.45 |
|
|
3.05 | 3.2 | 2.36 |
|
What is the prediction for the football match between Scotland and Japan?
Our prediction for the Scotland vs Japan match is: draw.
Probabilities according to our algorithm* of possible 1X2 football predictions and best odds for the match on 28/03/2026 between Scotland and Japan in International Friendlies :
- The Sportytrader ⭐ algorithm estimates a probability of 41.61% for a win of Scotland against Japan with odds of 100 at Stake.
- The probability according to Sportytrader ⭐ for a draw between Scotland vs Japan is 13.72% with odds of 11.75 at Stake.
- Our prediction model gives a 44.68% chance ⭐ for a win of Japan vs Scotland with odds of 2.45 at Bet365.
Scotland - Japan Prediction and Best Odds:
| Scotland Japan Prediction | Probability | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Japan wins | 44.68% | 2.45 at Bet365 |
| Over 2.5 goals | 56% | 2.2 at Melbet |
| Both Team To Score: No | 59.52% | |
| Half-time / Full-time: Japan/Japan | 18.12% | 4 at Bet365 |
Scotland vs Japan Form
Scotland and Japan Last Matches
4/6 (67%)
1/6 (17%)
1/6 (17%)
Average stats (Last 6 matchs)
18 Nov 2025 - World Cup
15 Nov 2025 - World Cup
12 Oct 2025 - World Cup
9 Oct 2025 - World Cup
8 Sept 2025 - World Cup
5 Sept 2025 - World Cup
4/6 (67%)
0/6 (0%)
2/6 (33%)
Average stats (Last 6 matchs)
18 Nov 2025 - World Cup
12 Oct 2025 - World Cup
9 Oct 2025 - World Cup
6 Jun 2025 - International Friendlies
23 Mar 2025 - UEFA Nations League
15 Nov 2024 - UEFA Nations League
4/6 (67%)
1/6 (17%)
1/6 (17%)
Average stats (Last 6 matchs)
15 Nov 2025 - World Cup
8 Sept 2025 - World Cup
5 Sept 2025 - World Cup
9 Jun 2025 - International Friendlies
20 Mar 2025 - UEFA Nations League
18 Nov 2024 - UEFA Nations League
3/6 (50%)
2/6 (33%)
1/6 (17%)
Average stats (Last 6 matchs)
18 Nov 2025 - International Friendlies
14 Nov 2025 - International Friendlies
14 Oct 2025 - International Friendlies
10 Oct 2025 - International Friendlies
9 Sept 2025 - International Friendlies
6 Sept 2025 - International Friendlies
5/6 (83%)
1/6 (17%)
0/6 (0%)
Average stats (Last 6 matchs)
18 Nov 2025 - International Friendlies
14 Nov 2025 - International Friendlies
14 Oct 2025 - International Friendlies
10 Oct 2025 - International Friendlies
12 Jul 2025 - East Asian Championship
8 Jul 2025 - East Asian Championship
3/6 (50%)
1/6 (17%)
2/6 (33%)
Average stats (Last 6 matchs)
9 Sept 2025 - International Friendlies
6 Sept 2025 - International Friendlies
15 Jul 2025 - East Asian Championship
5 Jun 2025 - World Cup
19 Nov 2024 - World Cup
15 Nov 2024 - World Cup
Scotland - Japan: Form Analysis
Scotland engineered a dramatic 4-2 win over Denmark to see the end of their 28-year wait for a World Cup slot. With five wins in their last seven matches and only losing once in the process, the Scots will be confident coming here. In that run of seven matches, Scotland won three straight at home.
Starting off their preparations at home will therefore give them an edge. An area Scotland will bank on here is their strength in attack, having scored in all but two of their last 10 games. In six of their last seven outings, they actually scored two or more goals. In the last three meetings between these nations, Japan are unbeaten, winning once.
Japan have won five of their last six matches against European opposition.
Japan had their ticket to the 2026 World Cup stamped much earlier, after a smooth run in the qualifiers. They last played competitively in mid-2025, and their last nine outings have all been friendly games. Ahead of this encounter, they beat Bolivia 3-0 for their third straight win, having earlier overcome Ghana and Brazil.
The Samurai Blues rose from three winless encounters before winning those three games. They come here having lost just once in their last 10 matches, and like Scotland, they’ve been on a good scoring run. Japan failed to score in two of their last 10 games but scored two or more in seven of the 10.
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Players list
A. Gunn
DefenderN. Patterson
S. McKenna
A. Robertson
J. Hendry
MidfielderL. Ferguson
J. McGinn
S. Mctominay
K. McLean
ForwardT. Conway
L. Dykes
Z. Suzuki
DefenderY. Sugawara
H. Ito
A. Seko
T. Watanabe
MidfielderK. Sano
Y. Suzuki
J. Fujita
D. Maeda
A. Tanaka
ForwardK. Goto
Substitutes
L. Kelly
S. Bain
DefenderT. Ralston
K. Tierney
J. Souttar
G. Hanley
D. Hyam
R. McCrorie
MidfielderB. Gilmour
A. Irving
L. Miller
R. Christie
ForwardF. Curtis
G. Hirst
C. Adams
T. Hayakawa
K. Osako
DefenderD. Hashioka
J. Suzuki
S. Taniguchi
MidfielderK. Nakamura
K. Mitoma
K. Sano
D. Kamada
J. Ito
R. Doan
ForwardS. Machino
K. Shiogai
A. Ueda
K. Ogawa
Scotland & Japan Squad Analysis
Scotland have Nathan Patterson back in the team as a replacement for Ben Gannon-Doak, who is injured and unavailable. Generally, the hosts aren’t doing badly on the injury front, with players working on their fitness ahead of the World Cup.
Scott McTominay and John McGinn, who recently were injury concerns, have since found their footing and are both in the squad. McTominay has a scoring touch, which will benefit the team. The problem is that of his 14 goals for Scotland, none were in the 11 friendly matches he’s been a part of.
Japan have a longer list of absentees through injury.
Japan can afford to talk about injury boosts; they have a few. Zion Suzuki is back from a hand issue. While that is a major turn for the visitors, they will still be without Ajax men Takehiro Tomiyasu and Ko Itakura.
Injury also locks out Takumi Minamino, as the Monaco ace faces a race against time to recover from a cruciate ligament injury before the World Cup. Another player in such a race is skipper Wataru Endo. The 33-year-old has the final chance to feature at the World Cup and hopes to recover from a broken ankle.
Scotland - Japan Key Points
- Across their last 10 outings, Japan lost just once.
- Japan failed to win in three of their last six games.
- Two of these nations’ last three meetings ended in draws.
- In three of their last four away games, Japan are winless.
- Scotland failed to win in seven of their last 11 matches at home.
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Our Scotland vs Japan Prediction
These two nations are in good shape ahead of the World Cup, and they will want to keep things that way. As they are both dealing with injuries to key men, a cautious approach is expected here so as not to lose more players.
All that makes this an encounter that could lack an attacking edge, despite the two nations’ recent gains. Notably, in the three meetings between these nations, two ended in draws, a result we will support. Our prediction for Scotland v Japan is for a draw.
Scotland vs Japan Alternative Predictions
Less than 2.5 goals
This is just but a practice game ahead of the 2026 World Cup, and we don’t expect much. The recent showings in attack may lack here, as this match could pass as a mere shake-out experience for the players. So don’t back many goals to be scored here. Our second prediction would be for the game to have under 2.5 goals.
Last Minute: Pre-match odds analysis Scotland Japan
| Scotland vs Japan | Opening odds | Pre-match odds | Odds Movements |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scotland wins | 3 | 100 | +3,233.3% |
| Draw | 3.1 | 11.75 | +279.0% |
| Japan wins | 2.37 | 2.45 | +3.4% |
After kick-off, the latest odds movements show that:
- Japan is most likely to win
- The odds for this bet have increased by 3.4% since opening
- The probability of this result was 42.2% and is now 40.8% (-1.4%)
Scotland vs Japan - FAQs
The Scotland v Japan match will be played on Saturday, 28th March.
The Scotland v Japan match will be staged at Hampden Park in Glasgow.
All tips are fully researched and given in good faith, but profits cannot be guaranteed.
