Japan vs. Costa Rica start time, odds, lines: Soccer expert reveals Women's World Cup picks, predictions
Dunedin Stadium hosts an intriguing matchup to open Wednesday's play at the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup. Costa Rica take on Japan in a battle of Group C squads. Costa Rica fell short in their opener against Spain, losing 3-0. In contrast, Japan blasted Zambia to take the Group C lead after one match.
Kickoff is scheduled for 1 a.m. ET. Caesars Sportsbook lists Japan as the -2500 favorites (risk $2,500 to win $100) in its latest Japan vs. Costa Rica odds. Costa Rica are the +2900 underdogs, a draw is priced at +1100, and the over/under for total goals scored is 3.5. Before locking in any Costa Rica vs. Japan picks, make sure you check out the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup predictions from proven SportsLine soccer expert Martin Green.
After working in the sports betting industry for several years, Green became a professional sports writer and handicapper and has covered the game worldwide. Since last year's World Cup, Green has been profitable in multiple areas on his soccer picks, including the Champions League (+3.45 units), FA Cup (+3.07) and EFL Cup (+3.64).
Now, Green has broken down the Japan vs. Costa Rica matchup from every angle and just locked in his picks and predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see his picks. Here are the betting lines and trends for Costa Rica vs. Japan:
- Japan vs. Costa Rica money line: Japan -2400, Draw +1100, Costa Rica +2900
- Japan vs. Costa Rica spread: Japan -2.5 (-145)
- Japan vs. Costa Rica over/under: 3.5 goals
- JAP: Three clean sheets in a row across all competitions
- CRC: Winless across all competitions since July 8, 2022
- Japan vs. Costa Rica picks: See picks at SportsLine
Featured Game| Japan vs. Costa Rica
Why you should back Japan
Japan won the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup and followed it with a runner-up finish in 2015. The team is looking to advance out of the group stage for the fourth straight time, and Japan are the only Asian squad to qualify for all nine World Cups. Including the opener, Japan has won three of the last four international games, and the 5-0 win over Zambia was dominant. Hinata Miyazawa scored twice in the game, with additional goals from Mina Tanaka, Jun Endo and Riko Ueki.
Japan are also elite on defense, yielding only eight goals over the last 11 international matches. Japan have five clean sheets over that sample, and Costa Rica are outmatched on paper. Costa Rica have only four wins in the last 21 international games, and Spain bludgeoned Costa Rica in the opener. Costa Rica managed only 19% possession in the match, and Japan's depth of talent will be difficult for Costa Rica to match. See which team to pick here.
Why you should back Costa Rica
Costa Rica are seen as substantial underdogs in this match, but the team has real strengths. The headliner is Raquel Rodriguez, who stars for the Portland Thorns of the NWSL. Rodriguez is the all-time leading scorer for Costa Rica with 55 international goals in 100 caps, and she is a threat to score at any moment. Rodriguez is joined by vice-captain Katherine Alvarado, who has 125 caps and tremendous World Cup experience.
She also scored twice during Costa Rica's qualifying run through the 2022 Concacaf Championship. In addition, Priscila Chincilla of Glasgow City has 20 goals for Costa Rica in international competition and, at the age of 21, she is a rising star. Japan have lost five of the last eight games overall, and Costa Rica will be leaving it all on the line in a game they must win to remain alive in the group. See which team to pick here.
How to make Costa Rica vs. Japan picks
Green has broken down the Japan vs. Costa Rica match from every angle. He is leaning Under on the goal total and has locked in a pair of best bets. He's only sharing his picks at SportsLine.
