Thirty-two years ago, Ronald Koeman captained the Netherlands in Dallas for the final cap of his playing days, a 3-2 quarter-final defeat to Brazil. On Sunday he returns to the same city as a head coach, the slate wiped clean.
Japan instead have spent recent years turning the game’s hierarchy on its head, with Germany and Spain both beaten in Qatar and neither result an accident. The Netherlands could have definitely drawn a kinder opener than this one.
The Group F first match kicks off at 9pm UK time on Sunday 14 June at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas – an 80,000-seat bowl just outside Dallas.
Netherlands vs Japan – Betting Odds
The Netherlands vs Japan betting odds make the Dutch favourites, though the prices suggest a tighter contest than reputations imply. Below we break down every main market for this Group F opener and explain what each bet means.
1X2 Betting Odds
The 1X2 is the most popular football market there is and the simplest place for a newcomer to start. There are only three possible outcomes: a home win, a draw or an away win.
The “1” stands for the first-named team to win (here, the Netherlands), the “X” stands for the draw, and the “2” stands for the second-named team to win (Japan). You pick one of those three results, and if your guess turns out correct, your bet wins.
The 1X2 market settles on the result after 90 minutes plus stoppage time, not after any extra time or penalties. As a rule, the shorter the odds, the more likely the bookmaker rates that outcome, which is why a favourite carries a small price and the underdog and the draw carry bigger ones.
Here are the current Netherlands vs Japan odds for the match result:
| Netherlands win (1) | Draw (X) | Japan win (2) |
| 1/1 | 12/5 | 5/2 |
Double Chance Odds
Double chance is like the 1X2 market, but with a safety net. Instead of backing a single result, you cover two of the three possible outcomes in one bet.
There are three combinations to choose from: “1X” backs the home team or the draw, “X2” backs the away team or the draw, and “12” backs either team to win (you basically bet against the draw).
The catch is the price. Because you are covering more possibilities, the odds are always shorter than the 1X2 selection and the payout is lower. You sacrifice some of the potential return in exchange for a far better chance of collecting.
| 1X – Netherlands or draw | 12 – Netherlands or Japan | X2 – Draw or Japan |
| 3/11 | 3/11 | 7/10 |
Handicap Betting Odds
Handicap betting exists to make an unbalanced match interesting again. The bookmaker gives one team a virtual head start and the other a virtual deficit, then settles your bet on that adjusted score rather than the real one.
The favourite essentially starts on a minus figure (like -1), the underdog on a plus figure (like +1), and your job is to work out who wins once the handicap is applied.
An example makes it clearer. If you back Netherlands at -1, they need to win by two clear goals for the bet to win, because applying the handicap turns a 1-0 victory into a 0-0 draw, which is no good to you. Back Japan at +1 and the opposite is true: they can lose by a single goal and you’d still win, since that +1 cancels out the deficit.
Half-goal lines remove any chance of a tie on the adjusted score. At -0.5 the favourite simply has to win the match outright, while at +0.5 the underdog needs to either win or draw.
Handicap lines come in whole numbers (-1, +1, +2) or halves (-0.5, +1.5). Half-goal lines remove any push possibility, so the bet either wins or loses.
| Netherlands –0.5 | Japan +0.5 |
| 10/11 | 10/13 |
| Netherlands –1 | Japan +1 |
| 37/20 | 5/13 |
Both Teams to Score (BTTS) Odds
Both Teams to Score is a market that ignores the result entirely. It does not care who wins or by how much. The only question it asks is whether both teams manage to find the net at least once during the match.
“Yes” wins if each side scores at least one goal, regardless of the final score, so a 1-1, a 3-2 and a 2-4 all count. “No” wins if at least one team fails to score, which covers any clean sheet at either end (like a 0-0, a 1-0 or a 4-0).
It is a favourite among fans who want a reason to stay glued to a game even when the winner looks settled, because a single goal from each team is all it takes to land it.
| Yes | No |
| 7/9 | 14/15 |
Goal Total (Over/Under) Odds
The goal total, or over/under, is a bet on the combined number of goals scored by both teams across the match.
The bookmaker sets a line, most commonly a 2.5 line, and you decide if the total amount of goals scored in the match will be over or under 2.5. You are not predicting the exact number of goals, only whether the total will finish above or below that figure. Own goals count towards it.
With a 2.5 line, “over” needs three goals or more in total, so results like 3-0, 2-1 and 4-2 all win. “Under” needs two goals or fewer, which covers 2-0, 1-1, 1-0 and 0-0.
The half-goal is there on purpose. Because no match can possibly end on 2.5 goals, there is no way for the bet to finish in a tie, so one side or the other always wins and your stake is never simply handed back.
While 2.5 is the standard line, bookmakers also offer alternatives like 1.5 and 3.5. You can choose whatever line you want when placing your bet.
| Over 2.5 goals | Under 2.5 goals |
| 20/23 | 4/5 |
Explore betting markets for FIFA World Cup
Correct Score Odds
Correct score is the market that lets you predict the exact final scoreline. You have to be right about the result and the exact number of goals each team scores. Yes, quite difficult, but that difficulty is reflected in the prices, which dwarf anything on offer in the 1X2 market.
For a match like this, most punters stick to the likelier, lower-scoring lines rather than chasing a big upset scoreline.
The table below features a handful of popular scorelines for this match, but you can back any result you like.
| 0–0 | 1–1 | Netherlands 1–0 | Netherlands 2–1 |
| 10/1 | 11/2 | 13/2 | 15/2 |
Betting odds are subject to change. As lineups, injuries, and team announcements are confirmed, our traders may adjust the market. Always check the latest Netherlands vs Japan odds before placing a wager.
If you’re interested in betting on football matches, our platform offers odds and options for the World Cup and other football events. You can place your bet on our World Cup betting page.
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