Kobe Storks vs Rizing Zephyr Fukuoka, Japan B2 League, Today Match Prediction

Kobe Storks vs Rizing Zephyr Fukuoka Basteball Odds

Teams Preview

Kobe Storks

Kobe Storks are not in the mood to commit any mistake ahead of the playoffs. The hosts enter the contest with a 82-72 victory against Fukuoka in the first of a two-game set. Previously, they thrashed Aomiri in back-to-back games with a margin of more than 40 points. Kobe posted a season-best 45-5 in the Western Conference. They are the only team to cross 40 wins in the current season. The Storks would now eye a clean sweep against Fukuoka as they are 5-0 against the opposition in the regular season. 

With the win over Fukuoka, the Storks also improved to 22-1 at home this season. This is the best home record by any team across all basketball leagues in Japan. They shot 38% from the floor and 33% from the three-point line. Kobe averaged a second-best 87.4 points in the B2 League, while they allowed 73.6 points. They are 7th in the steals per game (6.9) and forcing season-lowest 9.4 turnovers per game. The hosts rank third in the field goals (45.7%) and fourth in the three-point shooting (33.2%). 

Four players reached double figures in the previous game. Ryuya Kaneda led the scoring with 17 points, while Luke Maye went for 16 points and 6 rebounds. Kimura added 14 points and Riichi Nomizo contributed ten. If we look for an offensive threat for the next game, Yoeli Childs is right up there. He has scored 20 or more points in 14 of the last 15 games and averaged 20.9 points in the regular season. We back him to score 20 or more points in the home fixture.

Rizing Zephyr Fukuoka

Fukuoka’s campaign got a tough setback as they dropped another game in the regular season. It wasn’t easy to counter Kobe on their home turf and they suffered a 72-82 loss. It was their sixth loss in seven games. It was also their fifth defeat against the leaders in the current season. Fukuoka are currently placed fifth in the Western Conference with a 21-29 record. They will play against the Kobe Storks for the final time in a two-game set. 

Fukuoka shot 43% from the floor and 48% from the three-point line. The visitors were outscored 36-41 in the rebounding battle. They averaged 76 points in the league and allowed 79.2 points per game against the opposition. They rank second in three-point shooting (34.4%) and third in turnovers (10.9). Fukuoka have gone 12-13 on the road this season. The Rizing Zephyr have to drop a magical performance to take a victory against Kobe. 

Terrance Woodbury again led the scoring with 26 points. It was his back-to-back 20-point outburst. Takanobu Nishikawa went for 11 points, while Pablo Aguilar contributed 10 points. Justin Burrell also dropped nine points and eight rebounds. Woodbury could be an offensive threat against Kobe. The veteran forward averaged 18.8 points in the regular season and went into single digits once in the last 12. We are backing him to score over 15 points in this fixture.

Kobe Storks vs Rizing Zephyr Fukuoka Starting Lineups

Kobe Storks vs Rizing Zephyr Fukuoka Match Prediction & Analysis

Fukuoka will play against the league leaders, Kobe in the second of a two-game set in the Japanese B League Two. Fukuoka head into this contest on the back of a four-game losing streak, while Kobe, currently on a dominant home run in the league, look to get a momentum victory. 

Current Standings: Kobe currently stands in first place in the Western Conference with a 45-5 record, while Fukuoka currently stand in fifth place in the Western Conference with a 21-29 record.

Head-to-Head Record (Last 5 Matches): Kobe won five of the last five head-to-head matches played against Fukuoka, scoring 90 points per game and allowing 83 points per game. The average total match points in the last five matches between Fukuoka and Kobe is 173.

Kobe Storks vs Rizing Zephyr Fukuoka Player Stats

KOBE STORKS vs RIZING ZEPHYR FUKUOKA
Winning Prediction

Kobe enters this contest as the favourites to win this match considering a season-best combination of offense and defense. We are backing the Storks to extend the run and win the contest. We also back both teams to score a total of 170 points on average with Kobe scoring more than 85 points. 

Kobe to win and cover the spread (-12.5).

1xBet

400% up to ₹70,000 on 4 Deposits with Reg Code: TOPBK

BET NOW