Machida Zelvia v Nagoya Grampus Eight

Machida Zelvia vs Nagoya Grampus Preview

Machida Zelvia not only maintained their place at the top of the J-League table with a resounding 3-1 win away from home at Gamba Osaka last weekend but their fairytale start to their first ever season in the Japanese top flight also continued as the hosts hold a useful five-point cushion over second placed Kashima Antlers, while Nagoya Grampus were handed another defeat in the shape of a 2-1 loss away from home at Cerezo Osaka last time out.

That win in Osaka last Sunday extended Machida Zelvia's unbeaten run to four games which includes a previous 3-1 win on the road at Yokohama F. Marinos along with points gained in draws with Avispa Fukuoka and Vissel Kobe, while the bigger picture shows Go Kuroda's side have suffered just the one defeat in their last 11 matches overall.

That rare loss came by way of a 3-1 loss at home to Albirex Niigata but nevertheless, Kuroda's side have also collected seven wins within this period as well, thus giving the hosts a decent chance of producing another positive result here this Saturday.

Interestingly, Machida Zelvia have performed better away from home so far in this campaign though, while goals for both sides look promising in this upcoming fixture as six of Machida Zelvia's 10 home games to date have resulted in both teams scoring.

Nagoya Grampus slipped to another loss in the domestic top flight last weekend when they were handed a 2-1 loss at Cerezo Osaka which also became the visitors' third league defeat on the trot.

Previous losses at the hands of Tokyo Verdy and Urawa Reds have done little to lift Nagoya Grampus up the J-League standings and indeed, Kenta Hasegawa's side now occupy a disappointing 11th place in the table as a result of their three recent losses.

The visitors now make their way to the Machida Gion Stadium on the back of a six-match winless run in the J-League which also includes a previous 2-1 defeat on the road at Kawasaki Frontale along with draws against Kyoto Sanga and Shonan Bellmare, both of which were achieved on home soil at their Toyota Stadium.

Just two points picked up from a possible 18 on offer in recent weeks suggest it would be prudent to stay away from the straight win markets where Nagoya Grampus are concerned but the goals market looks promising as six of Nagoya Grampus' last 10 matches overall have also seen both teams score.

Machida Zelvia v Nagoya Grampus Verdict

There have been only three previous league meetings between Machida Zelvia and Nagoya Grampus but two of these three encounters have resulted in goals for both teams and this trend looks set to continue here on Saturday.

Therefore, our main bet will be BTTS Yes @ 1.95

Other side bets worth considering:

Draw @ 3.30

Correct Score: 1-1 @ 6.50