Albirex Niigata

vs

Shonan Bellmare

Predictions & Betting Tips

Inconsistent Niigata need to improve

Albirex Niigata’s form has been patchy with one win, two draws and two losses in their last five matches. They shared the points with Urawa in their last three games, but fell to defeats against FC Tokyo and Fagiano Okayama prior to that. They sit in 19th place in J League 2025 with 13 points after 16 games. Daisuke Kimori took charge in February 2025 and has instilled a measured, technical football philosophy on his team, but the results have not yet matched the style of play. Our Albirex Niigata vs Shonan Bellmare prediction has to take into account that Albirex Niigata play with the ball a lot, usually in either a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 formation, and can score goals – 11 in eight at home this season – but tend to have more success when Motoki Hasegawa is able to get on the end of things and score.

Shonan have the edge on paper

Shonan are a much more up-tempo team with Satoshi Yamaguchi’s aggressive pressing style of soccer having taken over the club since he was appointed in 2021. Bellmare are not as technically gifted as Niigata and rely on their forwards, wing-backs and midfielders to press and recover the ball quickly. Akito Suzuki leads the team with three goals in 17 appearances and is the most reliable of Shonan’s forwards, but they have a few athletic, hard-working players that can play their way into games. This Albirex Niigata vs Shonan Bellmare preview should note that Shonan have won one, drawn one and lost three of their last five matches, with an impressive 2-0 away win at Tokyo Verdy sandwiched by home defeats to Sanfrecce Hiroshima and Yokohama FC.

History suggests a close game

Albirex Niigata have the slight edge in the win odds at +165 with Shonan Bellmare at +200 and the draw at +220. However, Shonan Bellmare hasn't won in their previous two trips to Niigata, so there could be a mental block to overcome on Sunday. Given the two teams’ inconsistent form and the head-to-head record that reads one win each and two draws from the last four meetings in all competitions, this should be close. Our Albirex Niigata vs Shonan Bellmare prediction is that a draw or home win seems more likely than an away win. Shonan Bellmare score an average of just 0.67 goals per game and concede 1.44 in J League away games, which means this could be a low-scoring game. The Albirex Niigata vs Shonan Bellmare betting tips point out that the under 2.5 goals market could offer some value, given neither team is potent in attack and Shonan Bellmare’s defence is usually tough to crack away from home.