Iwate Big Bulls vs Shinshu Brave Warriors, Japan B2 League, Today Match Prediction

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Iwate Big Bulls Preview

Iwate head in to the contest with a narrow 81-82 loss to Kagoshima Rebnise. It was their ninth loss in the last 11 games. The Big Bulls had a clear chance to win this match but they were outscored 13-25 in the final quarter. Kodama’s three-pointer with 21 seconds left assured a victory for Kagoshima. They fell to fifth in the Eastern Conference with a 11-31 record. The top four teams will qualify for the playoffs and they are almost out of the race.

Iwate have gone 5-14 at home this season and another home assignment is on the line. The Big Bulls shot 48% from the floor and 52% from the three-point line. They lost the rebounding battle 27-40. Iwate averaged 70.4 points this season and allowed 74.9 points against the opposition. They rank fourth in blocks per game (2.9) and sixth in steals per game (7.0). 

Noah Gurley led the scoring with 19 points in the last game. Harumichi Ishikawa went for 16 points, while Clay Mounce chipped in with 14 points and eight rebounds. Sogo Yamagiwa dropped 11 points. Clay Mounce should be an offensive threat against the leaders. The forward averaged 21.3 points in the ongoing season and went into single digits in each of the last 20 games. We are backing him to score over 20 points in this fixture.

Shinshu Brave Warriors Preview

Shinshu enter the matchup with a comeback win over Fakuoka. For the second straight game, we witnessed an overtime and this time, Shinshu crossed the line. With a 91-85 victory, the Brave Warriors ended a two-game losing skid. They are still sitting at the top of the Eastern Conference with an impressive 32-10 record. Shinshu will now make a trip to face Iwate in a two-game set. They have a 5-5 record against them in the last ten games. 

Mike Daum dropped a two-pointer with four seconds left to force the overtime. Shinshu scored nine straight points to take the overtime. Shinshu have gone 15-6 on the road this season. The conference leaders were shooting 41% from the floor and 27% from the three-point line this season. They are currently the best defensive side in the league, allowing 71.7 points. They rank third in the rebounds (42.6) and blocks per game (3.2). They averaged 11.8 in three-pointers made which is highest among all teams in B2 League. 

Mike Daum again led the offense with 27 points on 11-for-19 shooting. Aki Chambers and Wayne Marshall chipped in with 14 points each. Daiki Tsuchiya dropped 12 points and JJ O’Brien had ten off the bench. Mike Daum could be an offensive threat against Iwate. He scored third consecutive 20-point outburst and averaged 17.8 points in the league. We are backing Daum to score a double-double in the upcoming fixture and lead the offense. 

Iwate Big Bulls vs Shinshu Brave Warriors Starting Lineups