Iwate Big Bulls vs Yokohama Excellence, Japan B2 League, Today Match Prediction

Teams Preview

Iwate Big Bulls Preview

Iwate kept making mistakes and they suffered another defeat in the regular season. The Big Bulls were outplayed by Yokohama in the first of a two-game set. With this loss, they extended their losing streak to ten games in the league. The hosts are 2-3 against Yokohama in the ongoing season. They still have a chance to tie the series as they will meet the Excellence again on Sunday. The Big Bulls have lost 17 out of the last 19 games. They now fell to fifth in the Eastern Conference with a 11-39 record. 

Iwate have gone 5-20 at home this season. They were shooting 42% from the floor and 35% from the three-point line against Yokohama. The Big Bulls won the rebounding battle 37-34. Iwate averaged 69.4 points this season and allowed 76.3 points per game against the opposition. The Big Bulls rank fourth in blocks per game (2.9) and fifth in steals per game (6.9). They are placed eighth in free throws (70.2%).

Clay Mounce made a special comeback after injury and dropped 22 points and seven rebounds. Ishikawa went for 18 points, while Noah Gurley dropped 12 points and six rebounds. If we look for the offensive threat on this side, Clay Mounce gets his name first. The forward averaged 20.8 points and 7.2 rebounds in the regular season and went into single digits once in 24 games. We are backing him to score over 20 points in this fixture.

Yokohama Excellence Preview

Yokohama snapped a two-game losing skid after a clinical victory over Iwate. Meanwhile, they will meet them again so they have a chance to win the regular-season series against the Big Bulls. The Excellence would be pumped after dropping the set against Fukui. They have five wins out of the last eight games in the regular season. Yokohama now improved to 31-18. They are still placed at number three of the Eastern Conference. They already confirmed their place in the playoffs this year. 

Yokohama outscored Iwate 28-17 in the third quarter and it proved decisive. The visitors were shooting 51% from the floor and 39% from the three-point line in the last game. Yokohama have gone 15-10 on the road this season. They are currently the best offensive side in the league, scoring 87.5 points. They rank fourth in the offensive rebounds (11.5) and first in the steals per game (9.3). 

Tray Boyd led the offense again with 20 points and 8 rebounds, while Elyjah Williams also went for 20 points, including eight rebounds and six assists. Io Nagano added 16 points and Coulibaly also contributed 14. Boyd should be an offensive threat in this fixture. The forward averaged 28.3 points in the B2 League, including 30 or more points in four of the last five outings. We are backing the American forward to score 20 or more points in the upcoming fixture.

Iwate Big Bulls vs Yokohama Excellence Starting Lineups