FC Imabari come in with a narrow but useful edge for a home win angle. They have won two of their last four league matches and are unbeaten in their last two, including a 2-1 home victory over Tokushima Vortis on 22 March. Ehime FC, by contrast, have one win in their last six and arrive off a defeat at Kamatamare Sanuki, so their recent results are thinner when the task is to go away and take all three points.
The goal trend is also slightly kinder to Imabari. Their last six have produced three matches with at least three goals, but they have still kept enough control at home to beat both FC Osaka and Tokushima Vortis, while the 1-1 draw at Kataller Toyama showed they can stay in games even when the performance is messy. Ehime have been much more restrained, with four of their last five league matches going under 2.5 goals, which does not scream attacking punch on the road.
There is a small tension here because Imabari have gone five league matches without a clean sheet, so a straight home shutout would be a stretch. Even so, the visitors have scored only twice across their last four league games and failed to find the net in two of their last three, which leaves them looking short of the sharpness needed to punish that defensive flaw. A narrow home result feels more realistic than a comfortable one.
The head-to-head record leans the same way for Imabari. They have already beaten Ehime 1-0 and 3-2 in the last two league meetings, and those results fit the idea that Imabari can edge this derby at home without needing to dominate from start to finish. Their own recent home wins also matter more than Ehime’s mixed away results when the market is a straight home victory.
My prediction is Home Win at 21/20. FC Imabari have two home wins in their last three league matches, Ehime have managed only one win in six, and the visitors have failed to score in two of their last three. Imabari’s recent head-to-head edge also helps, with two wins from the last two league meetings. The one concern is Imabari’s run without a clean sheet, so a tight scoreline looks more likely than a routine one.
