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- What: Motul Grand Prix of Japan
- Date: Sunday, October 6, 2024
- Location: Mobility Resort Motegi
- Where: Motegi, Japan
- Time: 10:30 a.m. ET
- How to Watch: TruTV, MAX, Rev TV
The 2024 MotoGP season has five races remaining on the schedule, and while two-time defending champion Francesco Bagnaia remains in the hunt for a third straight world championship, he trails last year’s runner-up, Jorge Martin, at the top of the 2024 MotoGP standings. Bagnaia looks to make up some ground this weekend when the racers head to the Mobility Resort Motegi for the Japanese GP, a race Martin won in 2023, finishing one spot ahead of Bagnaia.
Last weekend, Martin ended a run of nine straight starts without a victory when he placed first at the Indonesian GP. Martin also started on the pole for the race. Pedro Acosta finished as the runner-up, while Bagnaia placed third. The race also saw Marc Marquez end his run of 11-straight finishes. Marquez dropped out on the 11th lap after his bike caught fire.
The Mobility Resort Motegi circuit is 4.8 kilometers in length. The course has eight right corners and six lefts. Martin has the all-time lap record on the course at 1:43:198, which is also the best pole time. He set that mark in 2023. Jack Miller has the best race lap time on the track, hitting 1:45:198 in 2022. The top speed on the Mobility Resort Motegi was Enea Bastianini in 2022, when he hit 317.6 km/hr.
Before we look at the betting breakdown and picks for the 2024 Motul Grand Prix of Japan, check out the best sites for MotoGP betting and our betting picks for the 2024 MotoGP Championship.
2024 Japanese Grand Prix betting picks
| To Win 2024 MotoGP Japanese GP |  |  |  |
| Jorge Martin | +150 | +150 | +150 |
| Francesco Bagnaia | +200 | +200 | +200 |
| Marc Marquez | +350 | +300 | +300 |
| Enea Bastianini | +650 | +700 | +700 |
| Pedro Acosta | +1200 | +1200 | +1200 |
| Brad Binder | +2200 | +2200 | +2200 |
| Franco Morbidelli | +2500 | +2500 | +2500 |
| Marco Bezzecchi | +2800 | +2800 | +2800 |
| Maverick Vinales | +2800 | +2800 | +2800 |
| Aleix Espargaro | +4000 | +4000 | +4000 |
| Alex Marquez | +6000 | +6000 | +6000 |
| Jack Miller | +6000 | +6000 | +6000 |
| Fabio Di Giannantonio | +6600 | +6600 | +6600 |
| Johann Zarco | +20000 | +20000 | +20000 |
| Raul Fernandez | +20000 | +20000 | +20000 |
| Alex Rins | +25000 | +25000 | +25000 |
| Takaaki Nakagami | +25000 | +25000 | +25000 |
| Augusto Fernandez | +40000 | +40000 | +40000 |
| Joan Mir | +40000 | +40000 | +40000 |
| Luca Marini | +40000 | +40000 | +40000 |
| Lorenzo Savadori | +50000 | +50000 | +50000 |
| Michele Pirro | +50000 | +50000 | +50000 |
| Pol Espargaro | +50000 | +50000 | +50000 |
| Remy Gardner | +50000 | +50000 | +50000 |
| Stefan Bradl | +50000 | +50000 | +50000 |
Jorge Martin
Jorge Martin returned to the top of the points lead for the 2024 MotoGP season when he placed second in Aragon, and Francesco Bagnaia did not finish. However, Bagnaia picked up some ground on Martin at the San Marino and Rimini Riviera race, where Martin placed 15th, and Bagnaia finished in second. Martin added some additional distance between himself and Bagnaia when he placed second at the Emilia Romagna GP. He held onto that wiggle room last weekend with his win in Indonesia. Martin finished second to Bagnaia in the points race last year. While Martin has only three victories this year, the 26-year-old has also placed second in six races and finished third in two others.
Known for his aggressive approach on every course, has failed to finish twice this year.
Martin has started the Japanese GP twice, placing third in 2022 and winning in 2023.
Martin’s nine starts without a victory was his longest winless streak since he went without a win during the 2022 MotoGP season. He ended that run in Indonesia.
Francesco Bagnaia
Francesco Bagnaia is on one of his worst runs over the past three years. In his last four starts, the defending MotoGP champ has a runner-up finish, a third place and two races where he failed to finish. The last time Bagnaia went five races without a victory came at the opening of the 2022 season, where he went winless in five races before placing first in Spain, and then going on to win his first MotoGP world championship.
With his winless streak getting longer, Bagnaia trails Martin in the points race by 21 points. He needs to return to his winning ways if he wants to win a third straight world championship.
Bagnaia has started three MotoGP races in Japan. His best finish was last year when he placed second. He also has a 13th-place finish. He did not complete the race in 2022.
Despite being in second place in points, Bagnaia has the most wins during the 2024 MotoGP season with seven. He has one runner-up finish and has placed third three times. There have been three races Bagnaia did not finish this year.
Marc Marquez
Marc Marquez proved his win at the Aragon GP was not a fluke by coming back the following weekend and winning the San Marino and Rimini Riviera. The veteran rider could not make it three in a row with a win at the Emilia Romagna GP, but he did finish in a respectable third place in the most recent competition of 2024. However, he failed to finish in Indonesia.
Marquez has looked excellent this year. His two wins have been the highlight of the season, but the veteran has three runner-up finishes, two third-place finish and four fourths. He has started every race to date and only has two races where he did not finish. Last year, injuries prevented Marquez from making five starts. Any questions about his health and fitness in 2024 are well in the past.
Marquez is in fourth place in the points race with 288 points, three points behind Enea Bastianini.
Marquez has three wins in the Japanese GP. The last time he was victorious came in 2019, which was also the last year he won the world championship. Marquez placed third in Japan in 2023.
Best bet to win the 2024 Japanese Grand Prix
While Martin is coming off a win on this course in 2023, he only beat Bagnaia by 1.43 seconds. With Bagnaia going winless in his past four starts, he’s due to break through for another win sooner rather than later.
The betting pick is Francesco Bagnaia to win the 2024 Japanese Grand Prix.
See below the top offshore sportsbooks where you can wager online and choose the best one for you:
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