The most exciting league on the planet continues. Once again it’s time to WHIP IT AROUND!!!!!!
Matchups
v
BOLOGNA V LAZIO Two teams with somewhat rocky starts in the league that have started to figure things out. Bologna had a brutal early schedule but are now unbeaten since a round one loss to Milan. They have balanced scoring and a stout defense. Lazio have also been on a roll of late. They have won 4 of 5 in the league and the defense has come around. They have only conceded 2 in their last 5 league games after allowing 10 in their first 5. It’s also a bright spot that Immobile got on the board last week. He has mostly floundered this year but if he’s in the mood they are doubly dangerous. This smells of a Friday afternoon 0-0 but a win for either keeps them right in the thick of things. I’ll say it’s a score DRAW
v
SALERNITANA V NAPOLI Salernitana are sloooooowly turning that barge around. A draw to Cagliari and close loss to Genoa aren’t great results but they were an improvement. The midweek basting of Samp in the Coppa continues that. Very important to see Simy and Cabral on the score sheet in that one. They do welcome the one minute world class and the next minute dumpster fire that is Napoli. The fun thing with them is they don’t go back and forth game to game they do it half to half. They have the parts to sort this out if Garcia is willing to take the plunge. Will he play Kvara, Raspa and Simeone all together? If he does watch out. If he keeps fooling around tune in. Either way I still think Kvara scores and NAPOLI WINS
v
ATALANTA V INTER Inter are back in first and looking great. Usually the moment that they take a dive. Watch to see if Inzaghi starts the starters or starts with a rotated group. If it’s a rotated group with for a late explosion like the Salernitana game. For example, if Lautaro comes on in the 58th minute, BET HIM TO SCORE. Atalanta have been good at home for once flying in the face of 5 years of tradition. They have yet to lose at home and are also yet to concede a goal. Road games have been the score fests. Look for a cagey first half (0-0) with it all to play for with say 20 minutes to go. Inter brings on the studs late and take a 1-0 victory back with them INTER WINS
v
MILAN V UDINESE I don’t care WHO plays… MILAN WINS
v
HELLAS V MONZA Monza continue to Monza but they do Monza a little better at home than on the road. Colpani just keeps scoring (5 goals in 10 games now) and shows no signs of slowing down. The defense is solid and Palladino has them humming. Hellas now have 2 points from 8 after winning their first 2 games of the year. They have tumbled all the way to 16th and now sit just 4 points from bottom. THEY ARE WHO WE THOUGHT THEY WERE. Even a draw here at home would feel like a win. Betting houses have Monza a slight favorite. I’d day take Hellas for the double chance but I’ll call this a DRAW.
v
CAGLIARI V GENOA Promotion battle! This should be a lot of fun. Cagliari pulled off a miracle last week to secure their first win AND escape the cellar. they also won midweek in the Coppa. Could they be this year’s Coppa cinderella? Genoa are the better side here. They score better. They defend better. They also won midweek in the Coppa. The safe bet here is probably the over. There will be goals here. In a fun/bad game I’ll take a 4-2 scoreline as GENOA WINS
v
ROMA V LECCE Keep it simple. Roma are only worth a look at home. Lecce are not good on the road. Lukaku scores. ROMA WINS
v
FIORENTINA V JUVENTUS Hmmmm. Tough one here. Fiorentina started off well, which they needed, but have come back to earth as their European commitments have ramped up. They are scoring but really don’t have THAT go to guy. They score by committee. That can make games like this tough. Can you depend on Jack or Gonzalez to definitely step up? Despite being 2nd in the league table and also 2nd in goal difference Juve fans would have you believe Max sucks and the team stinks. Well guess what? They don’t. They also have conceded just 6 goals this year…also 2nd in the league this year. Juve are slight favorites here which to the untrained eye seems crazy. Probably a stay away as there isn’t much to bet here. Consider the under as Juve stays in the top 4 with a DRAW.
v
FROSINONE V EMPOLI One of these teams is headed up while the other almost leapt into the abyss last weekend. Frosinone impossibly blew a 3-0 lead with 20 minutes to go against Cagliari of all teams. Fans must have been ready to burn EDF at the stake. They did rebound with a midweek Coppa win. That is huge. They are still scoring which also helps. That defense though. Ugh. Empoli are trending up but have still been outscored 19-3 this year. This will have both teams staring in the mirror deciding who they are. Empoli just can’t score and if there’s no Baldanzi they are in trouble. I’ll take the home side as FROSINONE WINS
v
TORINO V SASSUOLO Just when you thought Torino might fall off said cliff they got a HUGE win at Lecce last week. A loss there and they were headed into the bottom 5 with little hope. Never underestimate Juric though. I’m not sure anyone in Serie A does more with less. They lost Schuurs for the year and he brings in Buongiorno at CB. All he did was help keep a clean sheet AND score the winning goal. A win away to a Lecce team that is very good at home. They host Sassuolo who makes no sense. After scoring 6 goals in beating Juve and Inter consecutively they have scored just 2 goals in their last 5. Your guess is good as mine with these guys. DO NOT BET THIS GAME… but since I am contractually obliged to pick an outcome for every game I’ll say Sanabria gets on the board as TORINO WINS
Final Thoughts
Headliner is Atalanta-Inter but lots of other tasty ties this week. Lots of opportunities for teams to get 3 points and prove they belong.
Enjoy the Calcio!
PS: If you enjoy making a few bets the KICKS and PICKS PODCAST is a must listen. They touch on a lot of Serie A action but also have their eyes on other leagues across Europe. Fun show with excellent insight. Great for anyone new to the betting scene.