Week eight of the Serie A is certainly an interesting one. While there are no true big name matchups, many of the smaller matchups are incredibly even, and they present some great value for bettors.
Today, I’ll be previewing all ten of this week’s games as I try to find the bets with the most upside and money making potential. Let’s head straight on into it!
Atalanta have had a poor start to the campaign, earning six points in their first seven games. The Orobici have struggled to get anything going on the offensive side of things, and Papu Gomez has struggled to find his form.
The Blucerchiati’s season has been a different story. After a stellar start, Sampdoria are eighth in the league, and they’ve shown flashes of brilliance, particularly in a 3-0 win over Napoli. What is most surprising about their season is their defensive prowess; in seven games, they’ve conceded just four goals, less than any team in the Serie A.
Sampdoria are heavy underdogs for this matchup, but there’s no reason they should be. They have the weapons to beat Atalanta, and they’ve performed head and shoulders better than the team from Bergamo. With a Sampdoria win priced at more than five to one, this is my favorite bet of the week.
Napoli are coming off an impressive win against Liverpool this week, and they’ll have plenty of momentum coming into this week’s game against the Neroverdi. Their attack is firing on all cylinders – the deadly trio of Insigne, Callejon, and Mertens continuing to puzzle defenses.
Sassuolo have had a pretty good start to the season themselves, defying all expectations and sitting at fifth in the Serie A. They’ve recorded plenty of impressive wins, and while they lost their last game against the Rossoneri, they’ve proven that they can pull off a couple of upsets.
Napoli are heavy favorites for this matchup, but it might not be so clear-cut. The Partenopei are coming off a tough match in the middle of the week, and they’ll likely be exhausted. Sassuolo should never be written off, and the Neroverdi have a good chance of snatching a point here. At 5 to 1 odds, the risk is definitely worth the upside.
Cagliari are one of the worst teams in the league. While they registered a win against Atalanta, they’ve struggled in the rest of their games, and they sit 17th in the league as a result. After narrowly avoiding relegation last year, Cagliari look to be in trouble yet again.
Bologna are no different. Having been in the same position last year, Bologna are struggling yet again; they’ve only earned 7 points in their first 7 games, but their two wins have been incredibly scrappy, and they’ve only found the back of the net four times this whole year.
These two teams are quite evenly matched; neither has been very impressive thus far this season, and they both risk being relegated come the end of the season. Nevertheless, Cagliari are heavy favorites for this matchup, despite having performed worse than Bologna so far this season. Bologna could earn their third win of the season at Cagliari, and this bet provides great upside.
Lazio will be reeling after a disastrous performance against Eintracht Frankfurt, a crushing 4-1 loss in the Europa League. They’ll be looking to get back on track when they take on the Viola this week, but their domestic form has been mediocre to say the least.
Fiorentina are third in the Serie A, and they’ve started right where they left off last season, putting themselves in a great position to qualify for the Europa League this time around. They don’t have a true star player, but they are playing like a team, and that’s often all you need to have a successful season.
Lazio are favorites for this game, but I think Fiorentina have a great shot at stealing a draw on the road. The Biancocelesti have struggled so far this season, and they’ll be tired after the beatdown they received in Germany. Fiorentina have a chance to cement their status as one of the top teams in Italy, and if they do, the odds look more than promising.
SPAL were just three points away from relegation last year, and after a great start to their domestic campaign, it looked like they could firmly establish themselves as a mid-table team. Their form quickly took a turn for the worse, and after three straight losses, they’re 13th in the Serie A.
After a thrilling summer transfer campaign, Inter were considered by many to be a real scudetto contender. While a poor start derailed those plans, the Nerazzurri have found their form, and they’ve won their past four games, including two crucial Champions League group stage fixtures.
SPAL may be struggling as of late, but their form early in the season proved that they can challenge almost any one when they’re playing well. With great odds and the home field advantage, SPAL could be a dark horse to take down Inter. A couple of missteps from the Nerazzurri and a good day from SPAL could see them steal a point.
If you’re interested in betting on the other matchups, I’ve listed my picks below. These games also offer interesting opportunities, so make sure to do your research, and you could find some great value.
Dybala was certainly Juventus’ best player in their Champions League fixture against Young Boys, and the Argentinian forward earned himself a hat trick, scoring all three of the Bianconeri’s goals. While Dybala hasn’t seen much playing time this season, rotating out with Mandzukic, Dybala is still one of Juventus’ best player, and he can always make an immediate impact.
This week, Juventus take on Udinese, and there should be no shortage of opportunities for Dybala and his attack. A goal from La Joya would more than double your money, and after a great performance in the Champions League, Dybala should be eager to get on the score sheet once again.
Napoli and Sassuolo aren’t especially known for their defense. While they have both had strong starts to the season, they’ve relied heavily on their attacks to bail them out. In their first 14 games, the two teams have conceded a total of 22 goals, sporting the worst defenses amongst the top teams.
For this reason, this affair is shaping out to be a high-scoring one. Both teams have high powered offenses capable of scoring goals, and neither team has the defensive solidity needed to keep a clean sheet. This matchup seems to be poised to see a lot of goals, and it could be a thriller.
There’s a surprising name on the top of the Serie A goalscoring list — Krzysztof Piatek. The Polish forward has been more than impressive so far this season, scoring 8 goals in just 6 matches. In fact, Piatek has scored a goal in all six of his matches, a testament to his great run of form this year.
The bookmakers have certainly taken notice, and a goal from Piatek will now double your money. Nevertheless, scoring runs like these can often last a long time; when a striker is on form, he tends to stay hot for a while. Genoa will take on Parma this week, one of the league’s worst defenses, and Piatek should see plenty of opportunities fall this way.
When in doubt, ride the hot hand, and Piatek is the hottest striker in the Serie A so far.
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