The new Serie A season gets underway across Saturday the 22nd and Sunday the 23rd of August with several intriguing opening weekend fixtures. We take a closer look at three encounters from a betting perspective below.
After winning the Serie A title last season, Inter begin the new campaign as favourites to retain the crown at 2.00, while Napoli are priced at 5.50 with Juventus trailing them priced at 6.00. AC Milan are slightly further back at 6.50 with AS Roma at 10.00 as well as Como next at 34.00 and the balance 41.00 and better.
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SATURDAY:
INTER vs MONZA
Inter enjoyed an outstanding 2025/26 campaign, taking 1st in Serie A with 87 points after recording 27 wins from 38 matches. They were the league’s highest scorers with 89 goals making them the team to beat heading into the new season.
Their pre-season form has been excellent, winning four of their five friendlies against Karlsruher, Manchester City, Juventus and Real Betis while also drawing 1-1 with AC Milan.
Monza return to Serie A after finishing 3rd in Serie B with 76 points before successfully navigating the promotion playoffs.
They have also enjoyed a productive build-up, winning four of their last six matches across all tournaments. Their recent victories include a 3-0 Coppa Italia success over Avellino, a 4-2 victory over AC Milan U23 and wins against Galatasaray and Pro Vercelli. However, in this run they also drew 3-3 with Padova and suffered a 3-1 defeat to Aris.
Head-to-Head
Inter have won four of the last six meetings between the sides, with one draws and one Monza victory. The most recent clash was a 3-2 Inter victory in a friendly last August, while Inter also won 3-2 in the league in March 2025.
Betting – click here to bet
Inter 1.23
Draw 6.75
Monza 14.00
Verdict
Inter are understandably overwhelming favourites after winning the title last season and arriving in excellent form. Monza have shown enough to suggest they can remain competitive but the gulf in quality should be decisive on Saturday and I believe that Inter will make a comfortable winning start in a high scoring game.
BET: Result and Totals – Inter and Over 3.5 Goals at 2.75
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SATURDAY:
GENOA vs NAPOLI
Genoa ended 16th in Serie A last season with 41 points, avoiding relegation but struggling for consistency throughout the campaign. The side capped off their season being unable to secure a triumph in their last 5 games having lost 3 and drawn 2.
Their recent action has been inconsistent although they opened their competitive campaign with an impressive 4-1 Coppa Italia victory over Ascoli. They also beat Leicester and Trento in friendlies but suffered heavy defeats to Bournemouth and Deportivo La Coruna in the last month.
Napoli finished 2nd last season with 76 points, just 11 points behind champions Inter. They enjoyed another strong campaign and ended their league season on a high after winning their last two fixtures while keeping clean sheets.
Their off-season has been positive overall, beating Carrarese and Osasuna while drawing with Celta Vigo. Their only recent defeat came against Arezzo roughly a month ago, although they responded emphatically by beating Aris 6-2 in their latest outing.
Head-to-Head
Napoli have dominated this fixture recently, winning three of the last six meetings while the other three have finished level. They won both encounters last season, including a 3-2 victory away from home in February and a 2-1 success in Naples earlier in the campaign.
Betting – click here to bet
Genoa 4.75
Draw 3.40
Napoli 1.91
Verdict
Genoa’s home advantage could make this competitive, but Napoli have had the better of this fixture consistently and proved last season that they are podium worthy. Their stronger squad and impressive attacking form in pre-season make them the more appealing option although I see this being a competitive clash.
BET: Napoli to Win at 1.91
SUNDAY:
TORINO vs AC MILAN
Torino ended the 2025/26 campaign in 12th with 45 points, concluding the season with a respectable 2-2 draw against Juventus. They endured an inconsistent season but avoided any serious relegation concerns.
Their pre-season has been encouraging, winning four of their last five matches across all tournaments. They beat Alcione Milano, Vado, Burnley and Avellino pulling off a 1-0 Coppa Italia victory over Carrarese.
AC Milan finished 5th last season with 70 points, narrowly missing out on Champions League qualification. They ended their run in disappointing fashion having lost 1, drawn 1 and won 1 of their last five meetings.
Their recent form has been poor but encouraging from an attacking perspective and taking into account the levels of sides they have gone up against. They drew with Inter and Celtic before suffering a 3-0 defeat to Chelsea, while their latest outing produced an impressive 4-2 victory over Manchester United.
Head-to-Head
AC Milan have won three of the last six meetings, compared with two Torino victories and one draw. Milan won both league meetings last season, including a 3-2 victory away from home and another 3-2 success on home soil.
Betting – click here to bet
Torino 4.50
Draw 3.75
AC Milan 1.83
Verdict
Torino have looked sharp during their most recent action and will provide a stern test on home soil, but Milan have the greater dominance and have controlled this fixture recently. Their latest 4-2 victory over Manchester United also provides plenty of encouragement ahead of the opener and I see them clinching a narrow victory this weekend.
BET: Result and Totals – AC Milan and Over 1.5 Goals at 2.15
Note: All prices are correct at the time of writing but are subject to change.
