Serie A serves up another compelling weekend as the action begins in Bergamo, where Atalanta look to shake off last week’s setback when they welcome a battling Cagliari side to the New Balance Arena. Sunday then takes us to Udine, where Udinese attempt to halt their slide against a Napoli team balancing Champions League commitments with a growing title push. The round concludes under the lights in Bologna, where Vincenzo Italiano’s improving side face Juventus in a finely poised clash that could have real implications for the European race. Here are my thoughts on each match, along with a suggested bet for every fixture.
Ahead of the weekend slate, Inter Milan remain firm favourites at 91/100, with AC Milan and Napoli leading the chase at 11/4. Roma follow at 18/1, while Juventus sit just behind the main contenders at 33/1. Beyond that, the field stretches out to 80/1 and bigger.
Click here for all the long-term Serie A outright markets
Last Leg Bad Luck!
Scratched/Voided markets do not count towards Leg count.
Pre-match bets only.
Free Bets do not count towards this offer.
Refund must be claimed within 24 hours of the game finishing.
Free Bet vouchers received must be used within 7 days.
Max refund per account per day in Free Bets:
Free Bets terms and conditions apply.
Simply email promotions@wsb.co.za with Subject ‘Last Leg Promo or, present your ticket to your branch manager within 24 hours of the game finishing.
SATURDAY
ATALANTA v CAGLIARI – Click here to bet
We open this weekend’s Serie A action in Bergamo, where Atalanta welcome Cagliari to the New Balance Arena. Atalanta sit 12th with 16 points from 14 matches and come into Saturday’s clash buoyed by a superb 2-1 victory over Chelsea in the Champions League on Tuesday. That result was the perfect response to their disappointing 3-1 defeat away to Verona last weekend, a loss that snapped a three-match winning streak across all competitions. Raffaele Palladino’s ’s side had scored 12 goals during that run, and with their European momentum restored, the focus now shifts to getting their domestic campaign back on track.
At home, Atalanta have suffered just one league defeat, collecting two wins and four draws. Their most recent Serie A outing in Bergamo produced a polished 2-0 victory over Fiorentina, which followed a rare off-night at home in early November when they were beaten 3-0 by Sassuolo.
Cagliari arrive in 13th place with 14 points from 14 matches. The Rossoblù finally returned to winning ways last weekend with a narrow 1–0 victory over Roma, their first win in any competition since September. That result also ended a run of ten winless games in Serie A, during which they collected just seven points from a possible 30, underlining the scale of the challenge they’ve faced.
Away from home, Fabio Pisacane’s men have taken only six points from seven trips, winning once, drawing three and losing three. They are winless in their last six away matches in all competitions, with their latest road outings bringing a penalty-shootout defeat at Napoli in the Coppa Italia and a 2-1 league loss at Juventus.
Head-to-Head
Last season, Atalanta took four points from a possible six against Cagliari, winning 1-0 in the reverse fixture before the sides played out a goalless draw in Bergamo.
Betting
Atalanta 9/25
Draw 17/4
Cagliari 15/2
Verdict
Atalanta should be well placed to get back on track here. Last weekend’s defeat came in the shadow of Champions League commitments, while Cagliari’s struggles run far deeper despite their morale-boosting win over Roma. I’m not convinced they can repeat last season’s stubborn showing in Bergamo. With Atalanta’s attacking rhythm returning in recent weeks, the hosts look the likelier winners in what should be a more open contest than recent meetings.
Suggested Bet: Atalanta to win & Over 2.5 goals at 21/20
SUNDAY
UDINESE v NAPOLI – Click here to bet
Udinese enter Week 15 sitting mid-table in 11th place on 18 points, having recorded five wins, three draws and six defeats so far. Last weekend’s 2–1 home loss to Genoa made it back-to-back defeats following their Coppa Italia exit away to Juventus. The Little Zebras have struggled for consistency all season, managing consecutive league wins only once, all the way back in the opening two rounds. Recent form paints a bleaker picture, with just one win and three defeats from their last four Serie A outings.
Back at the Bluenergy Stadium on Sunday, Kosta Runjaic will hope his side can steady themselves after successive home defeats, a 3–0 reverse to Bologna followed by last weekend’s setback against Genoa. Their home record reads two wins, two draws and three defeats, scoring seven and conceding 12.
Napoli make the trip after midweek Champions League duties, with their clash away to Benfica still to come at the time of writing. Domestically, Antonio Conte’s side arrive buoyed by a crucial 2–1 victory over Juventus, a result that keeps them 2nd in the standings on 31 points, level with leaders AC Milan but trailing on goal difference.
Away from home, the Azzurri have collected 12 points from a possible 21, with four wins and three defeats. Their most recent league outing on the road brought a 1–0 victory over Roma, giving them six points from their last three away matches. Conte’s team have been more measured on their travels, scoring eight and conceding six, with each of their last four away league fixtures featuring two goals or fewer.
Head-to-Head
Napoli are unbeaten in their last eighteen league meetings with Udinese, a remarkable run comprising fourteen wins and four draws. Last season, Napoli won this fixture 3–1 before the sides played out a 1–1 draw in Naples.
Betting
Udinese 13/4
Draw 12/5
Napoli 91/100
Verdict
I like the look of Napoli to heap more pressure on Udinese this weekend. With the hosts on a run of back-to-back home defeats and still struggling for rhythm, Conte’s side should have enough to repeat last season’s success in Udine as the defending champions continue their chase of AC Milan at the top.
Suggested Bet: Napoli to win at 91/100
BOLOGNA v JUVENTUS – Click here to bet
Sunday evening rounds off the weekend’s Serie A action with an intriguing clash as Bologna host Juventus at the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara. With ambitions of pushing for Europe again this season, Bologna sit 5th on 25 points after 14 matches. Vincenzo Italiano’s side have lost just once in their last ten league outings — a run featuring five wins, four draws and only one defeat, yielding an impressive 19 points from a possible 30. They arrive here following a 1–1 draw away to Lazio, and with a midweek trip to Spain to face Celta Vigo in the Europa League still to come at the time of writing, they’ll have just three days to regroup before Sunday’s test against Juventus.
Back on home soil, Bologna will look to extend their strong domestic form. They’ve collected 13 points from 18 available at the Dall’Ara, with four wins, one draw and just one defeat. Their home foundations have been built on balance and control, scoring 10 and conceding only four across those six fixtures.
Juventus, meanwhile, make the trip having suffered their first league defeat under Luciano Spalletti, who replaced Igor Tudor earlier this season. That 2–1 loss away to Napoli leaves the Bianconeri 7th on 23 points after 14 matches. Like Bologna, they also have European duties to navigate first, hosting Pafos in the Champions League before turning their focus back to domestic matters this weekend. Despite last weekend’s setback, Spalletti has collected eight points from his first five Serie A games in charge (two wins, two draws), offering some stability after a dismal eight-match winless run in all competitions earlier in the campaign.
However, Juventus remain inconsistent on their travels. With just eight points from a possible 21 away from home (two wins, two draws, three defeats), they have scored six and conceded eight on the road. Since keeping a clean sheet on the opening day of the season, they have conceded in each of their last six away league outings.
Head-to-Head
Bologna have never beaten Juventus in Serie A, but recent meetings have been far more competitive. Last season produced back-to-back draws, extending the sequence to five straight draws between the sides with both teams scoring in all five.
Betting
Bologna 9/5
Draw 9/4
Juventus 8/5
Verdict
With just two points separating the sides, this has all the makings of another tight contest. Bologna’s improvement under Italiano has been clear, but Juventus tend to respond well after setbacks, and their recent head-to-head pattern with the hosts is hard to ignore. For that reason, I’m ending this weekend’s play with a score draw, which once again looks the value angle here.
Suggested Bet: Result and Both teams to score – Draw & Yes at 15/4
Click here for all this weekend’s Italian Football action
Note: All prices correct at the time of writing but are subject to change
