Buck the Betting Trend When Lazio Meet Napoli

Each of last season’s Italian Serie A matches between Lazio and Napoli resulted in a 4-1 win for the Partenopei but one thinks that the changes at both clubs – some temporary and some permanent – means there is value in betting on under two and a half goals in Saturday’s game between the teams.

Punters who backed under two and a half goals in last term’s Italian Serie A matches between Lazio and Napoli had done their dough before the hour mark of those games but, with the White and Sky Blues having selection headaches and the Partenopei lining up for their first competitive game under Carlo Ancelotti, goals may be in much shorter supply in Round One of the championship. Matches are in short supply because Italian Serie A officials have postponed the games featuring Genoa and its city rival, Sampdoria, after the bridge collapse that has killed dozens of local people.

Back to Lazio versus Napoli: the White and Sky Blues have three players suspended as a consequence of their naughty behaviours at the end of last season so they may not be cohesive as they would like as they kick off their Italian Serie A campaign, while the Partenopei will be taking their first steps on their post-Maurizio Sarri adventure and the odds are Ancelotti will adopt a much more cautious style than the coach who now also has Chelsea on his resume.

Lazio against Napoli is the marquee fixture of the first Italian Serie A round so, in another positive for punters who wager on two and a half goals, it makes sense that both sides afford respect to their opponent with a draw not being a disaster, particularly since the White and Sky Blues and the Partenopei face Juventus and Milan respectively next. Take the under 2.5 goals value at odds of 2.10Bet €100 to win €21011/10Bet £100 to win £210+110Bet $100 to win $2101.10Bet HK$100 to win HK$2101.10Bet Rp100 to win Rp210-0.9091Bet RM100 to win RM210  with Betway.

Internazionale’s friendly results have improved approaching the Italian Serie A’s big kick-off, with the Black and Blues posting back-to-back 1-0 victories over Lyon and Atletico Madrid. Internazionale kicks off its Italian Serie A program at Sassuolo, a team against which the Black and Blues have struggled in recent years – the Black and Greens have won each of the last three meetings by one-goal margins. One does not like to bet against head-to-head patterns like that one but surely Sassuolo’s luck, especially in this Italian Serie A fixture, is going to run out sooner rather than later. Sassuolo managed to finish 11th on the Italian Serie A ladder last term despite netting a division-low 29 goals, including a pathetic 11 on its home pitch. Sassuolo has a new manager, Roberto De Zerbi, who was the boss of last season’s Italian Serie A wooden spoon recipient, Benevento. It is time for Internazionale to lay down a marker and show that it is ready to challenge for the Italian Serie title with a win at 1.65Bet €100 to win €16513/20Bet £100 to win £165-154Bet $100 to win $1650.65Bet HK$100 to win HK$165-1.54Bet Rp100 to win Rp1650.6500Bet RM100 to win RM165  with BetVictor.

Naturally, the Italian Serie A debut of Cristiano Ronaldo will attract global attention so let’s have a look at how you can bet on CR7’s performance for Juventus versus Chievo on Saturday. Ronaldo has a habit of making strong debuts for clubs – he scored two goals for Sporting in his first match on Portuguese Primeira Liga duty, he had George Best in raptures when he played for the final 30 minutes of Manchester United’s English Premier League game against Bolton and he netted a penalty kick in his Spanish Primera Division bow for Real Madrid. Ronaldo will not be fazed by the occasion, unlike Lionel Messi he goes to another level on the big stage with great regularity and Juventus has won each of its last five clashes with Chievo, including three in a row to nil. Ronaldo is a shade of odds-on at 1.85Bet €100 to win €18517/20Bet £100 to win £185-118Bet $100 to win $1850.85Bet HK$100 to win HK$185-1.18Bet Rp100 to win Rp1850.8500Bet RM100 to win RM185  with Betway to score on his Italian Serie A debut and that seems fair enough.

Tips Summary

Lazio v Napoli – Under 2.5 goals
Saturday 18th August, 19:30 BST
Odds: 2.10Bet €100 to win €21011/10Bet £100 to win £210+110Bet $100 to win $2101.10Bet HK$100 to win HK$2101.10Bet Rp100 to win Rp210-0.9091Bet RM100 to win RM210

Inter Milan to beat Sassuolo
Sunday 19th August, 19:30 BST
Odds: 1.65Bet €100 to win €16513/20Bet £100 to win £165-154Bet $100 to win $1650.65Bet HK$100 to win HK$165-1.54Bet Rp100 to win Rp1650.6500Bet RM100 to win RM165

Cristiano Ronaldo to score at anytime v Chievo
Saturday 18th August, 17:00 BST
Odds: 1.85Bet €100 to win €18517/20Bet £100 to win £185-118Bet $100 to win $1850.85Bet HK$100 to win HK$185-1.18Bet Rp100 to win Rp1850.8500Bet RM100 to win RM185