As Serie A swings back into action following a three-month lay-off due to the coronavirus pandemic, it brings with it plenty of old and new interested observers.
The lack of any real football in so many other leagues has shifted the spotlight onto Italian football yet again and it is ready to show why it remains such an exciting and popular league.
Flying the flag at the forefront are Juventus, the Old Lady who have one of the greatest players of all time in their ranks and who are chasing an incredible ninth straight Scudetto.
They have been dominant for the last decade and despite brief challenges here and there, nobody has been able to topple them from their perch as yet, although things are looking a little more precarious of late.
One of the sides who are impressing, even if a title challenge remains a little way off for now, is the free-flowing, always entertaining Atalanta outfit who are spearheaded by Gian Piero Gasperini and boast mouth-watering attacking talents such as Alejandro ‘Papu’ Gomez and Josip Ilicic.
In their 27 games so far this season, they have scored a staggering 77 goals, always making them a good option for the handicap market, given that they have won nine of their games by two clear goals or more.
For more information about football betting, check out Smart Betting Guide’s football guide articles and the best online sports betting sites to find the best odds on all Serie A action.
Who are the top teams in Italy?
As already mentioned, Juventus and Atalanta are among Italy’s elite this season, making it unsurprising that they are the nation’s only two representatives left in the latter stages of the Champions League.
But Lazio have surprised many by putting up a real title challenge for the Bianconeri this season, with Simone Inzaghi overseeing a 21-game undefeated run in the league that has certainly put them in the Scudetto picture.
If goalscorer markets are your preference then look no further than Lazio’s red hot marksman Ciro Immobile, who is averaging a goal a game this season with 27 strikes in as many matches and is a lethal presence in the penalty box.
Inter have also been impressive in Antonio Conte’s debut season at San Siro, while Roma and Napoli are hot on the heels of the top four, whose positions are guaranteed Champions League football next season.
Those who still romanticise about the red and black of AC Milan will not be pleased to learn that they remain in a constant funk and continue to be let down by those at boardroom level.
Serie A outright betting
This is by no means a one-horse race this season despite the gap that the holders have opened up and they are yet to really click under Maurizio Sarri, which is in stark contrast with their closest challengers.
Lazio still have to go to Turin and with Juve looking vulnerable this season, you may really see some value in the outright market for them to finally dethrone the champions and pick up their third title. If you want to make such a bet with cryptocurrency this season, check the best ratings in that regard.
The gap between the top four and the rest means the only real value you will find in the betting on that market would be for a late Roma run which could see them send old rivals Atalanta tumbling from the picture.
But if you cast your eye further down the table, there are certainly some tantalising markets to be found when it comes to the teams fighting for survival.
There are markets on offer for the side to finish in last place, a close run thing between Brescia and SPAL, while the competition to avoid 18th position, and with it relegation, offers plenty of opportunity.
Serie A betting tips
Similarly to Germany and Spain, Italy is a division where the top six or so sides are a class apart, while the bottom six in the table and this can be profitable in handicap markets, be they 3-Way or Asian, for the remainder of the summer.
In particular, sides in the bottom half of the table often struggle mightily on the road to the bigger sides and go down with little real resistance, meaning those handicap markets will offer value for a league where the days of holding out for a single-goal victory are very much a thing of the past.
Teams in Italy are now much more willing to pile on the goals against a weaker opponent, and will often much more enticing odds in the Asian handicap lines than in the regular W-D-W market over 90 minutes.
Due to the rush to complete so many games in a short space of time, Serie A’s return offers up frequent opportunities almost daily to combine two or three-folds across all of the action.
You won’t be short of games at any point, while the free-scoring nature of games in Italy (a far cry from that tired old defensive stereotype that is trotted out lazily by the ill-informed) means they are often perfect for Over 1.5 and Over 2.5 goals betting.
The total goals market is one that has opened up massively over the last decade or so in Italy.
This season so far, Serie A is averaging 2.93 goals per game, making it the 10th most prolific season in the division’s history and there are still plenty more games to go.
Source: forzaitalianfootball.com