Defending Serie A Champion Inter Milan will attempt to continue its perfect start to the season vs Sampdoria in Serie A on Sunday morning.
The soccer odds list Sampdoria as a heavy +420 underdog despite beating Inter at home last season. Inter was lambasted for its transfer window but has started unscathed.
Game: U.C. Sampdoria vs Inter Milan
Location: Stadio Luigi Ferraris, Genoa, Italy
Date/Time: Sunday, 6:30 a.m. ET
Head to Head
Inter was shocked by Sampdoria 2-1 last season at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris. Inter picked up one of its just seven losses last season in Genoa.
In the reverse fixture in Milan, Inter demolished Sampdoria 5-1. Inter has been the better pick for online betting recently and has won seven of the last eight meetings between the two clubs.
Sampdoria: Subpar Start
Former Sampdoria manager Claudio Ranieri, who led Leicester City to quite possibly the most improbable title in soccer history, left the club at the conclusion of the 2020-21 season. Sampdoria hired former Parma manager Roberto D’Aversa over the summer
D’Aversa had a miserable second spell with Parma, compiling a 1-17-5 record with the recently relegated club. His start as Sampdoria manager has gotten off to a rocky start as well, with just a point through two games.
Sampdoria has failed to score but has held opponents to just one goal. Brahim Diaz’s ninth-minute winner was the difference vs AC Milan and Sampdoria played Sassuolo to a scoreless draw the following week. Following the international break, D’Aversa will hope to pick up his first win but it’ll be a huge challenge vs last season’s champions.
Sampdoria’s hopes may rest on 38-year old striker Fabio Quagliarella, who led the club with 13 Serie A goals last season. Sampdoria also counts 20-year-old Danish Euro 2020 breakout star Mikkel Damsgaard among its ranks. Damsgaard, a creative midfielder, was shopped around to various clubs in the summer but remains in Genoa for now.
Inter Features New-Look Squad
Just as Sampdoria has a new manager, Inter has followed suit. Antonio Conte led the Nerazzurri to Serie A glory last season but left following news that Inter would sell some of its star players amidst financial troubles.
Simone Inzaghi, who managed Lazio from 2016-2021, has taken over as the new boss and gotten off to a great start. Despite Inter selling big names Romelu Lukaku and Achraf Hakimi, Inzaghi’s team has won both of its Serie A games.
Joaquín Correa, a new on-loan arrival from Lazio, wasted no time getting on the scoresheet. The Argentinian international striker scored two goals in 17 minutes after coming on as a sub in a 3-1 win vs Hellas Verona. Striker Edin Džeko, a veteran of Europe’s top leagues, has scored as well since arriving from Roma.
This Inter team may not be as strong as the version that won the title last season but it should still compete for a title and be one of the best soccer picks in Serie A. Through two matches, Inter has scored seven goals and conceded one.
Prediction
Inter is the clear favorite in the BetUS sportsbook, at -150. As Inter has won seven of the last eight matches vs Sampdoria, I like the odds here, which correspond to an implied 59.2 percent chance of victory.
With an attack that consists of another Argentinian international, Lautaro Martinez, Correa and Džeko, Inter is poised for another result here. The capture of midfielder Hakan Çalhanoğlu from AC Milan was also one of the summer’s more underrated signings. Bet on the Nerazzurri to make good on their loss at Sampdoria from last year.
