Many consider Italian Serie A is the third-best soccer league in Europe. They must have some reason if Ronaldo, Ibrahimovic, and Mourinho consider it good enough to continue building their legacy.
The next domestic season begins on Aug. 21, but it’s never too early to start planning your sports betting strategy. Inter Milan comes in as the reigning champion, but curiously enough, they’re not at the top of the soccer odds board.
Let’s take a look at the favorite teams, and a couple of dark horses, to dethrone them.
Italian Serie A Betting Lines
Current Champ
Last season, Inter Milan won the title for the first time in 11 years. They ended Juventus’ reign with authority after finishing 28-7-3 (91 points), 12 points more than second place. They also scored 89 goals (second-best) and allowed 35 (best).
Their roster will remain pretty much the same. In fact, it will be a little bit better, because they signed Zinho Vanheusden and Hakan Calhanoglu. Vanheusden comes from Standard Liege, while Calhanoglu comes from AC Milan.
“I wanted to stay in Italy. I know the language. Inter has big objectives. They have a good team with quality. They play for something. That’s why I decided so fast,” the midfielder said to the press.
The reigning champions are offering a +200 price. I think the main reason for them not being favorites is head coach Antonio Conte will not be back. Simone Inzaghi took his place after several seasons with Lazio. Conte was fundamental for them to win the title, but the team should be fine without him.
Juventus
No more Andrea Pirlo. Juventus’ biggest change is Massimiliano Allegri returns as head coach. He led them to 11 titles between 2014-19, including five Serie A crowns.
That’s why they lead the odds board at +120. Also, because Cristiano Ronaldo decided to stay with the team. Last season, he won the domestic golden boot after scoring 28 goals.
Juventus hasn’t made many moves regarding the roster. They signed Weston McKennie from Schalke 04, and several players who were on loan will be back. I do expect Federico Chiesa to become a huge part of their game. He had a great EURO 2020 and he could become a real menace.
If they retain Giorgio Chiellini, their defense will be stacked with him, Leonardo Bonucci, and Matthijs de Ligt.
Last season, Juventus finished fourth thanks to a 23-9-6 record (78 points). They’re eager to regain the throne, and CR7 will not leave until that happens.
Atalanta
Last season, Atalanta finished third with 78 points, the same as Juventus, but they finished with a better goal differential. No other team scored more goals than Atalanta (90). Defensively, they allowed 47 goals.
Atalanta has finished in the Italian Serie A top five in four of the last five seasons. Gian Piero Gasperini took over in 2016 and he has done a great job. Their roster includes some big names such as Robin Gosens, Duvan Zapata, Luis Muriel, and Mario Pasalic.
They recently signed goalkeeper Juan Musso from Udinese. He should become the starter and give them more confidence on defense.
Atalanta is offering a +500 price. If they keep scoring 2.3 goals per game, they will be a real menace.
Dark Horses
Napoli and AC Milan have been title contenders over the last couple of years. Nevertheless, they could be considered dark horses thanks to the odds board. Both are offering a +1300 price for online betting.
Last season, AC Milan finished as the runners-up. They did it despite the fact that Zlatan Ibrahimovic missed a lot of games due to injury. They will play the UEFA Champions League for the first time in seven years, which could distract them a little.
Napoli finished fifth thanks to a 24-5-9 record. Curiously enough, they scored 86 goals (third-best) and allowed 41 (second best). That’s how competitive the Italian Serie A has become.
We didn’t forget about AS Roma. Thanks to Jose Mourinho taking over as head coach, they’re offering a +1700 price. They recently signed Rui Patricio, Roger Ibanez, and Bryan Reynolds, adding more depth to the roster.
They’ll also compete in the UEFA Europa League. Nevertheless, there’s no doubt that Mourinho’s main goal is to return AS Roma to the Italian Serie A top.
Final Analysis and Pick
It’s hard to go against the reigning champions, but Juventus deserves to be the favorite here. Allegri is one of the best coaches in the world, and their roster remains very competitive. Cristiano Ronaldo remains a beast and they pretty much own the defensive unit that won the EURO 2020.
Regarding the dark horses, I like AS Roma. Mourinho’s effect will be huge, on and off the field. If they fully focused on the domestic title, they could become a real menace.
