Every team begins the season with hopes of winning the domestic league title, but there are a lot of different elements that go into making that happen. Unfortunately, having money to spend on the best available players is one of those elements, which is something that not every team can manage. Still, one of the most effective ways to get money in the bank in the major European Leagues is to do enough in the regular season to land a spot in one of the European tournaments the following season. The money that comes in from those tournaments, particularly the Champions League, can make it possible to strengthen the squad. Let’s see how these teams arrive to this Roma Vs Napoli matchup so you can set down your bets against their Serie A odds.
Roma Vs Napoli Game Preview
In Italy, the top 4 teams in the Serie A make it into the UCL. The team that finishes 5th gets direct passage into the Europa League group stage, while the 6th place team goes to the EL Qualification Round. Napoli and Roma are currently in the 5 and 6 spots, with both looking destined to be battling it out the rest of the way. That makes this one a huge game for both teams, with Napoli in as very slight favorites. The goal total is set at 2 ¾.
Why bet on Napoli
Napoli can potentially jump ahead of Roma and into the automatic Europa League spot with a win here, although that will depend on the results of games to be played on Thursday. The harsh reality is that Napoli don’t just need points to get ahead of Roma, they also need them in order to hold off the teams that are currently breathing down their neck. At 45 points, they are 3 back of their opponents on Sunday, but they also have a pair of teams sitting behind them within 3 points. Napoli are coming into this one on the heels of a comfortable 3-1 win over SPAL, although their Thursday game against Atalanta looks to be a much tougher affair. At home this season, Napoli have gone 6-2-6, scoring 20 goals while surrendering 19.
Why bet on Roma
Thursday is going to be a big day for Roma, as they will be looking to bounce back from a 2-0 defeat against Milan that has them getting pulled back to the pack in the race for EL spots. You would certainly like them to pick up the fill 3 points against Udinese, which would certainly make them feel a whole lot better heading into this game. A win on Thursday would create a little breathing room, which might well make Roma happy with a tie in this game. Of course, they could go one better, just as they did earlier in the season when they beat Napoli 2-1 at home. Roma do, though, have a winning record on the road this season, going 7-3-4, so they might not be a bad bet here.
General Match Info AS Roma Vs S.S.C. Napoli
- When: Sunday, July 5 at 3:45 PM EST
- Where: San Paolo Stadium, Naples
- Roma Vs Napoli Live: ESPN
- Money Lines: AS Roma wins +223 / S.S.C. Napoli wins +106 / Draw +248
Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction
We’ll have a clearer picture of how things look after the Thursday games, but my feeling is that Roma will be more than happy with a draw on the road in a very tough game. That is the wat I am leaning with my pick.
Pick: Napoli 1 Roma 1
