Ideal Roma start

Torino v Roma
Sunday, 17.00
Live on Eleven Sports and Betfair Live Video
I was hoping to be able to back Roma at odds against as they kick off their season in Turin, and that particular wish has come true.
This is a big season for Eusebio Di Francesco, and Roma have recruited well as they look to support him. Steven Nzonzi, Ante Coric and Javier Pastore have all arrived, and I like the signing of Robin Olsen to replace Alisson in goal. The Swede could be a real star in Serie A.
Roma have won four of their last six opening day fixtures, all of them without conceding, and drawn the other two. That's the way I see this game going as they've conceded only 28 times in the last campaign, and have strengthened in that area with Ivan Marcano and Davide Santon arriving. This will be a team built on its defence.
There's an obvious Torino danger in the shape of Andrea Belotti, and M'Baye Niang is an interesting foil for him. Walter Mazzarri has been able to recruit numbers, but I'm not sure about the quality of this Torino squad, and quite simply, I think that they'll be outclassed by a very strong Roma team.
Roma have lost only one of their last 16 games against Torino in Serie A, winning 11 of those, and I can see them extending that excellent record.

All roads lead to goals

Lazio v Napoli
Saturday, 19.30
Live on Eleven Sports and Betfair Live Video
The two meetings between these teams last season each produced five goals, as Napoli won both games 4-1, and while I'm not convinced that last season's runners-up will produce that kind of performance, there's every reason to believe that there will be more goals as they meet on our opening Serie A Saturday.
Lazio finished last season as the top scorers in the League, and there's no particular reason to believe that they'll play any differently in this campaign.
Simone Inzaghi will still be smarting after they threw away a Champions League place on the final day, but he'll remain true to his beliefs and will want to make a real statement in a high profile game.
Inzaghi once again has Ciro Immobile to lead the line, and while there's no Felipe Anderson to support him, there are plenty of attacking options. Joaquin Correa has arrived from Sevilla, it looks like Sergej Milinkovic-Savic will remain, and Luis Alberto was outstanding last season.
The reason that Napoli tore Lazio apart twice last term is that Inzaghi's team was tailor-made for their counter attacking style. Carlo Ancelotti will have a different way of approaching things to Maurizio Sarri, but the fundamental truth remains that Napoli have bags of pace on the counter-attack and players with serious ability in front of goal. Napoli have scored 30 times in their last 10 against Lazio, indicating a notable trend.
It wouldn't surprise me at all if this finishes as a draw, but my instinct is that it will be a high-scoring one, and don't be surprised if Jose Callejon gets on the scoresheet, he has an excellent record against Lazio at the Olimpico.

Look beyond Parma nostalgia

Parma v Udinese
Sunday, 19.30
Betfair Live Video
I'm going to look for an away win at the Ennio Tardini, as Parma return to Serie A, a fact for which we should all be thankful. Serie A romantics will be hoping for a home win, but the bare facts suggest that Udinese are too big for this opening game.
Parma have recruited the likes of Luca Rigoni, Alberto Grassi and Roberto Inglese, all decent Serie A players, but they still look like a Serie B squad to me.
It's easy to be seduced by the name, of course it is, but Roberto D'Aversa will have his hands full trying to keep this new version of Parma up. Don't expect a tilt at Europe.
Udinese were dreadful in the second half of last season, kept up by their form in the first half of the campaign and by wins in their final two games, but they've made an interesting managerial appointment in the Javi Gracia mould in the shape of Julio Velazquez, and I'm fascinated to see the number of little-known young players that they have brought in.
This is an organisation that is legendary for its scouting, and Udinese have been given a great deal of raw talent. I'm looking forward to seeing what Velazquez can do with it.
Fundamentally though, and bad though Udinese were last year, this is still a Serie A squad visiting a newly-promoted one, and Udinese are too big to win, as bettors are seducedby the stories that Parma might give us this season. 
RECOMMENDED BETS
Back Roma to beat Torino @ 2.16
Back Over 3.5 Goals in Lazio v Napoli @ 2.80
Back Udinese to beat Parma @ 3.20

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