Serie A Betting: Roma and Cagliari tough to beat, more entertainment at Empoli

Roma on target regardless

Juventus v Roma
Saturday, 19:30
Live on Eleven Sports 1 and Betfair Live Video
The big game of this Serie A Saturday is in Turin, as Juventus look to continue their relentless first half of the season as they face a Roma team who probably saved Eusebio Di Francesco's job with their comeback against Genoa last time.

Juventus are more than likely to win the game, and so all that we need to concern ourselves with is whether or not Roma can score.

Even though Juve have kept more clean sheets in 2018 than any other team in Europe's top five leagues, I can see Di Francesco's side getting on the scoresheet. Since their comical home defeat by SPAL, they've scored in 9 of 11 games, and going forward really isn't where their problems lie.

Senior players have let them down, especially in defensive areas, and yet upfront the likes of Justin Kluivert and Cengiz Under have showed real promise, albeit in patches. It was encouraging to see Bryan Cristante get back on the scoresheet against Genoa, and if he can recapture the form of his Atalanta days, the season may well improve for Roma.

The last team to score against Juve in Serie A was Cagliari at the start of November, but Roma have been Juve's most difficult opponent of the last six seasons, and even through this isn't vintage Roma side, and even though I don't see them winning the game, I can see them scoring at a generous price.

Cagliari are tough cookies

Lazio v Cagliari
Saturday, 11:30
Live on Eleven Sports 1 and Betfair Live Video

Lazio are now without a Serie A win since November 4, and Simone Inzaghi is facing the worst run of his time in charge. He'll be hoping that changes against Cagliari this Saturday, but after the way that the Sardinians played against Napoli last weekend, Inzaghi may be in for another frustrating day.

The fact that this is Saturday's early kick off won't help Lazio, as the Olimpico can be notoriously short on atmosphere for afternoon games, and Cagliari will come here with confidence. It took a very late Arek Milik free kick to beat them at the weekend, and the only teams that they have lost to since mid-September are Inter, Juve and Napoli.

We can back Cagliari at around the 1.90 mark with a two-goal start on the Asian Handicap and that looks a price. Lazio look predictable in forward areas, hugely reliant on Ciro Immobile and relatively easy to stop. They felt aggrieved that Francesco Acerbi's late equaliser in Bergamo was ruled out on Monday night, but it was the right decision and they didn't deserve it. Too many players under par, not enough inspiration.

I'm not suggesting that Cagliari will win at the Olimpico, but they will make themselves hard to beat, and in 16 Serie A matches so far, they've lost by two goals on four occasions, and are yet to be beaten by a wider margin than that. Given Lazio's issues right now, they don't look in the mood to dish out a hiding, and I'm happy to support the Sardinians.

Quaglia can't stop scoring

Empoli v Sampdoria
Saturday, 14:00
Live on Betfair Live Video

Empoli have (strangely) become the great entertainers of Serie A, with both teams scoring in their last eight games, and their matches averaging 4.3 goals over that period. This weekend, Samp are the visitors, and I think that there'll be more goals in this one.

It's a return to his old club for the Samp Coach Marco Giampaolo, and his team are also in the goals at the moment, with four of their last eight games going Over 3.5, and they always look like a team that will score and concede.

There are two in form strikers on the pitch too, which further makes the case for goals in this one. Fabio Quagliarella of Samp has seven goals and one assist in his last eight Serie A matches, which is the best record of anyone in the division, and just behind him is Francesco Caputo of Empoli, who has five goals and two assists in that same time period.

The form of those two means that, should the likely open game materialise, we have quality in forward areas on which to rely, and this just has the feel of a high scoring game. An instinct that, thankfully, is backed up by the statistics and recent trends.

RECOMMENDED BETS

Back Both Teams to Score in Juventus vs Roma @ 2.10 

Back Cagliari +2 on Asian Handicap vs Lazio @ 1.90 

Back Over 3.5 Goals in Empoli vs Sampdoria @ 3.10