Serie A Betting: Amazing Cagliari a must bet to continue stunning run

Dave Farrar predicts Verona will cause a few hiccups for Antonio Conte's men, the Sardinians will get the better of Fiorentina and Torino ruin Fabio Grosso's Brescia debut...

Verona make it tough for Inter

Inter v Verona
Saturday, 17:00
Live on Betfair Live Video and FreeSports

Inter are hanging onto Juve at the top of the Serie A table by their fingernails after another dramatic win last weekend, this time against Bologna. They lost a thriller to Borussia Dortmund in midweek as well, and at the moment there's a feeling that Antonio Conte's team are incapable of being in a dull game.

That's not necessarily the way to win the title, though, and Conte would love to see a more prosaic victory as his team takes on ninth-placed Verona at San Siro on Saturday.

Both teams have now scored in eight of Inter's last nine games, as they have warmed up going forward, but lost the ability to keep clean sheets, which have been so important to any success that they've had in recent seasons.

Verona have been solid at the back this season, conceding only nine times and making life difficult for some of the best teams in the division. Inter have scored in every single Serie A game though, the only team to do so, and the strong likelihood is that they'll find a way at some point.

Verona come into this in good form though, having won their last two Serie A games, and they performed with credit at Juve earlier in the campaign when they went down 2-1. I think that they'll give Inter a shock here, before Conte's side scrape over the line once again, and "yes" to both teams to score at around 2.00 looks a solid bet.

Cagliari vastly under-rated

Cagliari v Fiorentina
Sunday, 11:30
Live on Betfair Live Video and Premier 1

Cagliari have been the over-achievers of this season so far, and every time you think that their improbable start will crash down to earth, they find a way to keep the momentum going. Atalanta may have been distracted by an imminent Champions League game last weekend, but heading to Bergamo and beating them was still a considerable achievement.

This week the Sardinians host Fiorentina, who have improved significantly after their poor start, losing only one of their last nine, and losing only once away from Tuscany all season. They're a team to follow at the moment, but the same is true of Cagliari, who aren't really being recognised as they should be by bettors.

Cagliari are trading at 3.00 for the win, which seems a little insulting given that they're unbeaten in their last nine, and pulled off a fantastic win last week. The home team are enjoying their best start in Serie A since winning the Scudetto in 1970, and have now won three of their last four home games. They're overpriced here, and are a must bet.

Toro ruin Grosso debut

Brescia v Torino
Saturday, 14:00

In a week of slim pickings, I'll finally place a bit of trust in Walter Mazzarri and Torino as they head to Brescia. Mazzarri is under big pressure after a poor run of results, and seemed close to the sack after the 4-0 thumping at Lazio in the last midweek round.

His team was much improved against Juventus last week, though, and were unfortunate to lose by a single goal. They have an easier assignment this week as they head to a Brescia team who have lost five of their last six and who have made a managerial change of their own this week with Fabio Grosso taking over.

Torino are over-reliant on Andrea Belotti, but he was magnificent last week in the Derby Della Mole, and will be crucial to Torino's chances of ending their run of six games without a win. They have a squad of real quality, one that needs redirecting, and the last ten days, including that performance against Juve, may just have done that.

Mazzarri knows that, with an international break to come, this is a must-win for him, and I think that he'll get the victory that he needs against a team which has lost all but three of their competitive games this season. They certainly look a big price to do so.