Roma v Inter
Saturday, 19:45
Live on BT Sport 3
Both sides started with solid wins, Inter more impressively than Roma, and now Luciano Spalletti takes his new club back to his old one, in what is the game of this Serie A season so far, by some distance.
It's a match that will lay down a big early season marker in terms of realistic challengers to Juventus, and Inter must go to the Olimpico with a good deal of hope, given the manner of their victory against Fiorentina.
They were effortless, albeit against a team that had early season injury issues, but Spalletti seems to have got his message across and I liked the spring in Inter's step as they got the job done, with Mauro Icardi grabbing the headlines, but plenty of his teammates impressing as well, particularly the new centre-half Milan Skriniar.
Roma certainly looked like a different team in Bergamo: one that was determined to stay solid and get the job done, rather than dazzle and delight as previous incarnations of the Giallorossi have wanted to. It's hard to believe that Eusebio Di Francesco is a Zdenek Zeman disciple, given their closing down of space, and willingness to hang on to a 1-0 win.
This has traditionally been a high scoring game, but I don't expect it to be this time, and even though Roma haven't lost at home against Inter in Serie A for nine years, I think that Spalletti and co might just storm the citadel this weekend. They're attractively priced to do so, and that has to be the bet.
Recommended Bet
Back Inter to beat Roma @ 3.10
Saturday, 19:45
Live on BT Sport 3
Both sides started with solid wins, Inter more impressively than Roma, and now Luciano Spalletti takes his new club back to his old one, in what is the game of this Serie A season so far, by some distance.
It's a match that will lay down a big early season marker in terms of realistic challengers to Juventus, and Inter must go to the Olimpico with a good deal of hope, given the manner of their victory against Fiorentina.
They were effortless, albeit against a team that had early season injury issues, but Spalletti seems to have got his message across and I liked the spring in Inter's step as they got the job done, with Mauro Icardi grabbing the headlines, but plenty of his teammates impressing as well, particularly the new centre-half Milan Skriniar.
Roma certainly looked like a different team in Bergamo: one that was determined to stay solid and get the job done, rather than dazzle and delight as previous incarnations of the Giallorossi have wanted to. It's hard to believe that Eusebio Di Francesco is a Zdenek Zeman disciple, given their closing down of space, and willingness to hang on to a 1-0 win.
This has traditionally been a high scoring game, but I don't expect it to be this time, and even though Roma haven't lost at home against Inter in Serie A for nine years, I think that Spalletti and co might just storm the citadel this weekend. They're attractively priced to do so, and that has to be the bet.
Recommended Bet
Back Inter to beat Roma @ 3.10
Benevento v Bologna
Saturday, 17:00
The Serie A debutants Benevento turned in one of the performances of last week at Marassi in losing to Sampdoria, and I think that they'll follow that debut with a first Serie A victory. They were effervescent, should have gone 2-0 up, and ultimately succumbed to two goals from Fabio Quagliarella. They'll have learned a lot, though, and may just overwhelm Bologna.
A VAR nonsense meant that Bologna drew with, rather than lost to, Torino last week, and all is clearly not well at the Dall'Ara. Roberto Donadoni's team lost at home against Cittadella in the Coppa Italia, weren't great last week, and can only improve.
While I'm tempted to tip Benevento to win at around 2.74, the goals markets make far more appeal. Bologna play with a front three of Mattia Destro, Simone Verdi and Federico Di Francesco, and look a team that will be worth following in terms of goals.
Even though Benevento were missing their impressive striker Fabio Ceravolo last week, and will be again here, they created plenty at Samp and with a capacity 18,000 crowd packed in for an historic occasion, I think that they'll feel the need to put on a show.
A bet on Over 2.5 Goals at 2.30 is certainly appealing, but this game may go a little further than that, and so, as we go in search of a couple of bigger prices to set us up for the season, I'm happy to recommend Over 3.5 Goals in this one at 4.30.
Recommended Bet:
Back Over 3.5 Goals in Benevento v Bologna @ 4.30
Napoli v Atalanta
Sunday, 19:45
Live on BT Sport 3
I'm pretty sure that there'll be goals too at the San Paolo as Napoli face Atalanta. I've already made a case in this column for Atalanta's likely struggles this season, and even though they won home and away against the Partenopei last term, I can see them being up against it here.
Napoli have picked up as they left off, winning easily last week at Verona, and brushing aside Nice in their Champions League qualifier.
They kept two clean sheets against a poor Nice, but conceded against Verona, and that's likely to be a theme this season as their attacking flair is potentially undermined by defensive issues. It won't cost them too often, but is always their Achilles Heel against the bigger clubs in the division, and they need to get out of the habit.
Atalanta didn't just beat Napoli twice last season, they kept two clean sheets against them, the only club to do so, but that was a different team, and while I can see them keeping up their scoring record away from home (they average 2 goals per game in 2017) I think that they'll find it harder at the other end.
It wouldn't surprise me if Napoli win a fair few games 3-1 this season, as they seem tailor made for that kind of scoreline, and I've no hesitation in backing Over 3.5 Goals here while it's still available at odds against.
This weekend there's also no guarantee Pepe Reina will be in goal after a surprise offer from Paris Saint-Germain put the cat among the pigeons.
Recommended Bet
Back Over 3.5 Goals in Napoli v Atalanta @ 2.42
