Serie A Betting

Introduction

Serie A is the top soccer league in Italy, filled with some of the top players and clubs in all of club soccer. Thanks to the star power and high visibility of Serie A, it’s become one of the most popular soccer leagues in the world to wager on. By the end of this guide on how to bet on Serie A, you’ll have the knowledge necessary to bet on the Italian top flight yourself.

In this guide to Serie A betting, you’ll learn several important facets to betting on this league.

Best Sportsbooks to Bet on Serie A

With Serie A having a global appeal, there’s a long list of sportsbooks that offer wagering on its action. These Serie A betting sites are a part of that list, as they provide betting odds for Serie A matches from the beginning of the season to the final match day. These reputable and legal U.S. sportsbooks are worth taking a look at before you place your next round of Italian Serie A betting picks.

DraftKings

(5/5)

BetMGM

(4.8/5)

Serie A Previous Season Recap

The 2020-2021 season in Serie A was a memorable one for a number of reasons. Chief among those reasons was the performance of Inter Milan (sometimes called Internazionale) last season, who weren’t the Serie A betting favorites going into the season, but won the league convincingly. Inter won the league on 91 points, beating second place AC Milan by a whopping 12 points over the duration of the season.

Rounding out the top four were Atalanta and Juventus. Atalanta has developed a reputation as one of the most exciting teams in club soccer around the world, and their 90 goals last season were the most of any Serie A club. But the biggest story from last year’s Serie A campaign was the performance of Juventus, who finished in fourth place.

Juventus is typically the Serie A betting favorite going into each season, as their elite talent and storied history dwarf that of most clubs. The “Old Lady” did not live up to their usual standard, though, finishing on 78 points and barely holding onto the final Champions League place from Serie A. Cristiano Ronaldo did lead Serie A with 29 goals in 33 matches last season, but not even that was enough to propel the club to true title contention.

Three teams were relegated from Serie A at the end of last season, with Parma, Crotone and Benevento being sent down to Serie B. Parma and Crotone both failed to break 25 points on the season, and their fate was sealed with several games left to play. Benevento, meanwhile, came up five points short of safety. Empoli, Salernitana, and Venezia were promoted to replace last year’s bottom-three.

Summer 2021 Transfer Window Recap

Every year, the transfer window has the chance to change who the Serie A betting favorites are, and the summer window was no exception. The biggest transfer news to come out of Serie A ahead of the 2021-2022 season was the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo from Juventus. He was linked to Manchester City once it became clear that he would not be returning to Juventus, but instead, he ended up at Manchester United, the club where he first broke onto the scene as a superstar, in a move that negatively impacted Juventus in a big way.

Juventus attempted to offset some of the loss in production from Ronaldo’s departure by bringing in Moise Kean from Everton. However, in 13 appearances for Juventus, Kean has scored just three goals. Through the end of 2021, no Juventus player was in the top-10 in goals scored during the 2021-2022 Serie A campaign, as Ronaldo’s absence is being felt by the club without a suitable replacement.

Winter 2022 Transfer Window Recap

Last summer, Serie A was rocked by the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo from Juventus, as he left for Manchester United. This winter was not quite as tumultuous, as one of the greatest players in the world has not entered or left Serie A during this most recent window. However, there were still some impactful moves that took place in January and February that could impact the outcome of the league for years to come.

The transfer window in Serie A has been key to the outcome of the league on a regular basis, and this winter has been no exception. A truly massive signing took place to benefit Juventus, as they brought in Dušan Vlahović from Fiorentina. Vlahović is one of the top goal scorers in Serie A, who helped to elevate Fiorentina despite some of their other roster deficiencies, and should prosper with a loaded Juventus team around him.

There is also a notable departure set to take place at the end of this season in Serie A, as Lorenzo Insigne is set to go to MLS at the end of this season. He is going to join Toronto FC in the summer, which is going to be a big loss for Napoli and a huge gain for Toronto FC and MLS as a whole. How Insigne finishes this season will have a lot to do with how Napoli’s season ends, but they will need to find a replacement in the near future given his value to the club.

Who are the Favorites to Win Serie A This Season?

The Serie A betting favorite has to be Inter Milan, as they look like they’re well on their way toward repeating as champions in Italy’s top flight. Inter lost just one game in the first half of the 2021-2022 season, winning 14 of their first 19 matches of this campaign. They faced stiff competition from a few other teams, but Inter went into the new year with a four-point lead over the rest of the league.

After Inter, a group of three teams look the most viable to chase them down. AC Milan, Napoli, and Atalanta are all within 10 points of the defending Serie A champions, and at least have a chance according to Serie A betting markets. If anyone is going to overtake Inter, though, they’ll need some mistakes from the league leaders in addition to a run of wins of their own.

Perhaps just as interesting as the title race in Serie A is the fate of Juventus during the second half of the season. Juventus ended 2021 in fifth place in Serie A, 12 points back of Inter and four points back of fourth place Atalanta. They’ll have time to make up those deficits, but they’re also in danger of dropping further in the table if the teams just beneath them can step up.

Who is in Danger of Relegation?

In addition to the Serie A betting markets pertaining to winning the league title, there’s a relegation battle you can bet on as well. This year’s relegation battle in Serie A looks to be a competitive one, though some frontrunners are emerging as the second half of the season commences. These teams in the relegation race will look to turn their form around quickly to avoid being sent to Serie B ahead of the 2022-2023 campaign.

The team with the best chance to be relegated in Serie A this season is Salernitana. They were the only team to end 2021 with under 10 points in the table, as they gained just eight points through their first 18 matches. 

Cagliari and Genoa occupied the other two relegation spots at the end of the first half of the Serie A campaign. Both teams ended 2021 at least five points behind the 17th place team in the table, and will need to make up some ground in a hurry to avoid the pressure of a relegation campaign setting in. These two clubs are both in the bottom-five in goals scored this season, and will need to make the back of the net bulge more frequently in 2022.

Outright Predictions for Serie A 2021/22

From a Serie A betting perspective, it’s hard to argue with Inter Milan as the best choice to win the league as 2022 rolls along. They gained an advantage over the rest of the league in the first half of the season, and have more than enough firepower to maintain that advantage in the final stretch. Their two-man strike force is arguably the best in Serie A, and Inter has more than enough talent around Lautaro Martinez and Edin Džeko to repeat as champions.

If Inter isn’t able to finish the job at the top of Serie A, Atalanta might not be a bad choice to take the title. Atalanta’s all-out attacking style hasn’t been quite as effective through the first half of this season as it was in the 2020-2021 campaign. If they can ramp up their offensive production, though, Atalanta can easily make up ground three points at a time.

Finally, AC Milan and Napoli are worth keeping an eye on in the Serie A betting markets. They’re both within striking distance of first-place Inter, and both teams are ahead of fifth-place Juventus, which feels like the last possible team that could compete for this year’s Scudetto. They may end up falling short when all’s said and done, but Milan and Napoli could make things interesting with wins against Inter in a brutal back-to-back set of matches for Inter in February.

Players to Keep an Eye on in Serie A This Season

There are several top players to watch in Serie A this campaign, including players who have the power to turn Serie A betting markets upside down as the year wears on. The duo of Lautaro Martinez and Edin Džeko may be the most worth watching this season, as both were top-eight goal scorers in Serie A in the first half of the season. If they continue at the pace they’ve been operating at, Inter could seal the seal and earn another Serie A crown.

Ciro Immobile is another forward that Serie A betting enthusiasts would be best served to keep an eye on all year long. Immobile’s Lazio team is in the middle of the table but could hop into a Champions League spot if Immobile can duplicate the 13 goals he put up in the first half of the 2021-2022 season. 

Finally, Dušan Vlahović could end up winning the top scorer distinction in Serie A this season. His Fiorentina squad is just outside of the top-five after the first half of the campaign, and will need him to keep firing if they want to pass teams like Roma and Juventus to make a run at the Champions League. If nothing else, Vlahović has been a thrill to watch with Fiorentina.

How do we Provide our Expert Picks for Serie A?

Our Serie A betting picks are the product of volumes of research on each of the 20 teams that inhabit Serie A each season. We identify each team’s strengths and weaknesses, along with vulnerable spots on their fixture lists where letdowns could take place. Our team also makes sure to watch the matches as they unfold each season, to identify in-match tendencies that can make a difference based on the opponents those teams are set to face in the future.

Along with the understanding our handicappers have developed on each Serie A club, there’s also a fair amount of statistical work that goes into our Serie A betting picks. We look at everything from rudimentary numbers like possession and shots to advanced metrics like expected goals to get an idea as to how both teams are playing beyond their results. This allows us to pass on meaningful Serie A betting information to you, giving you the best chance to win with our predictions.

Best Sportsbooks that Cover Serie A Games

Every major sportsbook offers Serie A betting, thanks to the popularity of the league and the quality of soccer being played in Italy’s top flight. Not all sportsbooks are created equal, though, as some Serie A betting sites are better than their competitors for several reasons. These particular betting sites are worth adding to your arsenal of soccer betting sites.

FanDuel Sportsbook

FanDuel Sportsbook is great to use for Serie A betting because you can watch the games and bet on the games from their app. Live streaming can be rare at sportsbooks in the U.S. marketplace, but FanDuel offers live streaming of Serie A matches. That makes betting on Italian soccer very convenient at FanDuel, as you can place in-play wagers while watching the games simultaneously.

Betway

Another Serie A betting site worth taking a look at is Betway, due to their long-standing history as a soccer-focused site. Betway cut its teeth in the sports gambling marketplace in Europe, where soccer is king, and has even been the shirt sponsor for high-profile soccer teams around the world. They do soccer betting the right way, and Serie A betting is no exception.

Sportsbook Promo Codes and Best Bonuses for Serie A

Just as all major sportsbooks offer Serie A betting, they also have welcome bonuses available for you as you start using them. These offers are meant to entice you to play with each bookmaker, as these newly legal betting sites compete for market share in each state. Some of the bonuses available for new players at these sites are better than others, like these, which are worth a try when you choose where to do your Serie A betting.

FanDuel Sportsbook offers a risk-free first bet worth up to $1,000. This offer lets you place your first bet for up to $1,000, and you can either keep your profits if you win or get the amount you risked back in free bets if your first bet loses. Combine that with the fact you can watch Serie A from FanDuel’s app and they’ve a lot going for them when placing Serie A bets.

Another site with a solid welcome bonus is Caesars Sportsbook, which offers a matched bet bonus worth up to $1,001. Here, you can place your first bet on a Serie A match and get the amount you risked in free bets win or lose, with a max bonus amount of $1,001.

All You Need to Know about Serie A Betting

Beyond understanding the teams in Serie A and how they match up each match day, there are a few items to focus on pertaining to betting on Serie A as a whole. Things like understanding the Serie A betting odds and how to get the most out of them is important, as is knowing how the main betting markets work. Here, we’ll educate you on those things so you go into betting on this league with the knowledge needed to do so successfully.

Serie A Odds and Betting Lines

Serie A betting odds are set up the same way betting odds are set up in other soccer leagues and other sports. For each betting market, you’ll see a number with a plus or minus sign at the beginning of it, which signifies the betting odds for that selection. The odds that begin with a plus sign stand for the amount you would win if you put $100 on that selection, while odds that begin with a minus sign stand for the amount you would have to risk to win $100.

For example, if you’re doing some Serie A betting on an over/under market, the over might be set at -150 and the under might be set at +120. In that case, a $150 bet on the over would yield $100 in profit if it were to hit. Meanwhile, a $100 bet on the under would yield a $120 profit if the game was to stay under the total.

Compare Odds for Serie A

One of the most important things you can do to be successful with your Serie A betting is to shop around for the best betting odds. Different betting sites offer odds that can vary slightly from one another. This can provide an opportunity to maximize profitability when betting on Italian soccer.

For example, Serie A betting odds might show a team as a -120 favorite at one sportsbook and a -130 favorite at another. In that scenario, you would need to bet $120 to win $100 at -120 odds, and $130 to win $100 at -130 odds. If that bet was lost, betting it at -120 would save you $10 compared to betting at -130.

Think of comparing odds the way you would think about shopping for a product you need for your home. If one store sells a television for $500, while another store sells the exact same television for $400, you’d be a fool to spend the extra $100 for the exact same item. The same can be said about betting on the exact same market at odds that aren’t as favorable to you.

How do we Generate our Serie A Odds?

We compile our Serie A betting odds from a vast number of sources around the legal U.S. betting landscape. Our Serie A handicappers regularly search for betting odds from every available source, so that we can recommend each bet at a price that will be the most profitable for you the bettor. 

Moneyline Serie A Odds

One of the most heavily wagered on markets in Serie A betting is the moneyline. This market is popular in part because of its simplicity, as your task is to simply predict what the outcome of each match will be. You’re presented with three options to bet on in the moneyline market: for either team to win the match, or for the match to end in a draw.

Serie A Over/Under Odds

Over/under betting is another popular form of Serie A betting, where you’re tasked with predicting whether a match will be high-scoring or low-scoring. Here, bookmakers set a number of goals for each match, and you’re able to bet on whether you think the combined score of both teams will be over or under that number of goals. This is a market where your understanding of the style both teams play can be very valuable.

How Does Serie A Work?

Serie A is a league that consists of 20 teams from across Italy, with each team playing 19 home games and 19 away matches in a double round robin setup. Teams receive three points for a win, one point for a draw, and no points for each match that they lose. At the end of the season, the team with the highest point total wins the Serie A title, and the bottom-three teams in the standings are relegated to Serie B.

Teams and Venues

There are 20 total teams in Serie A, from the big worldwide brands like Juventus to small clubs that don’t get the same international attention. Here’s a look at the 20 teams currently making up Serie A, along with the stadiums they call home.

Serie A Trophy

The trophy that goes to the winners of Serie A each season is called the Coppa Campioni d’Italia, which has been in use since the 1960-1961 season. This trophy resembles a large, golden funnel, as it’s very thin at the bottom and gets wider at the top like the kitchen utensil. The winner of Serie A also gets what’s known as the Scudetto, a patch with the colors of the Italian flag on it, which the winning club wears during the following season.

COVID-19 Status

A reality of the world we live in today is that COVID-19 has the ability to disrupt sports leagues around the globe at a moment’s notice. Serie A is no exception, as you should keep an eye out for any COVID-related cancellations that take place over the course of the season.

While there aren’t plans to completely halt the league due to COVID at this time, there could be individual matches postponed at any time.

Interesting Facts About Serie A

Italy’s Serie A has been running since the late 1800s, adopting the current round robin format in the 1920s. It’s been won by Juventus 36 times, one less than the combined number of championships for Inter Milan and AC Milan. Those three clubs have combined for more than half of the total titles in the Italian first division.

Serie A was also among the first leagues to test and implement video replays, testing in 2016-17 and fully using in 2017-18. 

The 1947-48 season saw 21 teams in Serie A due to post-WWII tensions with Yugoslavia. At times, the league operated with 16 teams or 18 teams, but they’ve held steady at 20 clubs since 2004. 

Serie A Conclusion

Serie A is a great league to bet on, as it has enough star power to always be interesting, but has enough unpredictability to be exciting at all times.