Empoli, Bologna Highlight Serie A Betting Report

Can Empoli Stave off the Drop?

After ending a brief two-season stint in the second tier, Empoli finished 14th in each of their first two seasons back in Serie A, comfortably avoiding relegation. Today, however, they are skating on thin ice, with the club currently 19th, two points away from Cagliari and automatic safety. They have let in 33 goals thus far – only Frosinone (34) and Salernitana (38) have conceded more. This, compounded with their underwhelming form in the final third, makes an Empoli relegation a possibility worth considering for Serie A betting fanatics.

After losing their first five matches, scoring 0 and conceding 13, Empoli has been unable to turn around their dismal form. They began December with a 1-1 draw at Genoa. In the six weeks that have followed, not one Empoli player has found the back of the net. The team prevailed with a 1-1 draw vs. Lecce before losing 1-0 to Torino, and 2-0 to Lazio, sharing the spoils in a 0-0 draw at Cagliari, before suffering a 3-0 humiliation at the hands of Milan. Regular online betting aficionados will be well aware of their inability to keep things tight at the back, and it’s no surprise that Empoli has the worst attack (10 goals scored) and goal differential (-23) in Italy’s top division.

Whilst Salernitana remains our sportsbook’s overwhelming favorite to suffer relegation at -350, Empoli is trailing in hot pursuit at -225. The soccer odds are not in their favor as they look to overcome their ghastly first half of the campaign. They have held a lead on just three occasions since the start of October. Whilst there are still 19 matches for Gli Azzurri to turn things around, Empoli is looking increasingly likely to be involved in a relegation scrap this spring.

Can Bologna Return to Champions League Under Motta?

Inter and Juventus have served up an intriguing two-horse race for the title so far, and it should come as no surprise that the two sides are the overwhelming favorites on our soccer betting lines to finish in the top four at -100000 and -10000, respectively. Milan is finding some momentum under Stefano Pioli and has climbed to third in the race at -500.

The fourth and final Champions League spot is where things get tricky: defending champion Napoli is +250 to finish in the top four despite currently sitting ninth in Serie A, whilst Fiorentina (+200), Atalanta (+225), and Roma (+300) are in the mix as well. As opposed to those sides, Bologna is in uncharted territory and looking to return to a major European competition for the first time in two decades under Thiago Motta. Bologna sits fifth in the table, trailing Fiorentina by one point, and Milan by seven.

The Veltri have been a welcome addition to many Serie A bets, with Motta engineering the perfect way to unleash Lewis Ferguson and Joshua Zirkzee up top while retaining solidity at the back. It is a tactical setup that has worked wonders against some of Italy’s top sides, with Bologna winning 1-0 vs. Lazio and Atalanta, beating Roma 2-0, and securing draws in the league against Inter, Juventus, and Napoli. They pulled off a comeback 2-1 extra-time victory against Inter in the Coppa Italia on Dec. 20, ending Inter’s chances of a third straight cup win.

Our online sportsbook may not value Bologna’s chances of sealing Champions League football, but the other sides have looked seriously vulnerable, and Bologna could very well take advantage. At +600, they may be long shots, but they’re seriously worth considering as an outside pick to finish in the top four.

Questions Of The Day

Besides the usual suspects like Inter and Juve, who's under the radar but showing a real spark?