Serie A Betting: Stalemate to suit The Old Lady in battle of top two

Conte will be delighted if his Juve side don't lose v Napoli

Dave Farrar previews this weekend's Serie A action, starting with tonight's top-of-the-table clash versus Napoli and Juventus, a game in which a draw will suit The Old Lady just fine...

Napoli v Juventus

There will be poison in the air at the San Paolo on Friday night as Napoli's fans enjoy 90 minutes of baiting their hated rivals from the north. The last time that I commentated on Napoli v Juve I left the stadium covered in spittle, and all because I was sitting next to the Juve club commentator. It's that kind of game.

There will be many who don't fancy on field fireworks here, given that Napoli have forgotten how to score, and have drawn their last two fixtures by a 0-0 scoreline. That has pretty much handed the title to Juve, and if Antonio Conte's men come away with a win on Friday night, then Juve backers can start celebrating, as they will have retained their title in all but name.

Juventus, though, haven't won here in Serie A since September 2000, and even though Conte (who played that night in 2000) has talked of a positive approach to the game, I think that Juve would be happy with a draw. That result seems like a big runner, given that Napoli have now drawn four of their last six games in Serie A, and is attractively priced at 3.412/5.

Napoli are 2.982/1 for the win, with Juve the favoruites at 2.6413/8, and while I can't make a case for a tired and out of form home side, Juve look a little short for a match that they'll be happy to see out if they are level, say, 20 minutes from time.

Historically, this match is high scoring, with last season's encounter finishing 3-3, and the last time that Napoli v Juve finished under 2.5 goals was in March 1997. Recent statistics suggest that this could be an unders game, but I'm a great believer in the idea that certain fixtures bring certain kinds of performance out of teams, and so I'm happy to recommend Over 2.5 Goals at 2.1211/10.

Given that I feel the game will end in a stalemate, I'll also be having a small stake on 2-2 in the Correct Score market. You should be able to get on at around 17.016/1.

Recommendations
Back Draw @ 3.412/5
Back Over 2.5 Goals @ 2.1211/10
Back 2-2 Correct Score @ 17.016/1

Torino v Palermo

Torino were involved in one of the games of the season last week, when they lost 4-3 in Cagliari, and they were so frustrated at the manner of their last minute defeat that they seem likely to rebound with a win against crisis club Palermo.

Maurizio Zamparini, that headline provider for the ages, gave us another corker last week when he decided to sack Alberto Malesani after just three games in charge, and re-appoint the previous coach Gian Piero Gasperini. It would be sad to see Palermo in Serie B, but that's the way that things are heading, and it's hard to see just how they're going to overhaul the six point deficit which currently separates them from safety.

Torino have won three of their last four home games, against better opposition than this, and given that Palermo have only ever won once at Torino, and that Torino have won 15 of those 19 previous encounters, I think that a price of 2.166/5 for a Torino win represents a bit of value.

Recommendation
Back Torino to win @ 2.166/5

Catania v Inter

Inter's draw in the Derby was one of those throwing things at the telly games: they were comprehensively outplayed and should have been well beaten, but Andrea Stramaccioni's team ended up taking advantage of Milan's profligacy to grab a draw.

One way of looking at Ezequiel Schelotto's late equaliser is that it will give Inter momentum and allow them to carry that into this weekend's fixture. Another is to conclude that Inter remain a skeletal shambles and are worth opposing. I tend to subscribe to the latter theory, and feel that Inter are worth taking on at Catania.

Rolando Maran's team has been a revelation this season, and the Sicilians remain in contention for a Champions League place after winning five of their last seven games. They have won nine out of 13 at home this season, and will move above Inter with a victory on Sunday.

I would have priced up Catania rather shorter than the 2.56/4 which is on offer and will be supporting them this weekend. They have already beaten Lazio, Fiorentina and Roma in Sicily, and even though they lost to both Juve and Milan at home, they can take care of Inter.

Recommendation
Back Catania to win @ 2.56/4