Monday Night Football Tips: Inter to be entertainers

Roberto Mancini is finally making a breakthrough at Inter

Serie A will defy critics with a goal-heavy Monday night double header, says Michael Lintorn, who also expects a Porto clean sheet at Boavista...

Napoli v Sassuolo
Monday, 18:00
Live on ESPN

Match Odds: Napoli 1.491/2, Sassuolo 8.415/2, The Draw 4.67/2

Napoli threatened to charge clear in the scrap for Serie A's third Champions League place, only for last week's defeat at Palermo and a Lazio victory to apply a semblance of pressure. However, a win against Sassuolo will repair that damage, moving them five clear of fourth and three behind Roma in second.

Sassuolo are no idiots though, with the recent reverse to Fiorentina just their second in eight Serie A outings. Napoli conceded in five of their last six home league games, including three times to Cagliari and twice to Empoli. Their latest visitors are above both and haven't been shut out in eight road trips.

Recommended Bet: Back both teams to score @ 1.824/5

Cagliari v Inter
Monday, 20:00
Live on ESPN

Match Odds: Cagliari 3.613/5, Inter 2.285/4, The Draw 3.45n/a

Roberto Mancini appears to have detected life-form at Inter. Two wins in his first ten Serie A fixtures back in charge created doubt as to his prospects of reviving them, particularly after they lost the latter two to Torino and Sassuolo, but they have rallied to thrash Palermo 3-0 and Atalanta 4-1.

A midweek Europa League draw at Celtic slowed things, yet the 3-3 result hinted that they at least have their attacking strategy sorted. The Nerazzurri are clean sheet-less in four on their travels and Cagliari have the artillery to extend that, having scored and leaked in each of their past seven encounters.

Recommended Bet: Back both teams to score @ 1.824/5

Boavista v Porto
Monday, 20:00
Live on BT Sport 1

Match Odds: Boavista 17.016/1, Porto 1.271/4, The Draw 6.411/2

Boavista's price looks enormous in the context of their name value and the fact that they are the sole Portuguese team besides Lisbon giants Benfica and Sporting to have avoided defeat at Porto's Estadio Do Dragao this season.

The bigger picture makes sense of that though: it was one of a mere five points from a possible 45 that they have earned against the 12 clubs above them since returning to the top tier, while Porto hoovered up 21 of their last available 24 in the competition.

The Champions League side have kept three successive league clean sheets and 13 in 21 in 2014/15, whereas Boavista's only goal in their past four matches across the board was a 90th-minute penalty.

Recommended Bet: Back Porto to keep a clean sheet @ 1.728/11