Serie A Betting Odds, Soccer Picks & Predictions for Matchday 1: Back Atalanta & a Sunday Over

The Serie A season officially kicks off and does so with a somewhat small slate for such a big day in Italy.

Our first wager of the Serie A season will take place in the Stadio Luigi Ferraris where Sampdoria are hosting Atalanta.

Serie A Matchday 1 Picks and Predictions:

Sampdoria vs. Atalanta Pick: Atalanta Moneyline | -129 on BetRivers

Saturday, August 13 | 12:30 p.m. ET

Atalanta are one of those teams who bettors share a love/hate relationship with. Full of talent and always on the cusp of something special, they tend to tease you just enough to get you excited and slowly break your heart.

Last season was strictly heartbreak; an eighth place finish in the table is sure to leave a sour taste in the mouths of Atalanta fans given their expectations as a result of past years success.

A short exhibition schedule consisting of three matches (two of which were losses) is hardly enough to get the fans excited entering the new campaign, but we’re backing the teams experience to start the season off on the right foot and without the distraction of European Soccer this season. It provides an opportunity to focus on one competition.

Sampdoria did not fare any better than their opponents, having finished the 2021-22 Serie A campaign in 15th place and escaping relegation to Serie B by six points.

With only three exhibition matches to prepare for what is likely to be another tough season in Italy’s top division, there is some room for optimism having escaped defeat in all three, and scoring in all three while conceding only two goals.

They carried that momentum into their Coppa Italia match with a 1-0 victory over Reggina and look to build on that this Saturday. Unfortunately, with such little done in the way of recruitments during the transfer window, it’s hard to see how this squad has much of an improvement on their finishing position in the table this season.

History is on the side of Atalanta who have won their last four opening day fixtures while smashing the opponents goal 13 times in the process. The head-to-head meetings are even more in favour of Atalanta who have taken the win in all three of their last meetings losing only once in their last seven head-to-head matches vs. Sampdoria.

We’re backing a now fully fit Duvan Zapata to carry Atalanta to their first win of the season.

Fiorentina vs. Cremonese Pick: Over 2.5 | -157 on BetRivers

Sunday, August 14 | 12:30 p.m. ET

Fiorentina should be entering the new campaign in a good state of mind. They enter without the distraction of their now departed star striker Dusan Vlahovic who joined Juventus last season which in truth, is a big loss for any team in the world when your source of goals suddenly departs your squad.

Even so, they managed to finish seventh in the table and will be partaking in European Soccer as a result of that finish. Unfortunately, their pre-season schedule had mixed results. Having won their first three matches, they then lost two of their last three and drawing one in the process.

A bright spot of all this; their attacking in the final third has been on point minus one dull 0-0 draw, having scored 17 goals in those matches leading up to the season opener at the Stadio Artemio Franchi where they host newly promoted side Cremonese.

It’s been a long wait for Cremonese (26 years to be exact) since they last squared off in the Serie A. A rather impressive exhibition schedule in which they won three of their four matches led by an offensive attack that would have you confused for one of the best in the world.

They tallied 15 goals in those four matches proceeded to carry that momentum into their Coppa Italia match vs. Ternana in which they won 3-2. Not sure where the goals are coming from, but they are coming and we hope they can net at least one in their season debut vs. Fiorentina.

While Cremonese has been scoring in bunches, Fiorentina also have an impressive defensive record both at home and against newly appointed sides.

Fiorentina earned four clean sheets from their last five games at home last season and won all three of their home games vs. newly promoted sides conceding zero goals.

We’re backing this hot Cremonese side to find the back of the net a single time, although it is also entirely possible Fiorentina hit the over themselves.

Take the Over 2.5 with confidence and let’s end the weekend right.