Monday 05/05/2014, 22:00, Italy Serie A, Round 36, Lazio vs Verona
Lazio vs Verona Betting Preview
Lazio and Verona are tied for the ninth place in Serie A, a disappointing result for the former, but quite an achievement for the latter. At least in theory, both teams are still in the race for a Europa League berth, but in order to keep their hopes alive they need to win tonight as a draw doesn't help anyone. They have a game in hand over Inter Milano who sits five points above them and there are still two more rounds to be played, so anything can happen.
Lazio vs Verona Betting Odds
Lazio 1.70, Draw 4.30, Verona 5.20
Lazio vs Verona Betting Tips
Verona's resurgence began in the last day of March, when they trashed Genoa at home and one week later they won the city derby against Chievo. They managed to keep a clean sheet in both games and hadn't it been for the 3-5 defeat to Fiorentina, they would be riding the longest winning streak of all Serie A teams.
Verona rebounded quickly and won consecutive games, including an inspiring 4-0 victory over Catania this weekend. They travel to the nation's capital, confident in their chances to prevail and with nothing left to lose, they are expected to use three strikers, including Luca Toni.
The striker scored 19 goals this season, a remarkable performance for a 36-year-old who was regarded by many as unable to play at the highest level. Toni will be joined upfront by Itrube and Taleb, two Argentinians that scored a combined 11 goals in 2014.
Lazio was less impressive this April and only won consecutive games once, with the explanation for the subpar season being a lack of offensive options. Klose remains their most prolific strikers, but with seven goals scored so far he is only a shadow of the player that used to lead Germany to victory in international games.
Keita and Candevra were Reja's choices recently, with the latter being actually a midfielder turned striker. Much to his credit, Candevra made a smooth transition and is Lazio's top scorer with 12 goals.
Key Facts
- The two teams met 10 times so far and each time the hosts won the points, with Lazio winning all five games played in front of their fans.
- In the last five head to head games a total of 31 goals were scored, for a remarkable average of six goals per game
Lazio vs Verona Betting Prediction
The most obvious bet would be on more than 2.5 goals to be scored, but the bookmakers know better than to give high odds for this outcome. Since it is difficult to go against tradition, punters should back the hosts at odds of 1.70 with Pinnacle Sports to win their sixth consecutive home game over Verona.
Bet: Lazio @ 1.70 with Pinnacle Sports
