Week 3 of the 2020-21 Italian Serie A season kicks off Friday, October 2, with the Fiorentina versus Sampdoria showdown at Stadio Artemio Franchi in Florence.
It’s always a special occasion when the Violets face off against La Samp, and we will see a great game Friday, as both rivals will look to bounce back from some tough defeats in the previous round. Hereof, we have prepared all need-to-know betting tips and trends along with the best betting pick.
Fiorentina vs. Sampdoria
Three-way: 1: Fiorentina -123; X: +290 Draw; 2: Sampdoria +370
Spread -1.0: Fiorentina +134; Sampdoria -156
Total 2.5 Goals: Over -128; Under +114
Both Teams to Score: Yes -133; No +116
FIORENTINA
The Violets opened the season with a 1-0 home victory over Torino. It was a good performance by Fiorentina in general, so the Violets entered their Week 2 clash with a lot of confidence but suffered a painful 4-3 defeat at Inter.
They had a 3-2 lead with three minutes to go in the second half, but Inter scored twice in two minutes and somehow escaped with a victory. The Violets will certainly need some time to get over this loss, as they were so close to pulling off an upset as +550 underdogs.
Frank Ribery made a couple of dishes against Inter, and the 37-year-old veteran is still one of the key players in this Fiorentina team. The Violets don’t have any injury worries ahead of Friday’s game, so we should see their best eleven on the pitch.
Betting Trends:
- Fiorentina is undefeated in five straight home games, winning three times in the process
- Four of Fiorentina’s last five games produced three or more goals in total
- Fiorentina conceded in six straight home matchups with Sampdoria
SAMPDORIA
La Samp had a tough road challenge in their opening game of the 2020-21 Serie A season. They visited the reigning champs Juventus and suffered a 3-0 defeat, but that was pretty much expected. However, their 3-2 home loss to Benevento in the second round was a huge upset.
Sampdoria was a -140 fave to beat Benevento, but the visitors made a huge comeback, overcoming a 2-0 deficit. Benevento made it 2-1 until halftime and added a couple of goals more in the second 45 minutes.
Although they had a big lead after just 18 minutes of play, La Samp didn’t impress, and they finished the clash with just five shots towards Benevento’s goalie. On the other side, they allowed 11 shots towards Emil Audero, and Sampdoria had the ball in possession for only 43 percent of the time.
As well as their Friday’s opponents, La Samp can count on all their players.
Betting Trends:
- Sampdoria is winless in six straight Serie A games, tallying five losses in the process
- Seven of Sampdoria’s last nine games produced three or more goals in total
- Both teams scored in five of Sampdoria’s last seven outings
Match Prediction
On paper, Fiorentina is a better team than Sampdoria, and the Violets look like they are playing in a better form than La Samp. However, the visitors will be keen to make amends for a very disappointing home loss in the previous round, while the Violets will have to rebound after dropping a huge lead on the road.
Therefore, I’m looking for both teams to find the net. Neither side have impressed defensively through the first two games of the season, while the previous 10 encounters between Fiorentina and Sampdoria saw both teams scoring.
La Samp failed to score in two of its last five outings on the road, but on both occasions, they visited Juventus. In the other three road contests during that span, Sampdoria netted seven goals in total.
The Pick: Both Teams to Score YES at -133
