AC Milan – Roma: Rossoneri vs. Giallorossi Serie A Odds
Serie A Match of the Week
Roma Falling Behind in UCL Race
While AC Milan are firmly in Serie A’s top four, AS Roma are falling behind in the race for the Champions League. Heading into Serie A Matchday 20, Roma are in eighth place, four points behind fourth-placed Fiorentina. When Roma head on the road to Milan on Sunday, Jose Mourinho’s side will undoubtedly be looking for all three points but they’ve struggled in recent games vs the Rossoneri. For the Serie A match of the week, we’ll cover the Rossoneri vs Giallorossi Serie A odds.
AC Milan vs Roma
Day/Time:
Location: Stadio San Siro, Milan, Italy
Head-to-Head:
AC Milan have gotten the better of AS Roma in this fixture lately. Back in September, a 10-man Milan managed to defeat Roma 2-1 as Olivier Giroud and Rafael Leao got on the scoresheet. The Rossoneri vs Giallorossi Serie A odds priced both teams at +165 moneyline odds for the match. Milan are unbeaten in their last eight games vs Roma but two of the last three have finished in draws. Plus, both teams have scored in each of the last seven meetings of this fixture, which is something to consider for over under betting.
Milan in Third Place Heading into Weekend
AC Milan hosted Atalanta in the Coppa Italia Quarter-finals on Wednesday at the San Siro. Rafael Leao opened up the scoring for the hosts with a well-taken first time strike before halftime but Teun Koopmeiners equalized just a couple of minutes later. The Rossoneri conceded a penalty in the second half and Koopmeiners stepped up and converted for his second goal of the game. Milan couldn’t find an equalizer and fell 2-1.
Although they are out of the Champions League and the Coppa Italia, the Rossoneri are in the Europa League knockout round and are in third place in the Serie A table. In their last Serie A game, Milan handily defeated Empoli, 3-0. Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Olivier Giroud and Chaka Traore were on target in the match. Traore’s goal was his first for Milan in Serie A in the winger’s second appearance. This season, Olivier Giroud leads the Rossoneri, with nine league goals. Christian Pulisic has scored the most non penalty goals, with six, and Leao has three goals and five assists in Serie A.
Bettors should note that Milan’s squad is rather thin for the next few weeks. Samuel Chukwueze and Ismael Bennacer are both at the Africa Cup of Nations with Nigeria and Algeria, respectively. A few defenders are also out injured, including Pierre Kalulu, Fikayo Tomori and Malick Thiaw. Midfielder Tommaso Pobega is also sidelined for the time being. With games vs Roma, Udinese and Bologna in January, Stefano Pioli will need his side to stay afloat given the absences.
Dybala Doubtful for Roma
AS Roma met with bitter rivals Lazio in the Coppa Italia Quarter-finals on Wednesday. Jose Mourinho handed defender Dean Huijsen his first Giallorossi start in the match. The 18-year old is on loan from Juventus for the rest of the season. In the match, Paulo Dybala departed at halftime with an injury, which hurt Roma’s morale. Huijsen conceded a second half penalty by kicking Valentin Castellanos’ ankle. Mattia Zaccagni stepped up and scored the penalty for Lazio, for the game’s only goal.
Romelu Lukaku had a late opportunity to equalize with a bicycle kick but his effort went sailing over the crossbar. Heading into the weekend, Roma have won just two of their last six matches, in all competitions. If Dybala can’t suit up for this match, it would undoubtedly hurt Roma’s chances. He’s joint-leader in the Serie A stats, with six assists, and he’s also scored five league goals. Lukaku has also found the net eight times in Serie A but Roma are lacking tertiary scoring options.
Forward Sardar Azmoun is off to the AFC Asian Cup with Iran, while defender Evan N’Dicka and midfielder Houssem Aouar are also on international duty. Renato Sanches, Chris Smalling and Tammy Abraham are all out injured as well. Bettors should note that Roma are winless in their last three road games, in all competitions.
Match Analysis & Odds
AC Milan opened as +125 favorites but are now listed at +115 following the news of Dybala’s injury. While Roma tend to somewhat fall apart without Dybala, who still may suit up on Sunday, Milan have one of the most potent front threes in the league. All of Giroud, Leao and Pulisic can cause problems for the Roma defense. The Rossoneri vs Giallorossi Serie A odds currently price Roma as +250 underdogs.
The Giallorossi haven’t defeated AC Milan at the San Siro since 2017. However, Roma have pulled off draws in two of their last three road matches at AC Milan. Here, a draw comes in at +230 odds, which corresponds to an implied 30.3 percent probability. Punters can also take AC Milan pk, -0.5 at -125 and AS Roma pk, +0.5 at +105. AC Milan have won each of their last four home games in Serie A and have outscored their opponents 8-1 during their streak.
Here, both over and under 2, 2.5 goals are priced -110 odds. Bettors should stay on top of any Dybala status updates as confirmation either way could change the betting lines. Either way, this should be one of the most entertaining matches of the weekend in any league.
For Serie A betting news, odds analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.
