Serie A: Juventus vs Bologna Odds
Juve’s 2023-24 Home Opener
Juve Contender or Pretender in 2023-24?
Italian giants Juventus won nine Serie A titles in a row from 2011-12 to 2019-20. They’re going for a record 37th Scudetto in 2023-24 but haven’t won a title in any of the last three seasons. They opened their season up with a confidence-boosting 3-0 win at Udinese and host Bologna on Sunday. Bologna’s early-season schedule is brutal as they faced AC Milan on Monday before heading to Turin. We’ll preview the Juventus vs. Bologna odds for this Serie A Matchday 2 game.
Juventus vs Bologna
Day/Time:
Location: Allianz Stadium, Turin, Italy
Head-to-Head:
Juventus managed a 1-1-0 record vs. Bologna on the Serie A schedule last season. The match at the Allianz Stadium finished 3-0 to Juventus, and these sides drew 1-1 in Bologna. Bologna has struggled in this fixture recently and hasn’t picked up a win since 2011. Two of the last three fixtures have finished in draws, but Bologna have scored just four times in the last 10 Serie A meetings.
Juventus Dominant in Opener
Juventus started their Serie A season in style by going 3-0 up at halftime at Udinese. Federico Chiesa opened up the scoring with an unstoppable shot in the second minute. Striker Dusan Vlahovic doubled Juve’s lead on a penalty, and Adrien Rabiot scored on a header before the halftime whistle. It was undoubtedly a welcome sight for Juve fans to see Chiesa and Vlahovic on the scoresheet.
Both players dealt with injury problems last season but are two of the Bianconeri’s most promising players. Last season, Juventus’ raw record was enough to finish in fourth place. However, the Italian Football Federation deducted 10 points from Juve, so they finished seventh place in the Serie A standings. Plus, their Financial Fair Play violations meant they were banned from European competition this season. So, Massimiliano Allegri’s side will focus on Serie A and the Coppa Italia this season.
Juve has one of the most talented rosters in Serie A but has been underwhelming for the last couple of seasons. Keeping their players healthy will be critical as they try to challenge for the Scudetto this season. Paul Pogba missed the opener vs. Udinese, but he could be in contention to get time vs. Bologna. Here, the Juventus vs Bologna odds price the Bianconeri as favorites for Sunday’s match.
Bologna’s Difficult Early-Season Schedule
Bologna faces a baptism by fire in their first few Serie A matches. They opened the season with AC Milan, take on Juventus on Sunday, and have Napoli in a few weeks. They lost 2-0 to AC Milan on the first Matchday of the season but had some solid passages of play. Bologna outshot AC Milan, kept more of the ball, and completed more passes on the Serie A stats sheet.
While that won’t be much consolation for coach Thiago Motta, there are definite positives to take away from their first match. It will be a much different atmosphere for Bologna on Sunday as they head to the Allianz Arena. Recent matches there have not been kind to them, and their last road win over Juventus was in 2011.
Bologna is frequently a mid-table side, and they finished in ninth place last season. That was their best league finish since the 2011-12 season. Riccardo Orsolini scored 11 goals for Bologna last season, while Marko Arnautovic wasn’t far behind, with 10. Arnautovic joined Inter Milan on loan, and Bologna just signed Jesper Karlsson from AZ Alkmaar to replace him.
Match Analysis & Odds
While Musa Barrow and Adama Soumaoro are out with injuries for Bologna, Moise Kean and Mattia De Sciglio are out for Juventus. For this match in Turin, the Juventus vs Bologna odds list Juve as a -215 moneyline favorite. Juventus -1, -1.5 also shows +110 odds.
However, Bologna has lost just one of their last six matches dating back to last season. Bettors can take Bologna +1, +1.5 at -130 odds, and two of the previous three meetings have finished in draws. Still, Juve have won by at least two goals in five of the last seven head-to-head matchups.
In each of the last two seasons, Juventus have failed to reach the 60-goal threshold for the season. Previously, that last happened for the Bianconeri back in the 2010-11 season. With a three-goal performance in their opener, it certainly looks possible they’ll get back to where they belong this season. Both over 2.5 and under 2.5 goals come in at -110 odds for this match, though. Meanwhile, a Bologna upset is priced at +590 odds, and a draw sits at +340 for Sunday’s game.
For Serie A predictions, odds, and analysis, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.
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