6.5.2018.

PICKS OF THE DAY

Lazio - Atalanta

Tip : 3+ (over 2.5)

Odd : 1.75

FT : ??

Lazio managed to win 1-0 at Torino last weekend, which put them four points clear of Inter Milan in the race for Champions League football. Lazio look strong in fourth place ahead of the final three matches of the season, and they are aiming to see off sixth placed Atalanta on Sunday and close in on a return to the biggest stage. Can they secure a huge home win, with a massive clash against Inter Milan looming on the final day of the season?

Atalanta are pushing for a European place, as they’ve edged ahead of the pack in the fight for the Europa League. They have won three on the bounce to put themselves in the driving seat, but is this a bridge too far for la Dea? Having enjoyed a brilliant run in Europe already this term, the visitors know exactly what is on the line during the run-in, so they’re bound to be focused on keeping their spot in the top six.

The hosts are setting records and speeding towards a strong finish, as Lazio have picked up 70 points so far, two fewer than their best ever tally in a Serie A season (72 in season 1999-2000, when they won their last Scudetto). They picked up 70 last season on their way to a fifth placed finish – being pipped by Atalanta in the end – and now the Aquile can break their record and move within reach of booking a Champions League spot. With two wins from their next two, they’ll be confirmed in the top four before hosting Inter on the final day, which would save Simone Inzaghi from plenty of stress.

The Aquile can step things up a gear in order to book their top four finish, but they’re taking on an Atalanta side who have scored in seven of their last eight matches. The visitors have found the net in 88% of their trips this season, averaging 1.5 goals per game on the road. These two played out a 3-3 draw in the reverse fixture, while the last three encounters have seen 16 goals scored. With that in mind, this could be a really entertaining match.

Lazio come in to this one as the top scorers in the league, while no one has managed to pick up more points in the last eight Serie A matches than these two teams. Having scored 2.47 goals per game at home this season, we expect another big scoring game for the goal-friendly Aquile, after seeing over 2.5 goals land in 77% of their league matches this season, so over 2.5 looks like great value.

Udinese - Inter

Tip : 2&GG (away win & over 2.5)

Odd : 3.50

FT : ??

Inter Milan were having a fantastic time throughout the Derby d’Italia last weekend, until their bitter rivals Juventus struck twice late on to escape with three points from the San Siro. Meanwhile, Udinese spent last weekend trading blows with bottom side Benevento, who are already relegated to Serie B. Despite the Witches of the South already being out of the survival race and lagging behind in terms of quality, the Zebrette still couldn’t control that game, as they played out a really entertaining 3-3 draw.

While that thriller was great for the neutral, it wasn’t so great for Udinese. They are now 13 games without a win, and they’re hanging ominously above the drop zone thanks to that terrible run. There’s just three points keeping them clear of danger as things stand, and given how the Zebrette are playing, there’s plenty of reason to panic at the Dacia Arena this weekend. Will that motivate them to a victory against Champions League chasing Inter?

The visitors are aiming to take advantage of a side who have a single point from 12 matches, as they lost 11 straight games before their poor display at Benevento. Meanwhile, Inter won their last away trip, and they should have taken something from their clash with champions Juventus on Saturday night. However, that loss has left them four points shy of the top four, so they can’t afford any kind of slip in the next few games as they try to climb back into the Champions League spots.

Udinese are out to end an awful run of form against Inter, having lost 12 of their last 17 meetings with the Nerazzurri. The hosts have also lost each of their last four home Serie A meetings against Inter, conceding at least two goals in each game. Having lost five home matches on the spin, conceding exactly two goals in all of those, we fully expect another defeat for the hosts on Sunday.

However, Udinese have lost 2-1 in three of their last four home games, while their last five Serie A games have seen both teams score. Inter aren’t exactly the most solid side on the road, while the Zebrette have scored in 77% of their home matches this term. With both teams scoring in five of their last six encounters, we’re going with Inter to win and both teams to score. On top of that, we’re backing a 2-1 away win, which has landed in almost a quarter of Udinese’s home matches.