Napoli vs Roma Odds & Preview: Serie A Round 9

• Napoli host Roma in a battle of third- versus fifth-place in Italy’s Serie A on Sunday (2:45 pm ET)
• Both are coming off strong mid-week performances in Europe, and have a legitimate shot at silverware in Italy wide-open first division this season
• Get a breakdown of both clubs, Sunday’s odds and a few value picks below

There will no doubt be a groundswell of emotion on Sunday during Serie A Round 9 at Napoli’s San Paolo Stadium, following the passing of soccer icon and club legend Diego Maradona on Wednesday.

The club is already in talks to rename its stadium after the Argentine legend, and there is sure to be a solemn tribute for the former Napoli frontman.

At 5-0-3, the Gli Azzurri have been hit-and-miss domestically in recent weeks; Gennaro Gattuso’s squad — so efficient in the attack to begin the season — has been limited to two goals in its last three league outings.

Roma (5-2-1) is in excellent form; five-straight wins and five clean sheets from six matches have helped Paulo Fonseca’s Giallorossi claw back into contention and to the top of Group A in Europa League play.

Napoli vs Roma Odds

Odds taken Nov 27 at DraftKings

The veteran names which will be involved on Sunday are astounding.

For Napoli, 33-year-old Dries Mertens is still a threat up front, former Arsenal backup David Ospina has started in goal for approximately half its matches and former Roma man Konstantinos Manolas anchors the defense.

On the Roma side of the matchup, stars of the previous decade lead the line: Pedro and Edin Dzeko spearhead the attack, while ex-United man Chris Smalling anchors the backline.

Diego 💙#FG31 pic.twitter.com/JxKhIEGxwC

— ghoulam faouzi (@GhoulamFaouzi) November 26, 2020

Napoli: Gattuso’s Gladiators

While some doubt certainly remains about Gennaro Gattuso’s managerial credentials, his Napoli side has done enough to remain in the mix during a competitive start to the Serie A campaign.

That said, the Gli Azzurri have not been good against their top-of-the-league contemporaries: Losses to Juventus (0-3) and more recently Milan (1-3) have exposed Napoli’s defense, and Roma certainly boasts an attacking punch with 13 goals over its last four outings.

Napoli vs Roma Stats

Roma: Efficiency Under Fonseca

After two seasons in the Serie A wilderness, it appears Roma has returned to contender status under Portuguese manager Paulo Fonseca.

3 – AS Roma have kept the clean sheet in three successive games in European competitions for the first time since March 2007. Impervious.#UEL #ClujRoma pic.twitter.com/IXNV1A1u0H

— OptaPaolo (@OptaPaolo) November 26, 2020

Five wins in a row — all by multiple goals — have seen his side rocket up the table; the resurgence of leading scorer Henrikh Mkhitaryan after difficult years in England has been one of the feel-good stories of the season. The Armenian is fresh off a brace against Parma last weekend, and notched a hat-trick at Genoa the weekend prior to that.

At +295, he could certainly be in play to make it three straight league games with a goal.

Napoli vs Roma Best Bets

Beyond Mkhitaryan’s torrid form, there is a lot to like about Roma in the matchup.

Good form, strong defensive structure and decent results in this matchup — two wins in the last four meetings at the San Paolo Stadium — should give bettors confidence in the Giallorossi to earn a result.

Napoli’s struggle against good opposition this season should be a cause for concern, both for Sunday’s bettors and the club’s title hopes generally — which are teetering on the brink of extinction following two league losses in its last three games.

Picks: Roma DNB (+135), Roma to win at least one half (-106), Mkhitaryan to score (+295)