Serie A 2021/22 Futures Odds: Juventus -125 Favorites for Scudetto

• After seeing its nine-year reign as Italian champions ended earlier this year, Juventus is once again the favorite to win the Serie A title
• Defending champion Inter is the second favorite after a summer spent offloading talent, while Atalanta boasts the third-best odds
• Read on for a preview, full odds and a best bet with the race for this year’s Scudetto set to begin this weekend

No sooner had Inter Milan ended Juventus’s nine-year reign atop the Italian soccer landscape than team ownership began dismantling the roster that got it there. Strict cost-cutting meant that star wing-back Achraf Hakimi and leading scorer Romelu Lukaku were sold for more than a combined $200-million, while manager Antonio Conte walked away rather than watch his title-winning team blown up.

The end result means the ball is very much in Juventus’ court once again when it comes to winning this year’s Scudetto, beginning this coming weekend. Fresh off an uncharacteristic fourth-place finish in 2020-21, the Old Lady fired club legend Andrea Pirlo and replaced him with the tried and trusted Massimiliano Allegri, who led the team to five of its nine straight titles between 2011-2020. As a result, the club is a clear favorite in the 2022 Serie A odds, and a massive -800 to finish within the top four and grab a Champions League spot.

2021-22 Serie A Odds

Odds as of August 18 at Bet365

Can Inter Repeat?

While it may look all doom and gloom judging from some of the headlines out of Milan, the squad that new manager Simone Inzaghi has inherited is far from hopeless. In fact, most of the defense that conceded a Serie A-low 35 goals last campaign is back for another go-round, backed by captain and goalkeeper Samir Handanovic.

🗞[@MatteMoretto] | Inter Milan forward Lautaro Martinez right now very close to renewing with Inter Milan.

🇦🇷Martinez scored a combined 31 goals and 9 assists in the league in the past two seasons, playing alongside striker Romelu Lukaku.#THFC #COYSpic.twitter.com/7BXMnD35xR

— Last Word On Spurs (@LastWordOnSpurs) August 18, 2021

The midfield is largely unchanged too, although the team will obviously miss Christian Eriksen, while upfront, Lautaro Martinez returns and will look to build on the 17 league goals he had last campaign. Although he will miss playing alongside the imposing figure of Lukaku, the arrival of Edin Dzeko from Roma will help mitigate that somewhat, ensuring that opposing defenders can’t simply mark the Argentine out of the action.

Will Allegri Restore Order?

The experienced Allegri has only ever known success in Turin, having lost just 20 Serie A games in his five previous seasons as head coach of Juventus, and ending each season by lifting the championship trophy.  After the team flirted with Maurizio Sarri and then Pirlo, Juventus has gone back to the serial winner to restore it to its former glory.

Max Allegri for Juventus:

⚽ 271 Games
✅ 191 Wins
🤝 41 Draws
❌ 39 Loses

🎖️🎖️🎖️🎖️ Serie A MOTY

🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 Scudetto
🏆🏆🏆🏆 Coppa Italia
🏆🏆 Supercoppa Italia

Happy 54th Birthday, Mister. 🎉🎂 pic.twitter.com/55l2iEe0dr

— All Juventus News (@alljuventusnews) August 11, 2021

While Cristiano Ronaldo returns following a 29-league goal season, the squad will also be boosted by the arrival of one of Italy’s Euro 2020 standout players, Manuel Locatelli. Allegri’s principal aim will be to continue the team’s resolute defensive play, having given up just 38 goals last time, second behind Inter, while improving its offensive output of just 77 goals.

On this day in 2018, Cristiano Ronaldo made his Juventus debut.

🏆🏆 Serie A titles

🏆🏆 Serie A Footballer of the Year awards

🏆🏆 Italian Super Cups

🏆 Coppa Italia

🏆 Paolo Rossi Award award

CR7 only knows one thing and that's winning ⚫️⚪️ pic.twitter.com/gNtSPVGiCj

— GOAL (@goal) August 18, 2021

Getting more out of Alvaro Morata, who had three goals in Euro 2020 after scoring just 11 in the league last season, would help achieve this aim.

Are AC Milan, Atalanta On the Wane?

After surprising many by finishing second and third, respectively, last season, the jury is out whether both teams can maintain their status as contenders.

On #InternationalGoalkeeperDay, what better time for a Magic Mike #Maignan flash🔙. Count the saves …@mmseize pic.twitter.com/0w6NsPJYgr

— SeanD✪VE (@SeanDxve_) July 31, 2020

AC Milan, back in the Champions League for the first time in seven seasons, are showing no signs of backpedaling, despite losing Italian national team hero and goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma to deep-pocketed Paris Saint-Germain. He will be replaced by Mike Maignan, who had an outstanding season last year leading Lille to the French title. Elsewhere, Milan also picked up Olivier Giroud from Chelsea, and negotiated another two-year loan deal for Brahim Diaz from Real Madrid.

A glorious display from @_OlivierGiroud_ in our friendly win 👏

Una bella doppietta per chiudere il nostro Summer Tour: bravo Oli 👏
Brought to you by @socios #SempreMilan pic.twitter.com/sPnXQQDblg

— AC Milan (@acmilan) August 16, 2021

At Atalanta, the hope will be that head coach Gian Piero Gasperini will be able to maintain the team’s free-scoring ways. With 90 goals last term, Atalanta led the entire Serie A in goal scoring, but the 47 goals it conceded made it comfortably the worst in that department in the top five.

"You shall not pass" 😈 1️⃣, 2️⃣, 3️⃣ ou 4️⃣?@paulopez_13 | @musso_juan | @OfficialASRoma | @Udinese_1896 #sporttvportugal #legaseriea #seriea #ASRoma #Inter #RomaInter #udinesecalcio #udinese #sscnapoli #napoli #napoles #PauLopez #JuanMusso pic.twitter.com/GKDCTl1Jjm

— sport tv (@sporttvportugal) January 11, 2021

Gasperini will hope that the capture of goalkeeper Juan Musso will help shore up the defensive end, although Argentine center-back Cristian Romero will need to be replaced after his move to Tottenham.

Juve In Firm Control

When it comes to the Scudetto, it is hard to look past Juventus. With Ronaldo, Allegri and bucketloads of experience, it would take a bold bettor to put serious money elsewhere for the title. But when it comes to picking the top-four Champions League spots, there are some outside bets worth considering, especially Roma, with Jose Mourinho back in Italy with his first coaching job since leading Inter to the treble in 2010.

Best bet for title: Juventus (-125)

Champions League spots: Juventus (-800), Inter (-275), Atalanta (-250), Roma (+150)