Atalanta vs Juventus Serie A Matchday 13 Odds & Betting Preview
- It’s top versus fifth in round 13 of Serie A this weekend
- Atalanta hoping that home advantage will give them the edge over Juve
- Juve +139 for the away win
Juve sits top of Serie A but the lead is a slender one and this weekend they have a tricky task as they head to Bergamo to play fifth-placed Atalanta.
The draw is the biggest price at +233, but is that where the value is? We’ll take a closer look.
Atalanta vs Juventus Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total | Odds to Win Serie A |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atalanta | pk +0.5 (-122) | +178 | O 2.5, 3.0 (-103) | +3300 |
| Juventus | pk -0.5 (+102) | +139 | U 2.5, 3.0 (-117) | -250 |
| Draw | N/A | +233 | N/A | N/A |
Odds taken on Nov. 20, 2019
The Rise and Rise of Atalanta
Atalanta’s rise to prominence in Serie A and Europe is the story in Italian soccer at the moment. Under the guidance of Gian Piero Gasperini, one of Serie A’s most experienced coaches, the club has been transformed from also-rans into serious challengers. So much so, they are competing, for the first time, in this season’s Champions League.
In an exceptional 2018/19 season, they finished third in Serie A, ahead of both Milan teams and both Rome teams, and behind only champions Juventus and Napoli. Currently, they sit in fifth, outside the Champions League places by only a single point, and look well set to earn a place in Europe next season.
Atalanta are however in the middle of a poor run of form and have won just once in their last five Serie A games. Last time out they were held to a goalless draw in Genoa against Sampdoria, making it two successive games without scoring – a rarity for the league’s highest scorers, who have scored ten more goals than Juve so far this season.
Patchy Defense in Bergamo
On the flip-side of their goals for column, Atalanta’s goals against makes for unhappy reading for a team with European ambitions and averaging 1.5 goals against per game is a stat that needs to be improved upon. Only one other team in Serie A’s top half (Fiorentina) have conceded more goals.
Equally concerning is that Atalanta’s recent home form has been patchy, winning just two of their last five league games at the Gewiss Stadium, although they have remained full of goals, scoring at least twice in seven of their last eight home league games.
I don’t see this one ending 0-0.
Head-to-Head Stats
| 6 / 12 | Number of wins / Games played | 10 / 12 |
| 2 | Number of losses | 0 |
| 4 | Number of draws | 2 |
| 30 | Goals scored | 20 |
| 18 | Goals conceded | 9 |
| 181 / 100 | Total shots for / Shots on target | 148 / 85 |
| 102 / 57 | Total shots against / Shots on target | 103 / 58 |
| 55.9% | Average ball possession per game | 58.3% |
| 7 -1 vs Udinese (h) | Biggest win | 2-0 vs SPAL (h) |
| 0-2 vs Cagliari (h) | Heaviest loss | No defeats |
Old Lady Top of the Table
Juve are in the familiar position of being top of Serie A and have started the campaign with a 10-2-0 record. It hasn’t been completely plain sailing though and they are only a single point ahead of Inter, who are also flying.
The Old Lady have also had a few off-field issues to contend with, including a disgruntled Cristiano Ronaldo publicly remonstrating after being substituted in consecutive games and a ‘will he, won’t he’ saga around Paulo Dybala’s reported desire to want to leave the club in the summer. As things stand both matters now, for the time being at least, appear to have been resolved.
Atalanta are in the middle of a poor run of form and have won just once in their last five Serie A games.
Juve’s away form has been excellent and they head to Bergamo with a record of four wins and two draws in their six away games so far. Unlike their opponents though, they haven’t been full of goals, especially on the road, and have scored just seven goals in their last nine away games. Where they have succeeded though is by finding a way to pick up points, even when they are not playing well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJmQv2cJe7c
In terms of head-to-heads, unsurprisingly it’s Juventus who dominate. In their 128 meetings, Juve have won 70, Atalanta 15 with 43 draws, we have to go back to 2001 to find the last of those Atalanta wins in the league. It was close last season though, with both Serie A games ending in draws and in the Coppa Italia, Atalanta recorded a famous 3-0 win.
Value With the Draw?
So, an Atalanta win is long overdue and it would be a fitting time for their barren run to end but their propensity to concede too many goals may come back to haunt them. While Juve are not flying at the moment, they do still have a happy knack of getting the job done and it’s hard to see the home defense keeping the Bianconeri’s attack quiet for the full 90 minutes.
I’m tempted by the away win, partly due to Atalanta’s dip in form, but equally, they are Serie A’s leading scorers for a reason. So, for that reason, I’m going for an entertaining draw, maybe a 2-2.
Pick: Juve and Atalanta to draw (+233)
Once just a sports fanatic, fan-turned-writer Gary Gowers has been featured on European television and radio networks to discuss several professional football clubs. His work can be found in an assortment of publications like The Metro, MyFootballWriter.com, and BBC Radio Norfolk.
