Roma vs Napoli Odds & Prediction – Serie A Matchday 9
- Leading team Napoli heads to Rome after eight straight wins at 12pm ET on Sunday
- Fourth-placed Roma must recover after a shock defeat by Norwegian minnows in Europe
- See the odds, best bets and preview for Roma vs Napoli – Italy Serie A Matchday 9
Jose Mourinho’s Roma will have to recover from one of the shock European competition results of the week when it hosts in-form Italian league leaders Napoli on Sunday.
In the worst defeat of his glittering managerial career, Mourinho’s side was thrashed 6-1 away from home against Norwegian minnows Bodo/Glimt last Thursday.
Roma vs Napoli Odds
| Matchup | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roma vs Napoli | ROM +0.5 (-165) | NAP -0.5 (+145) | ROM +190 | NAP +145 | DRAW +250 | Ov 2.5 (-150) | Un 2.5 (+120) |
Odds as of October 23 at DraftKings
Although it was a weakened Roma side, the result in the Europa Conference League still stunned Italian football with one newspaper there branding the result a disaster.
Furthermore, it was hardly ideal preparation for the crunch Serie A clash this weekend with a Napoli team that has won all eight of its league fixtures so far.
100% Record for Napoli
That has handed Napoli a two-point lead over second-placed AC Milan. And it makes the Neapolitans the only team in Europe’s top five leagues to still retain a 100% win record so far.
Meanwhile, Roma is in fourth place after five wins and three defeats. Moreover, the huge setback in Norway followed a 1-0 league defeat at Juventus last week.
https://youtu.be/3yX5fZIWFO4
Napoli concurrently continued its stunning league campaign with a 1-0 defeat of Torino last time out in Serie A.
It was additionally a 3-0 winner in the Europa League at home against Legia Warsaw last Thursday.
Napoli remain the only team in Europe's top five leagues with a 100% record after Victor Osimhen's winner vs Torino 👌
All in their brand new Halloween kit 👀 pic.twitter.com/nlXis6H5rs
— GOAL (@goal) October 17, 2021
Therefore, given the comparatively contrasting weeks these teams have been through, oddsmakers at DraftKings make Napoli a +145 favorite for an away win.
With kick-off at 12pm ET, Roma, meanwhile, is priced at +190 with the draw at +250.
Undoubtedly, this is a major fixture for both teams. And despite Napoli’s winning record, Mourinho’s Roma cannot afford to lose. So the draw certainly looks the best option here.
Napoli has scored 19 goals in Serie A while conceding only three times
Napoli coach Luciano Spalletti is in his first season in charge of the club and is making a superb job of it so far. However, he has twice before managed Roma.
Indeed, in racking up its eight straight league victories, Napoli has scored 19 goals in Serie A while conceding only three times.
It has, however, met only one team from inside the current top eight – recording a 2-1 defeat of Juventus on Matchday Three.
So despite Roma’s troubled week, this trip to the capital is also being seen as a major test of the seriousness of Napoli’s title challenge.
Nevertheless, Napoli will be buoyed by the fact that it has been impressive away from home in particular; winning 4-0 at both Sampdoria and Udinese.
Tasty goals in #RomaNapoli: which one do you prefer? 😋😋😋#SerieA💎 #WeAreCalcio pic.twitter.com/P5ezmkAJF4
— Lega Serie A (@SerieA_EN) October 21, 2021
Spalletti’s men are attempting to surpass the best start in Serie A history of 12 straight wins, set by Roma in 2013-14.
Certainly, too, it will take hope from the fact that it has won all three of its most recent meetings with Roma.
Away Win in Rome Last March
There was a 2-0 win for the Naples outfit in Rome last March.
Napoli hammered Roma at home by 4-0 last November. Additionally, Napoli was a 2-1 winner beforehand in July last year.
Meanwhile, Roma coach Mourinho suddenly finds himself under pressure early in his tenure at the club.
So he will have to call upon all his powers of motivation to ensure his team gets a good result this weekend.
Serie A Roma vs Napoli Statistics
| 5 | Wins | 8 |
| 0 | Draws | 0 |
| 3 | Losses | 0 |
| 16 | Goals | 19 |
| 9 | Goals Against | 3 |
| 17 | Yellow Cards | 15 |
| 1 | Red Cards | 1 |
| 3 | Clean Sheets | 5 |
The Portuguese boss certainly made a good start in the Italian capital – winning his first three Serie A games in charge.
However, things have stuttered with three defeats and two draws since then.
Jose Mourinho suffered one of the most embarrassing defeats of his career as Roma were thrashed 6-1 at minnows Bodo/Glimt in the Europa Conference League last night.
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) October 22, 2021
Significantly, those setbacks included a 3-2 defeat by Lazio in the ferociously contested Roman derby.
Last weekend’s defeat by Juventus further cooled the fans backing for Mourinho.
Home Fans Will Demand Instant Reaction
Now those supporters will be emphatically demanding a major reaction this weekend following the humiliation of the club in Norway.
Indeed, this will be the case even though the team remains unbeaten in Serie A – having scored 16 times while conceding nine goals.
Victor Osimhen tops the charts for Napoli with five Serie A strikes.
The Roman fans will be hoping for more heroics from French midfielder Jordan Veretout who is the team’s leading scorer with four goals in Serie A.
The Nigerian forward Victor Osimhen tops the charts for Napoli with five Serie A strikes.
In conclusion, therefore, there is a lot at stake for both teams in one of Serie A’s biggest matches of the weekend.
So it is likely their needs will cancel each other out with a tight draw a likely prospect – ending Napoli’s winning streak.
Pick: Draw (+250)
John Dillon is a leading member of the UK's sporting media, having spent three decades as a national newspaper soccer and sports writer, broadcaster and author. He has covered five World Cups, six European Championships and was Chief Sports Writer at the Daily Express for 14 years.
