Both Parma and Genoa are off to great starts this season. Not much was expected from either club at the beginning of the year. Parma was in Serie D just three years ago, but they won promotion in three successive seasons to make it back to Serie A after financial problems had submarined the team. They are currently in 10th place and doing much better than anyone believed they would.
Meanwhile, Genoa are looking like they have a chance to qualify for European play for the first time in four seasons. Genoa are sitting in 6th place with 12 points through their first six matches, and they have picked up nice results. A win over Parma would certainly bolster their chances of a top six finish this season.
Don't miss the Italian Serie A action from Stadio Comunale Luigi Ferraris in Genoa, Italy at 6:30 a.m. ET on Sunday, October 7, 2018. Catch every moment of the match live on ESPN2.
Italian Serie A Betting Odds at BookMaker.eu
Parma +354
Genoa -125
Draw +266
Over/Under 2.5
Odds Analysis
Through seven games, Parma are sitting on 10 points with a record of 3-1-3. That record has their fans celebrating considering their slate at the start of the year. Parma have already faced Juventus, Inter Milan, and Napoli, and while they weren’t able to get a point against either Napoli or Juventus, they did stun Inter Milan on the road. A Federico Dimarco 79th minute goal was the lone score in the game and Parma got the full three points despite having just 26 percent of the possession.
Genoa have only played one of the top teams in Italy through their first six games, but you can’t begrudge any team with a 4-0-2 record this early on. They fell on the road to Lazio, but they have knocked off Empoli, Bologna, Chievo, and Frosinone through the first month of the season. They have relied on their defense in those wins, giving up just two goals total in the four victories.
Injury Report
Center back Lisandro Lopez is the only player certain to miss this match on the side of Genoa. He has been out since mid-September with a thigh injury, and he is not expected to make his return until after the international break. Defender David Biraschi is considered doubtful to miss the match as he continues to recover from a broken hand, while forward Gianluca Lapadula is questionable with a thigh injury.
For Parma, there are a number of injury concerns. Midfielder Gervinho and defender Federico Dimarco are considered doubtful to play in this match. Defender Francisco Sierralta, forward Roberto Inglese, and midfielders Gianni Munari and Jacopo Dezi are listed as questionable too. Midfielders Matteo Scozzarella and Alberto Grassi have returned to training and could feature in this match to give the team a boost.
Player to Watch
Genoa forward Krzysztof Piatek is off to a blistering hot start this season. The club acquired him for just 4 million Euros this offseason, and that investment is looking incredibly shrewd at the moment. Piatek has tallied 12 goals in seven matches across all competitions, and every major club in Europe has taken notice. His start is the best for any player making his Serie A debut in almost 70 years, and he has been the catalyst for this team’s current place in the table.
Serie A Prop Bet – First half under 1 and 1.5 at -185
Usually, I take props that are positive odds and hope to hit 40 percent of them, but the value in this is too good to pass up. Piatek is a dynamic scorer, but he is the lone offensive talent in this match. Only three Genoa goals have come from someone other than him, and Parma will focus their defensive energy on slowing him down. Parma have allowed just three goals to teams not named Juventus or Napoli, and they should remain firm in the back.
Free Soccer Betting Pick
It feels like Parma will eventually score a goal in this one considering Genoa have had some hiccups at the back, and that has me shying away from Genoa on the moneyline. Instead, I think this will end up as a low-scoring draw.
Italian Serie A Odds: Parma 1, Genoa 1
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