It looks like Cagliari will be safe once again. The Sardinians have been a mid-table Serie A team for much of the last two decades, and the goal has been to just survive. They have finished no higher than ninth in the Serie A table over the last 15 years, but for the small island club, that’s success. Cagliari are currently in 14th place in Italy’s top division, and they have a six point cushion on 18th place Bologna. They would love to extend that lead against Sampdoria on Sunday.
Don't miss the Italian Serie A action from Stadio Comunale Luigi Ferraris in Genoa, Italy at 6:30 a.m. ET on Sunday, February 24, 2019. Catch every moment of the match live on ESPN2.
Serie A Betting Odds at BookMaker.eu
Sampdoria -121
Cagliari +354
Draw +256
Over/Under 2 and 2.5
Odds Analysis
Sampdoria are smack dab in the middle of the table. They are sitting in 10th place with 33 points, but the club still has an outside shot at a spot in Europe as they are just five points back of 6th place Atalanta. Just one month ago, it looked like Sampdoria would have a decent shot at playing in Europe. However, they have lost three straight matches in domestic play. While the losses on the road to both Napoli and Inter Milan require just a shoulder shrug, a home loss to Frosinone was incredibly frustrating.
As for Cagliari, they were able to break a six-match losing streak last weekend against Parma. The Sardinians were shut out in five of those six games (the one non-shutout was a 2-2 home draw with Empoli), so they breathed a huge sigh of relief after Leonardo Pavoletti notched a brace in a 2-1 win.
The first match between these two sides saw no one score in a goalless draw. Cagliari had 14 shots and Sampdoria had 13 shots, but the two teams managed just four shots on goal combined.
Injury Report
Gianluca Caprari has been out for the last month because of a fractured fibula. He probably won’t return to the pitch this season, but he hasn’t been declared out for the year just yet. Karol Linetty will be suspended for this match on the side of Sampdoria due to yellow card accumulation.
There are a lot of injuries to report for Cagliari. Joao Pedro Geraldino will miss the match after getting two yellows against Parma last week, and both Ragnar Klavan and Lucas Nahuel Castro are out for a significant period of time. Alberto Cerri, Filippo Romagna, Luca Pellegrini, Cyril Thereau, and Valter Birsa are all questionable, while Fabrizio Cacciatore is probable.
Player to Watch
Fabio Quagliarella has been a monster for Sampdoria this season. The 36-year old has shown he still has life in his legs, and he is currently tied for third in Serie A with 16 goals through 23 matches. Quagliarealla went on an unbelievable run where he scored in 11 straight matches, and unsurprisingly, 14 of his goals were netted during that time. Right now, he is on a three-match scoreless streak but he is looking to fix that.
Serie A Prop Bet – Under 1 Goal in the First Half -121
For Cagliari, the goal is clear. Defend like mad to try to earn a point and continue to shore up your chances of staying up. They have proven they can do that once already this season, and the visitors would love a repeat of the first match between these sides.
Free Soccer Betting Pick
I see this being a similarly played match to their previous one, with one exception. Sampdoria will grab a goal late in the second half to grab all three points and leave Cagliari disappointed. They have a little too much talent to be shut out for a second time, and this is a good team.
Italian Serie A Odds: Sampdoria 1, Cagliari 0
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