Winning Serie A is out of the question for Inter Milan this season, but the club can finish as high as third and earn a spot in next year’s Champions League. Inter are at the head of a three-team race for two spots at the moment. They are sitting on 47 points, while AC Milan is right behind with 45 points, and Roma is breathing down both of their necks with 44 points. At least one of those three teams will be left out of the 2019-20 Champions League, and Inter are looking to make sure it won’t be them. That’s why grabbing all three points against Cagliari this Friday is important.
Don't miss the Italian Serie A action from Sardegna Arena in Cagliari, Sardinia at 2:30 p.m. ET on Friday, March 1, 2019. Catch every moment of the match live on ESPN News.
Serie A Betting Odds at BookMaker.eu
Cagliari +375
Inter Milan -131
Draw +265
Over/Under 2.5
Odds Analysis
Cagliari sit in 14th place in the table coming into this match. They are currently the best team of the clubs most at risk for relegation, and they are out to ensure their survival. The Sardinian club has been pretty solid at home this season. Playing on an island away from the Italian mainland has its advantages, and they are 4-6-2. With 75 percent of their points thus far coming at home, they are more dependent upon getting results at home than most clubs.
Internazionale are on to the next round of the Europa League after a 5-0 aggregate win over Rapid Vienna. They have picked up a result in each of their last three Serie A matches too, but they were disappointed to have to settle for a draw. A very dubious penalty was awarded late in extra time, and its conversion in the 11th minute was the latest we have ever seen a goal scored in modern Serie A history. That left Inter feeling wronged in a 3-3 draw.
Injury Report
The hosts are dealing with a number of injuries, and that has led to Cagliari losing four of their last five, being shut out in each of the losses. Lucas Nahuel Castro is lost for the season, and Ragnar Klavan will be out for another month. Alessandro Deiola will miss the match too due to yellow card accumulation. Valter Birsa, Cyril Thereau, Alberto Cerri, and Kiril Despodov are all questionable, and the club is hoping Fabrizio Cacciatore can return after a month out.
There are only a handful of injuries to report for Inter, but they are big. Sime Vrsaljko has been lost for the season, and star forward Mauro Icardi continues to miss matches as the result of off-field drama. Andrea Palazzi is questionable to play with a calf injury and has been out for nearly two months.
Player to Watch
If Cagliari are going to win points from this match, Leonardo Pavoletti has to make his presence felt. The veteran forward has scored nine goals this year, and notched a brace in his club’s last home game, but he has been largely absent against the best teams in Italy. He has yet to score against any of the top eight clubs in Serie A this season, and that’s concerning.
Serie A Prop Bet – Inter Milan to win to nil +177
I love this bet. Inter beat Cagliari 2-0 when these sides met in Milan earlier this season, and Cagliari has had a very hard time scoring against the best teams in Italy. It may take some time for Inter to score, but I think they will break through at some point and hold from there.
Free Soccer Betting Pick
Given Cagliari’s recent scoring drought and struggles against top teams, I like Inter Milan and the under in Friday’s Serie A tilt.
Italian Serie A Odds: Inter Milan 1, Cagliari 0
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