NAPOLI have made a stunning start to the season and if they can chalk up a third successive UEFA Champions League victory against Ajax in Amsterdam then they will put one foot in the last 16.
The Naples giants renamed their stadium in honour of Diego Maradona and they haven't been in this kind of form since the great man was strutting his stuff at the San Paolo back in the 1980s.
Saturday's 3-1 victory over Torino was their sixth win in a row and Luciano Spalletti's men have now gone 10 games unbeaten since the start of the season.
The most impressive of their eight triumphs so far was a 4-1 battering of Liverpool on Matchday One of the Champions League, with their high-octane first half bringing up one of my bets.
Napoli followed that up by beating Rangers 3-0 at Ibrox, justifying our nap for the Wednesday Football Tips, and they now face another intimidating road trip with a clash at the Johan Cruyff Arena.
Ajax also started the season in a style befitting their most famous son, with a 4-0 Champions League rout of Rangers one of seven successive victories.
But the concession of a late goal at Anfield seems to have deflated them a bit, with that 2-1 loss to Liverpool followed by a domestic defeat at Alkmaar then a 1-1 draw with Go Ahead Eagles.
Alfred Schreuder needs a response from his players and the looming Champions League double-header with Napoli will hold the key to their chances of qualifying for the knockout stages.
How the bookies view it
This is one of the toughest Champions League games to call this week but the bookies make Ajax favourites at a best 13/10 with SBK. Napoli are 43/20 at Unibet while the draw pays 29/10 with VBet.
Head to head
These sides have only faced off once before in Europe and that came in the 1969/70 Fairs Cup. It was Ajax who came out on top, winning 4-0 in Amsterdam after losing the first leg 1-0 in Naples. But the victory wasn't as comprehensive as the scoreline suggests, with that second leg going to extra time.
Players to watch
Mohamed Kudus has scored in both group games so far for Ajax and I cashed in by backing him to have a shot on target at Anfield. The striker is 12/5 with Paddy Power for a goal here but the odds for a shot on target have sadly fallen from evens against Liverpool to just 1/2 with Unibet for this one.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia has let me down when I've tipped him to score but he still looks a massive threat down the flanks for Napoli. He's 3/1 at Bet365 for a goal in Amsterdam but it might be better backing him for an assist once that market is priced up.
Anything else catch the eye?
We should see some action in this one, with over 2.5 goals coming up in five of the last six games for both teams. Sadly, that bet is a best 3/5 at Betway while BTTS is even shorter at 8/15 with William Hill. But over 3.5 strikes pays 16/11 at SportNation while over 1.5 first-half goals is 11/8 at Coral.
These teams look pretty evenly matched and the half-time draw is always a good option in that scenario, with that bet paying 7/5 at Bet365.
Amir Rrahmani has picked up cards in some big games for Napoli this season, collecting yellows against Liverpool and Milan. That makes the defender a decent candidate for a card here at 7/5 with Paddy Power.
Unibet are offering evens on Ajax having over 5.5 shots on target and that stands a chance as the bet has landed in all their home games so far this season.
This UEFA Champions League match between Ajax and Napoli will be played on Oct 4, 2022 and kick off at 20:00. Check below for our tipsters best Ajax vs Napoli prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
