In the absence of Napoli, Inter Milan, and AC Milan, who qualified for Supercoppa Italiana, all eyes will be set on Juventus and Roma, as they clash in a fixture that will be crucial for the Top 4 race.
Juventus and Roma play a specific type of classic Italian football, relying mainly on their strong defence. Their matches rarely involve high scores, with the team that scores first usually winning.
This is probably due to their Italian managers, who are certainly doing a great job in their first seasons with their teams.
Roma spent quite a long time at the top of the table, but two consecutive losses have sent them three points behind the leaders. Juventus are recovering from Igor Tudor's last few months, conceding only one loss in the 11 games since Luciano Spalletti's appointment.
The Wolves remain in the title race, but they can’t afford more defeats. The fact Roma lost only twice on the road this year should give them confidence to overcome the struggles of playing at Allianz Stadium.
How the bookies view it: Surprisingly one-sided
Bookmakers are not very confident in the visitors' chances, even after their consistently strong performance throughout the season. Currently, you can back Juventus at 1/1, a draw at 11/5, or Roma at 31/10.
Recent head-to-head: All square in the last five
The last few clashes between Roma and Juventus were far from high-scoring, but they still had their charm and tension. The Old Lady has a slight advantage in head-to-head matches, but it should be noted that five of the last 10 games ended in a draw. More importantly, Roma are unbeaten in three consecutive matches, and their home form may be enough to overcome Juventus.
What is more interesting is that each of the last six matches between them has ended with less than three goals. The teams are simply on the same level, with only one match in the last 10 ending with more than a one-goal difference.
Players to watch: Yildiz deserves more credit
There is not a single player in either team who has shown true world-class form, so it is quite difficult to pick the right player to bet on.
The only player who continues to improve is Kenan Yildiz, so we think it's not a bad idea to put our trust in him again. The 20-year-old has five goals and four assists in Serie A, and is Juventus’ best player. More importantly, he had at least one contribution in each of the Old Lady's last three fixtures.
Backed a player to find the net? Check our Goalscorer Betting guide to see how the markets work and where to find value.
Probable line-ups
Juventus: Di Gregorio, Kalulu, Bremer, Kelly, McKennie, Locatelli, Thuram, Cambiaso, Conceicao, Yildiz, David
Roma: Svilar, Hermoso, Mancini, Celik, Wesley, Kone, Cristante, Rensch, Soule, Pellegrini, Ferguson
Anything else catch the eye?
There are too many reasons to back an Under in this match, and the fact the last six H2Hs featured less than three goals is not the main one. Roma are the team with the best defence in Serie A – only eight conceded goals in 15 matches.
At the same time, they are the lowest-scoring side in the Top 12, while Juventus are not far ahead in terms of scored goals. Only three of Roma’s 15 Serie A games featured 3+ goals too.
We anticipate some action, and not a 0-0 draw, but the fun is likely to stop at 1-1. Juventus are unbeaten at home this season and feel unplayable, but we don’t imagine them beating this Roma side.
GambleAware