Pick the Draw in Verona

  • Verona v Bologna
  • Friday April 21, 2023, 14:45 ET
  • At the Marcantonio Bentogodi Stadium

Bologna is on an impressive run of form as it fights for European qualification, but it faces a tough test against Verona on Friday night and the draw looks the best pick.

Who do Bettors Favor?

As we can see from checking out the best-rated online sportsbooks Bologna will go into this game as the strong favorite, despite being the visiting team. It is available at odds between +170 and +174, with the draw priced at around +205 and Verona rated as a +186 chance.

Verona v BolognaBetOnline ReviewMyBookie ReviewBetUS Review
Verona+190+186+185
Draw+208+200+205
Bologna+174+172+170

Verona Moving Up

Verona manager Marco Zaffaroni has had to work hard to get this team moving in the right direction, but victory over Sassuolo and an impressive draw at Napoli have lifted the team off the bottom of the Serie A table and given fans something to hope for after what has been a miserable season.

Zaffaroni would have been happy with a draw before his team’s trip to take on Napoli last week, but as it turned out, Cyril Ngonge had a late chance to claim all three points for the visitors. Still, the squad left the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona having performed admirably and the result was a major confidence booster.

The result of that draw is that Verona is now just three points behind 17th-placed Spezia and it has eight remaining Serie A matches this season to close that gap. Given that Spezia has not won in its last four games, and that both Lecce and Salernitana in 16th and 15th place respectfully are also struggling, there is a genuine prospect of Verona avoiding the drop to Serie B.

Bologna Still in Contention

Thiago Motta’s Bologna also recorded an impressive result last time out when it earned a 1-1 draw at the San Siro against last season’s Serie A champions Milan.

Admittedly, Stefano Pioli, the Milan boss, had opted to rest many of his top players with European commitments taking priority, and the home team did have the better of the game, but the end result is that Bologna extended its run of undefeated games to five. That run is particularly impressive when you remember that those five games have included fixtures against Milan, Atalanta and Lazio.

With five of its remaining fixtures looking winnable on paper, Bologna is still in contention for the last European qualification spot, currently held by Atalanta. Motta’s team is in eighth in the table, five points behind, but Atalanta has been in poor form, winning two of its last five, so Bologna can still sneak into the top six, although it will have to hold off Juventus, which is currently in seventh place.

Serie A Betting Head-to-Head

These are two of the oldest teams in Italian football, in fact, Bologna was a founding member of Serie A, and both have enjoyed their spells of success.

Bologna has more silverware in its trophy cabinet, with seven Serie A titles and two Coppa Italia, but the last time it won a major domestic trophy was in 1975. Verona hasn’t achieved quite the same level of success, but it did win the Serie A title in the 1984-85 season.

The recent head-to-head record between these teams shows that this rivalry is a close one. Their last seven matches have produced only draws and one-goal victories. Last season, both Serie A fixtures were won by the home team, while the reverse fixture this season finished in an eventful 1-1 draw at the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara. In that game, Marko Arnautovic scored the opener for the home team but Thomas Henry leveled just before half-time, and Verona dominated the second half but could not find a winner.

Serie A Team News

Both Miguel Veloso and teammate Giangiacomo Magnani were suspended for the game against Napoli at the weekend, but head coach Zaffaroni should be able to pick both of them for this game.

The team news elsewhere in the squad is less encouraging for Verona fans. Darko Lazovic, Thomas Henry, Ajdin Hrustic, and Deyovaisio Zeefuik are all likely to miss the match, while Josh Doig is also unlikely to play after suffering an injury to his foot in Naples.

Bologna will have to do without Roberto Soriano who will be out of action for a month thanks to a ligament injury, so Riccardo Orsolini, who is now back from a recent suspension, could take his place. Andrea Cambiaso and Marko Arnautovic will both miss this game with a muscle problem and a foot injury respectively.

Serie A Match Betting Pick

Bologna’s form is impressive at the moment, but both of these teams have something to play for and that could make for a much tighter game than the betting markets are indicating. Verona has a strong record at home and while this could be an entertaining encounter, the draw looks the best pick.

DrawVerona v Bologna
★★★★★
+208
Bet now

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Noelle Matthews

Noelle Matthews is a tennis and soccer fan who has been working in the betting industry for over 15 years and has written for some of the big players in the sector, including Betfair, ESPN and Sporting Life. She has an in-depth knowledge of both tennis and soccer betting and you can trust her reviews to include the most precise, knowledgeable information available.