Tiny SPAL are looking to remain in Serie A for as long as possible. SPAL have declared bankruptcy twice in the last 14 years, and that has led to the club being plunged into the depths of Italian soccer multiple times in the intermittent years. They won promotion back into Serie A for the first time in nearly five decades three years ago, and they have made this promotion stick to this point. SPAL are in good shape to stay up again, and the club is out to grab more points against Fiorentina this week.
Don't miss the Italian Serie A action from Stadio Paolo Mazza in Ferrara, Italy at 12:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, February 17, 2019. Catch every moment of the match live on ESPN2.
Serie A Betting Odds at BookMaker.eu
SPAL +251
Fiorentina +122
Draw +217
Over/Under 2 and 2.5
Odds Analysis
Fiorentina are smack dab in the middle of the table. They are in 10th place in Serie A, and they could easily be even better. Their goal differential of +8 suggests they should be higher in the table, and they have earned some great results in recent weeks. Fiorentina crushed Roma 7-1 in the quarterfinals of Coppa Italia, and they have secured a result in five straight matches. They went on the road to get draws with Genoa and Udinese, and they beat Chievo despite being down a man for the last third of the match.
Currently, SPAL are just four points clear of the drop. The good news is that there are three other teams between them and 18th place Empoli, so they will have plenty of cushion if they do start dropping matches. SPAL have earned a result in three of their last four matches, and they got a huge road win over Parma after scoring three goals in the final 20 minutes three weeks ago. They would like to get a home win this time though after draws against Bologna and Torino in their last two home games.
These teams met in late September, and Fiorentina dominated from start to finish. Fiorentina coasted to a 3-0 win and fired 17 shots on goal.
Injury Report
Kevin Mirallas suffered a calf injury last weekend, and the Fiorentina attacker will miss the next three weeks as he recovers. He came over from Everton on a transfer in August, yet he hasn’t made much of a mark this season.
There are no injuries to report on the side of SPAL ahead of this match.
Player to Watch
Andrea Petagna has been on a roll for SPAL in recent weeks. Petagna leads the team with eight goals so far this season, and he has scored a goal in three of his last four matches. That’s fueled SPAL’s string of recent results, and he has reversed a lackluster start to the season. Petagna has worked well with Manuel Lazzari up top, and they should do so again here.
Serie A Prop Bet – SPAL Over 0.5 Goals -200
Fiorentina have one of the best defenses in Serie A. They have allowed just 25 goals in 23 matches, but they haven’t been as good on the road. Meanwhile, SPAL have been much better on the attack in recent weeks. Petagna and Lazzari have played well, and they should be able to score at least once here. It’s a lot of juice to pay, but I see SPAL finding a goal.
Free Soccer Betting Pick
Although I think SPAL will get on the scorer’s sheet, I believe that Fiorentina are the better team and will get the three points. They have been able to get good play out of multiple attackers, and SPAL have not been particularly sharp in defense. Fiorentina have picked up a result in nine of their 12 road games.
Italian Serie A Odds: Fiorentina 2, SPAL 1
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