Udinese vs Napoli – Predictions, Betting Tips & Match Preview | OneFootball

Reigning Serie A title holders Napoli travel to the Bluenergy Stadium to take on out-of-form Udinese on Sunday afternoon. Antonio Conte’s men are seeking redemption for a disappointing 2-0 defeat at Benfica in midweek Champions League action.

Udinese’s form has fallen off a cliff since a 1-0 home victory over Atalanta at the beginning of November. Kosta Runjaic’s men have suffered four losses in five competitive matches since toppling La Dea (W1), including a 2-0 defeat at Juventus in the Coppa Italia.

Marooned in mid-table, Udinese head into this clash looking to avenge a 2-1 home loss to a resurgent Genoa side on Monday. However, an 18-game winless streak against Napoli in Serie A (D4, L14) perhaps best illustrates the size of the task awaiting the Friulians on Sunday.

Napoli’s stuttering Champions League campaign took another hit on Wednesday, yet they’ve been impressive in the early stages of their Scudetto-defensive season. A spirited 2-1 home win over Juventus last weekend kept the Partenopei level on points with Milan at the summit.

There’s no room for complacency here, as the visitors pursue a fourth consecutive league victory to strengthen their stranglehold on an unprecedented second consecutive top-flight title. Despite strong pre-match favoritism, Napoli would be naive to take this fixture for granted.

Indeed, the leading bookmakers view Conte’s team as clear favorites to extend their winning run in Udine. Away from the pitch, interest continues to grow in alternative wagering platforms, including Non-GamStop-Betting.com sites with no verification, particularly among experienced football bettors.

Full-Time Result

After only losing twice in the opening eight Serie A rounds (W3, D3), Udinese have suffered four defeats in the last six matchdays. As a result, Runjaic’s charges have dropped out of the top half of the table, though they start this round closer to the European places than the drop zone.

On that basis, Udinese’s bid to improve on last season’s 12th-place finish remains firmly on track. Yet, their top-half credentials are about to face a stern test, not least because they’ve won only one of their last ten Serie A home encounters against sides who start the day in the top two (D5, L4).

Meanwhile, notoriously slow starts have plagued Udinese’s campaign. They’ve conceded the opening goal in a league-high nine matches this term, salvaging points in just three of those games.

Napoli are, therefore, well-positioned to draw first blood on Sunday and consolidate their impressive record against bottom-half opposition this season (W6, L1). It would also dampen the visitors’ fears of losing back-to-back outings for the second time this term.

However, it’s worth noting that five of Napoli’s seven league defeats under Conte have come away from home. There’s no reason for panic yet, especially considering their last loss in Udine dates back to April 2016, with the Partenopei stringing a nine-game unbeaten run on this venue since.

Over/Under Market

The Blueneregy Stadium has been a venue of entertainment this season, with 57% of Udinese’s home league games producing 3+ total goals. In stark contrast, only two of Napoli’s seven away matches in Serie A have featured over 2.5 goals.

Moreover, just two of the Partenopei’s last ten Serie A fixtures on the road have seen both teams on the scoresheet. With that in mind, it’s only reasonable to expect another low-scoring showdown.