
Ante Post Tips 2023/24: Can Lazio challenge for the title?

We are now just days away from the start of the new league campaigns across Europe and our data guru Scott Thornton has provided us with his favourite ante-post fancies for the 2023/24 season. Read below about his best bets.
Can Lazio Challenge for the Title?
Maurizio Sarri revitalised his Lazio squad last summer as he strived to help the club make the transition towards his fluid passing style. They finished second last season, a vast improvement on the fifth place finish in Sarri’s debut season. The Milan clubs were close behind in third and fourth respectively. Juventus also suffered a 10-point deduction, without which they would have finished just two points behind Lazio. However, I’m backing them to finish in the top four yet again.
Sergej Milinkovic-Savic departed the club for €40m to the Saudi Pro League and the club looks set to invest during the remainder of the window. They have already brought in Valentin Castellanos, Matteo Cancellieri and Diego Gonzalez but they will need further reinforcements with the added burden of Champions League football.
Ciro Immobile remains a threat going forward. He links up well with Felipe Anderson and Mattia Zaccagni and the three combine to make one of the most formidable attacks in Serie A. Luis Alberto has recently signed a new deal at the club after adapting to Sarri’s desired playing style. Alberto is vastly experienced and his ability to pick out a key pass makes him one of the most deadly midfielders in Serie A.
They are priced at 6/4 with bet365 to make it into the top four again this season. Sarri has already proven his credentials in Serie A. His Napoli side were known for their swashbuckling football and Lazio made huge strides towards that style last season. This price seems a little big for a team that finished 2nd last season.
Lazio To Finish In The Top 4 @ 6/4 bet365
Serie A Top-4 Finish Odds
Nkunku to Enjoy his First Season in England
Chelsea’s woes were well documented last season but they look set for a more memorable campaign this time around. Mauricio Pochettino earned his reputation for his exceptional tenure in charge of Tottenham. He has since added trophies to his resume at PSG so there is plenty for Chelsea fans to be excited about.
Pochettino has shown he can get the most out of his players and this Chelsea squad is brimming with talent. One of the most exciting acquisitions is Christopher Nkunku. The attacker featured in several attacking positions for Leipzig last season, and if pre-season is anything to go by, this trend will continue at Chelsea. He has also scored in three of Chelsea’s four pre-season matches )at the time of writing)
Nkunku found the net 16 times in the Bundesliga last season. He picked up an injury which ruled him out of several matches but he featured in 25 of Leipzig’s 34 league matches. Five of these appearances were off the bench and Nkunku averaged 0.8 goals for every 90 minutes he played. The Premier League season is longer than the Bundesliga’s and this would equate to 20 goals if he played 2250 minutes out of a possible 3420 next season. Nkunku Managed 20 goals in the 2021/22 Bundesliga season.
Nkunku To Score 15 Or More Goals @ 7/10 Unibet
Saka to Beat Last Season’s Tally
Arsenal were unmatched in the first half of last season but they were unable to sustain the pace as the season reached its climax. It will take a monumental effort to loosen Manchester City’s stranglehold on the Premier League and the Gunners are gearing up to do just that. Arteta has been busy in the transfer window and Bukayo Saka is likely to benefit from Arsenal continuing to strengthen
Saka scored 14 goals in the Premier League last season, one short of the required mark for this bet to land. He averaged 0.4 goals every 90 minutes so he would have just got over the 15 mark had he featured in every minute.
Bukayo scored just once in Arsenal’s last six matches as the dropped points proved costly in the race for the title. Arsenal will have much greater strength in depth this season so fatigue shouldn’t become an issue in the latter stages of the season. I’m baking him to exceed last season’s goal tally as he continues to be a focal point in the Arsenal attack.