In Serie A Round 37, leaders Inter Milan host Verona at the San Siro, with the visitors stranded deep in the relegation zone. On paper, this top-versus-bottom matchup seems to leave little room for doubt, but judging by the heavy Asian handicap lines offered by bookmakers, whether the home side can win by two goals or more is still up for debate.
Inter’s home win rate this season is close to 78%, and they average 2.72 goals per home game, the best attacking record in the league. They have also gone 5 wins and 1 draw in their last six matches, maintaining strong form. Although the absence of holding midfielder Hakan Çalhanoğlu has some impact on midfield control, their overall quality remains far superior to their opponents. By contrast, Verona have managed just three wins all season, concede 1.78 goals per away game on average, and have scored only two goals in their last six matches, with both attack and defense hitting a low point.
However, the Asian handicap generally opened with the home side at -2, and some bookmakers later adjusted it to -1.75. Although the odds for an Inter win from major European bookmakers are heavily shortened, their ability to cover such a deep line still deserves scrutiny. Inter have dominated the last 10 meetings with 9 wins and 1 draw, but their handicap cover rate is only 40%, and in the last five head-to-heads they have won by more than two goals only once. Verona, when facing stronger sides such as Juventus and AC Milan recently, have still lost by just one goal, showing a certain resilience in compact defense. Taking into account the pressure of the deep handicap and Verona’s conservative approach against stronger opponents, Inter are clearly the stronger side in this match, but winning by more than two goals will not be easy.