The game of the weekend in Europe takes place in Italy as third-place Lazio welcome first place Inter Milan on Sunday, February 16, 2020. Lazio could climb to the top of the Serie A table with a win, while Inter Milan will be looking to hold off both Lazio and Juventus at the top.
Lazio enter this weekend in third place in Serie A, but trail first place Inter and second place Juventus by just one point. This is a three team race at the top of Italy as fourth place Atalanta are 11 points off Lazio’s pace. Lazio are in no other competitions so their focus will solely be on this Serie A race.
Inter Milan find themselves back atop the Serie A standings thanks to a better goal differential than Juventus, but a loss this weekend could see them fall down to third place on the table. Inter also have the Coppa Italia semifinals against Napoli and the Round of 32 Europa League match-up with Ludogorets to prepare for, though Inter are expected to field a reserve squad for the Europa League.
Below is my pick for the Serie A action between Lazio vs Inter Milan. All odds are from the best NJ Sportsbook FanDuel.
Lazio (+130) vs Inter Milan (+195) Draw (+250)
In a surprisingly tough game, Lazio walked away with a 1-0 road win over mid-table Parma last weekend. Each team peppered the goal with shots, but only Felipe Caicedo could find the back of the net in the 41st minute to give Lazio the win. Lazio has now won four in a row, across all competitions, and have not lost in Serie A since late September. The Eagles are the second-best home team in Italy, and one of two unbeaten teams at home, as they have won 30 points from a possible 36.
The Milan Derby was one for the ages as Inter Milan were able to overcome a 2-0 halftime deficit to come away with a 4-2 win. Inter scored two goals in three minutes to tie the game up and then took the lead for good with a 70th-minute goal by Stefan de Vrij. Romelu Lukaku added a late header to give Inter the massive 4-2 lead to catapult them back to the top of the Serie A table. Inter are now unbeaten in 10 games, across all competitions, and have not lost in Serie A since early October. Inter are the best road team in Italy, and the last remaining unbeaten team on the road, having won 29 points from a possible 33.
Series History: In the last 10 meetings between these two it is Inter Milan who holds a 5-2-3. Inter has won three of the last five meetings between the two.
Game Prediction: This is going to be a great game and I like Lazio +130 to come away with the win and potentially jump to the top of the Serie A standings.
2020 Results: 13-11