For nearly a decade, Juventus ruled over Italian football with an iron fist, securing nine straight Scudetti in a reign so suffocating it seemed unbreakable. But the winds of change have long since swept through Serie A. Ever since that final triumph in 2019/20, La Vecchia Signora’s crown has slipped, each year drifting further from the summit. Not once since have they staged a return to the top two, instead battling it out for a meagre spot in the top four rather than harbouring genuine Scudetto hopes.
With a new season just around the corner, the bookies already have their contenders priced up. Where does the Bianconeri sit on this list? Let’s find out.
Juventus: On the Cusp or in the Shadows?
Numbers never lie—and they don’t flatter Juve’s recent exploits. Zero Scudetti since 2020. Not a single finish above third, and even then, they have only managed to secure the bronze medal once. Runs in Europe have been uninspired, often stalling in the knockout rounds, sometimes even earlier.
Yet, beneath these stark figures, seeds of hope have started to sprout. Last season, the Bianconeri boasted the third-meanest defense in Italy, shipping just 35 goals. 21 games unbeaten at the start of last term had many thinking that the Old Lady was finally back, but unfortunately, the campaign fizzled out under the weight of far superior rivals.
The club’s summer business reflects a shift in ambition. Jonathan David arrives from Lille after a prolific run in France, and he does so on a free transfer following the expiry of his contract. The relentless Canadian forward has an open-play conversion rate eclipsing 21%, and hitting the 25-goal mark in each of the last three seasons, he could be the prolific hitman that the Allianz Stadium has been crying out for since the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo.
Francisco Conceição has also arrived, having impressed on loan last season. He continues to provide added dynamite and ignite an attack that too often goes hiding in marquee moments. Igor Tudor, doggedly pragmatic and tactically flexible, seeks to weld these new pieces into a machine capable of matching Juventus’ pedigree—36 domestic titles, after all, don’t collect dust quietly.
But what of the odds makers? Well, the in-play offering, such as the popular in-play odds at Bovada, won’t be available until the campaign officially kicks off on August 23rd. However, the outright markets are certainly up and running, and the aforementioned betting giant has Juve listed as a 4/1 contender. That’s certainly closer to the leading pack than the Bianconeri has been in recent campaigns.
Can Champions Napoli Defend Their Crown?
Champions with a point to prove. Last season, Napoli’s transition under perennial winner Antonio Conte was as clinical as it was transformative. They conceded a league-low 28 goals—the mark of a side both systematized and selfless. If there could be one critique of the Scudetto winners, however, it would have been that they looked void of ideas against weaker teams playing with a low block. That looks set to change following the addition of Manchester City icon Kevin de Bruyne.
The Belgian superstar still reached double figures for assists in the Premier League last season at the age of 34. With Serie A MVP Scott McTominay alongside him in midfield doing most of the running, KDB can orchestrate attacks like few others in Europe. Noa Lang and Lorenzo Lucca add pace, width, and power, offering genuine depth alongside Romelu Lukaku, who managed to fire the goals required to claim the crown last term.
Conte’s blueprint is undeniable—a defensive wall, an aggressive front foot, and the poise to see out big games. The result? Uniformity across expert projections: Napoli, per the bookies, enter as clear 7/4 betting favorites for successive Scudetti. But there’s an unspoken pressure—back-to-back titles in the era of Serie A volatility are rare. Can they absorb the weight of expectation, or does success spawn new vulnerabilities?
Inter’s Quest For Redemption
There’s no sugarcoating Inter’s end to 2024/25. The Nerazzurri looked set to emulate Jose Mourinho’s famous class of 2010 by romping to a herculean treble. However, their hopes were curtailed in the latter weeks of the campaign as an uncharacteristically bad run of form saw them somehow end the year empty-handed. Runners-up in Serie A after a spring collapse undid their hard work in initially closing the gap to Napoli, a humbling Coppa Italia dismissal by rivals AC Milan, and a Champions League Final that turned into a 5-0 Parisian nightmare.
Inter Milan’s coach telling his players to put that 1st half behind them 😷 pic.twitter.com/EHOrTPFK0V
— Bovada (@BovadaOfficial) May 31, 2025
Still, the data tells a richer story. Inter’s 119 goals across all competitions shattered club scoring records. The “Nerazzurri Engine” ran hot—sometimes too hot—producing an xG surplus of 10.7, an overperformance that sparked both awe and caution.
The arrivals of Luis Henrique and Petar Sučić underline a vision for swift, technical attacking—crucial as new coach Cristian Chivu sets out to erase a dismal finish and recapture defensive consistency. Bookmakers, not prisoners to recency bias, still rank Inter almost side-by-side with Napoli, pricing them as a narrow 5/2 second favourite.
Much of their hopes are pinned on the task of psychological repair. Should that prove to be too overwhelming, Inter could struggle in the opening phases of the campaign. However, if their stars, led by captain Lautaro Martinez, can dispel the naysayers early doors, then a renaissance could be on the cards at the San Siro.
