In a weekend full of exceptional early league matchups, there's a big one from Serie A as the Derby della Maradona comes early with Inter taking on AC Milan at the San Siro.
These two teams are headed in opposite directions, as their midweek Champions League matchup showed. Inter managed to engineer an impressive draw on the road at Premier League giants, while AC Milan were pummeled by Liverpool at home.
The two sides are chasing others like Torino, Udinese, and Napoli who have started the season in exceptional form, but defending Serie A champions Inter and top four hopefuls Milan both expect to be amongst the top of the table by the campaign's end.
Rivalry games like these often set the tone for the next few weeks, and both sides will be hoping for a springboard to send them on their way towards a run of positive results.
MORE: A complete guide to betting on soccer in the United States
Inter vs. AC Milan prediction, odds
- Moneyline lean: Inter (-140)
- Score prediction: Inter 3-1 AC Milan
- Best bet: Inter -1 goal handicap (+115 on DraftKings)
At this stage in the game, Inter are just plain and simply in much better form than AC Milan. There's little else to break this one down, simply look at how Liverpool carved AC Milan to shreds.
The underdogs will improve over the course of the season if they give Paulo Fonseca time, because he's a good manager, but at the moment it's not working, and hard to see it suddenly turning around in just a few days.
| BetMGM (USA) | |
| Inter win | -140 |
| Draw | +290 |
| AC Milan win | +360 |
| Both teams to score | Y: -145 N: +105 |
| Over / Under 2.5 goals | O: -145 U: +105 |
| Inter -0.5 goals | -155 |
| AC Milan +0.5 goals | +110 |
Inter vs. AC Milan match facts
- Date: Sunday, September 22, 2024
- Kickoff Time: 8:45 p.m. local (2:45 p.m. ET / 11:45 a.m. PT)
- Location: San Siro (Milan, Italy)
- Referee: Maurizio Mariani
- Last meeting: AC Milan 1-2 Inter (Apr. 22, 2024 | Serie A)
Inter vs. AC Milan best bet
- Pick: Inter over 2.5 goals
- Odds: +185 (BetMGM)
The AC Milan defense under Paulo Fonseca has been putrid this season, carved to shreds against nearly every opponent to this stage.
They were torn to shreds by Liverpool last time out, as the Reds racked up three goals on 23 shots worth 3.09 xG, but that's far from an isolated incident. They've conceded two goals to each of Parma, Lazio, and Torino this season, and only the latter vastly outperformed their expected goals.
Inter have managed to score goals for the most part this season, even with Lautaro Martinez yet to score, and this could be a great spot for him to grab his first.
Inter vs. AC Milan prop bet
- Pick: Marcus Thuram 2+ shots on target
- Odds: +210 (FanDuel)
Marcus Thuram has struggled with finishing consistency throughout his career, but has enjoyed a Milan derby, scoring against AC Milan both times facing Inter's rival in his career.
The French international has two braces already this Serie A season, coming against Genoa and Atalanta, and was lively against Man City midweek, putting one effort on target six minutes into the match before failing to put either of his next two chances on frame.
Against a woefully out of form back line like AC Milan, Thuram should have plenty of chances, especially while Mehdi Taremi and Lautaro Martinez both struggle to get going alongside him. With Thuram at +155 anytime goal scorer, the odds on him putting a pair of efforts on frame are much more valuable at over 2/1.
