Friday’s Serie A clash between Christian Pulisic’s AC Milan side and Roma promises to go a long way in the battle to finish atop the table in Italy this year. Milan finished last season in fourth place, two spots ahead of Roma in sixth place.
Jose Mourinho’s side has struggled in its first two matches this year, drawing Salernitana 2-2 in the opener and losing to Hellas Verona 2-1 last weekend. Milan, on the other hand, are off to a perfect start, including a season-opening 2-0 win over Bologna and a 4-1 blowout of Torino on Matchday 2.
It’s worth noting that USMNT fans tuning in for a glimpse of Pulisic, who scored in each of his team’s first two games, can focus on the Pennsylvania native and no one else, if that’s how they want to want this match, thanks to US rights holder CBS Sports.
CBS Sports' coverage of @ASRomaEN – @acmilan on Friday will stream live on @paramountplus and feature a dedicated Christian Pulisic Star Cam available on CBS Sports Golazo Network.
Calcio e Cappuccino pre-match studio coverage begins at 2 PM, ET, ahead of the 2:45 PM kickoff. pic.twitter.com/Ptj5RQAas6
— CBS Sports PR (@CBSSportsGang) August 30, 2023
In Gaming Today’s breakdown of Roma vs. AC Milan odds & Christian Pulisic props, we’ll offer our prediction on how Pulisic and Co. will fare on the road in a matchup that oddsmakers view as a toss-up.
Betting Odds for Friday’s Roma vs. AC Milan Match
Here are Roma vs. AC Milan betting lines available on top sports betting apps. The odds here reflect the three-way moneyline, where a bet on either team to win is a loss if the game is tied after 90 minutes. As of Thursday morning, FanDuel offers the draw at +210.
Roma Roster, Injuries, and Betting News
Roma, like Milan, did better in Europe than they did domestically last season. In his second season managing the club, Jose Mourinho led his team to the Europa League final, where it lost to Sevilla on PKs. While Roma made an impressive Europa League run, it failed to challenge for a top-four spot in Serie A, even with Juventus receiving a significant points deduction.
Roma’s top offensive players last season were Paulo Dybala and Tammy Abraham, and they beefed up the attack this week with the addition of Romelu Lukaku. Roma also recently added forward Sardar Azmoun on loan from Bayer Leverkusen, but the Iranian is currently injured.
Roma have not been impressive through two matches, but they were unlucky to draw Salernitana, which got the result by scoring two goals on just three total shots on target. Mourinho’s side followed that up with a loss to Hellas Verona on Saturday in a match in which it enjoyed a possession advantage of 71-29.
Injuries
Roma will likely be without not only Azmoun this weekend, but also Abraham and midfielder Renato Sanches, a loanee from PSG.
AC Milan Roster, Injuries, and Betting News
Pulisic was one of several promising players signed by AC Milan this summer, but no one has made a bigger immediate impact than the former Borussia Dortmund and Chelsea star. The leader of the USMNT has gotten headlines for his two goals, but he’s also helped create a number of opportunities for a Milan side that has started the season in midseason form.
Pulisic’s familiarity with Olivier Giroud and Ruben Loftus-Cheek (who both played with him at Chelsea) has been evident, and it’s paid off for a side with a decided xG advantage of 3.9-1.5 through two games. Milan are coming off a dominant showing against Torino and appear to have a legit chance at winning Serie A (FanDuel’s Serie A futures odds currently list Milan as the third-favorite in the league at +380, behind Inter Milan and Napoli).
Teams managed by Mourinho are always hard to score on, which makes Friday’s match a must-see for fans of Pulisic and/or Milan, especially for anyone who’s been waiting to see Milan take on a top Serie A side before buying into the buzz around Pulisic and his hot start to the season.
Injuries
Defensive midfielder Ismael Bennacer is out until November as he recovers from knee surgery in May, but this team appears healthy otherwise.
Christian Pulisic Props + Roma vs. AC Milan Betting Options
Below is a sampling of betting props for Roma vs. AC Milan:
Anytime Goalscorer (FanDuel):
- Romelu Lukaku: +180
- Olivier Giroud: +210
- Sardar Azmoun: +220
- Paulo Dybala: +230
- Christian Pulisic: +260
- Rafael Leao: +280
Correct Score (FanDuel):
- Roma 1-0: +700
- Roma 2-0: +1200
- Roma 2-1: +1000
- AC Milan 1-0: +700
- AC Milan 2-0: +1200
- AC Milan 2-1: +1000
- 0-0: +700
- 1-1: +500
Total Goal Props (FanDuel):
- Over 0.5 goals -1200, Under 0.5 goals: +730
- Over 1.5 goals -245, Under 1.5 goals: +196
- Over 2.5 goals +128, Under 2.5 goals: -156
- Over 3.5 goals +340, Under 3.5 goals: -460
Roma vs. AC Milan Prediction: Roma 1, AC Milan 2
Milan won’t be able to overwhelm Roma the way they did Bologna and Torino, but the trio of Rafael Leão, Giroud and Pulisic should still be able to create enough opportunities to give their side the win on the road.
Roma are the latest side led by Mourinho to churn out solid results despite struggling to produce goals (they scored 50 in 38 games last year), but expect Milan’s talent up to make the difference in a close game.
Here are a few bets available at DraftKings that are worth checking out:
- AC Milan Moneyline (+160)
- Over 2.5 Goals (+125)
- Both Teams To Score – Yes (-110)
Roma vs. AC Milan Broadcast Info: Where to Watch
- Date/Time: Friday, September 1, 2:45 p.m. ET
- Location: Stadio Olimpico
This match will be available on Paramount+.
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