Football Bet of the Day: Attacking quality to make us Gasp

Cup clash to entertain

Napoli v Atalanta
Wednesday 03 February, 19:45
Live on BT Sport ESPN

We went for the bigger price last night in the National League, and if you went for the Aldershot win I suggested, well done. I went for the Over 3.0 Goals as the headline bet, and the stake was returned, as the Shots came from behind to win 2-1.

Undeterred, I'm using the same market tonight, as Napoli face Atalanta in the Coppa Italia. Although the semi-finals are a little different in the sense that they are played over two legs, I don't think that will change the approach of an Atalanta side that has rediscovered its chaotic side in recent games.

Even without the talismanic Papu Gomez, who left to join Sevilla after a row with coach Gian Piero Gasperini, Atalanta continue to be one of the most exciting sides in Europe. They are in the mix for a top-four spot, they have reached the last 16 of the Champions League and they have already scored six goals in two games in this competition. Recently, they wiped the floor with Serie A table-toppers Milan, beating them 3-0 at San Siro.

Atalanta games are often a lot of fun. Nine of their last 11 have featured at least three goals, and an Over 3.5 Goals bet has landed in seven of those matches.

Napoli have been scoring plenty of goals too. They have drilled in 15 goals in their last four games in all competitions at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona. Seven of their last nine games have seen an Over 2.5 Goals bet land, and five of those have featured four goals or more. That's all the more remarkable when you think that club record scorer Dries Mertens hasn't found the net since the first week of December.

The dynamic might be slightly different because it's a first leg, but that format didn't slow down Atalanta in the Champions League last season against Valencia, and I can't see them trying to dig in here. If we look at the last meeting of the clubs in Naples, Napoli thrashed La Dea 4-1.

We'll go for Over 3.0 Goals on the Goal Lines market here at 2.21121/100. If the game has three goals, we have our stake returned, but a bigger tally sees us net an odds-against winner.