Spezia vs Juventus

After a pair of sound results, Juventus stumbled against Nantes and will try to avoid making that a distraction versus Spezia.

Kevin Agudelo can also play up front, and he’s at his best when he’s given the freedom to pick his spots, but they don’t have many options in the midfield. The marksman will make his return to the squad list in this one, but he’s a long shot to be in the XI. They have always played Juventus tight in recent encounters, and this could easily be a trap game since it’s sandwiched between pivotal clashes that may distract the Bianconeri. He was shining in Serie B but has little top-league experience and has been in Italy for just a few months. In addition, Simone Bastoni, who’s a big weapon with his dynamism, shooting, and crossing out of the midfield, is shelved with a meniscus tear, and his substitute Szymon Zurkowski got hurt right after joining. Furthermore, using the Italian starlet as a wing-back is unnecessarily burdensome for him and the rest of the formation, which has to adjust to his defensive shortcomings. He probably gets penalized again for his quiet demeanor, as teams prefer a rah-rah guy that can galvanize the squad in trying times when they start slipping, while he’s more of a pure tactician. They surely have been poor lately, but that was mostly the product of several absences. Filip Kostic has to rest sometimes, and Juventus pay the price for not addressing the wing-back positions in January, but Samuel Iling-Junior has proven perfectly capable any time he has been called upon. It’s particularly damning in a two-legged clash, which could have been settled in the first one by having the right amount of energy and determination for a good hour. Spezia pulled the plug on Luca Gotti at the first sign of troubles, as Hellas Verona going on a run created panic down low in sides that previously thought to be in a comfortable position. The effectiveness of the wingers and the forwards comes and goes depending on the overall pace and their form.

Juventus must cope without Federico Chiesa, but Massimiliano Allegri will start Moise Kean and Dusan Vlahovic against Spezia.

Mbala Nzola is back on the squad list but is not expected to start. Angel Di Maria should rest ahead of next week’s Europa League clash with Nantes, so Kean and Vlahovic will start in attack. Salvatore Esposito is suspended.

Brandt Sutton has locked in his best bets for Sunday's Spezia vs. Juventus Italian Serie A match on Paramount+.

The latest Spezia vs. [Visit Paramount+ now to see Italian Serie A, your live local CBS sporting events, some of the world's top soccer matchups and much more. This could spell trouble on Sunday for Spezia, which have been held scoreless at home in their last three matches at Alberto Picco. But they have also created a fair amount of scoring chances thanks to controlling possession a whopping 49.85% of the time in domestic play. For Spezia vs. Sutton finished 2022 as SportsLine's top soccer expert with a 165-130-2 mark, returning nearly $2,200 for $100 players. Juventus odds from Caesars Sportsbook list Juventus as the -165 favorites (risk $165 to win $100) on the 90-minute money line, with Spezia as the +470 underdogs. He has followed soccer closely for much longer and factors in managerial tactics, projected lineups and past performances to make the most-informed decisions possible, keeping his finger on the pulse of the game all over the globe. A subscription also gives you access to other sports content including the UEFA Champions League and Europa League, NWSL, [NFL](/nfl/) on CBS, and countless movies and shows. Kickoff from Stadio Alberto Picco in La Spezia is set for 12 p.m. You can [stream this match live on Paramount+, which you can try free for 7 days.](https://www.paramountplus.com/?ftag=PPM-22-10ahj5f) [Paramount+](https://www.paramountplus.com/?ftag=PPM-22-10ahj5f).