Norway vs Italy Betting Tips: BTTS & Over 2.5 Goals Look Promising

Italy’s 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign kicks off at Oslo’s Ullevaal Stadium against Group I pacesetters Norway on Friday. After an underwhelming Euro 2024, Luciano Spalletti has a point to prove as Gli Azzurri bid to return to the grandest international stage for the first time since 2014.

Getting off to a winning start is imperative for Italy, especially after their UEFA Nations League campaign ended in March at the hands of Germany. However, off-field controversy threatens to undermine the Italians’ quest to secure World Cup qualification, with Inter Milan veteran Francesco Acerbi withdrawing from the national team on the eve of this trip.

Blaming a ‘lack of respect,’ the 37-year-old pulled off the squad earlier this week, provoking a harsh response from Gianluigi Buffon. Indeed, the team’s head of delegation accused the former Lazio center-back of ‘saying no to all of Italy’ via Calciomercato. That hardly makes for good reading ahead of Gli Azzurri’s Group I opener.

In stark contrast to Italy’s internal problems, Stale Solbakken has turned Norway into a force to be reckoned with, potentially setting the tone for the country’s first successful World Cup qualifying campaign in the 21st century. Back-to-back multi-goal margin wins over Moldova and Israel to kickstart their Group I journey have set them up perfectly for this clash.

Therefore, it’s unsurprising that Rabona Betting and other leading betting platforms see the Norwegians as pre-match favorites. However, the hosts should know better than to underestimate their illustrious opposition, even though recent turmoil and past failures may cast doubt on Italy’s hopes of taking three points in Oslo.

Norway vs Italy Betting Tips

Norway’s red-hot form at the start of Group I extended their overall winning streak to four matches. Solbakken’s side remarkably bagged 18 goals in that sequence while only conceding three in return. Therefore, they will take the field in a buoyant mood despite an unfavorable track record against the Italians.

You’d need to go back to June 2000 for Norway’s last win in this fixture. They have since met Italy four times without winning (D1, L3), conceding precisely two goals in each defeat. However, the nations haven’t faced each other since 2015, somewhat taking the head-to-head record out of the equation.

It’s important to note that the Scandinavians have only lost once in their last nine World Cup qualifiers on home turf (W5, D3). Furthermore, four of their five wins in that stretch yielded multi-goal margins, highlighting their growing confidence and an omnipresent feel-good factor.

The same can’t be said about Italy, as they head into proceedings on a three-game winless run, during which they capitulated eight times (D1, L2). On the bright side, Gli Azzurri went unbeaten in all eight 2022 World Cup qualifying games (W4, D4) before slumping to a dreadful playoff defeat to minnows North Macedonia.

Defensive solidity has often been key to Italy’s success in major tournaments. With that in mind, it’s unsurprising that they’ve kept a clean sheet in four consecutive World Cup qualifying games on the road (W2, D2), last conceding against Norway’s neighbors Sweden in 2017. Against this backdrop, they’ve only managed one shutout in eight matches since exiting Euro 2024.

Norway’s last five matches have featured over 4.5 goals, highlighting the potential for a high-scoring fixture. Adding to this sentiment, all of Italy’s eight post-Euro 2024 internationals have produced 3+ total goals. As such, fans in attendance could be in for a treat.

Predictions – Both Teams to Score & Over 2.5 Goals