Our Norway vs Italy predictions tip the visitors to unexpectedly come away with a win.
Best Bets for Norway vs Italy
- Italy to win at odds of 2.50 on Stake
- Both teams to score and over 2.5 goals at odds of 2.00 on Stake
- Goal scored between 1-15 minutes at odds of 2.90 on Stake
Italy should beat Norway 3-1.
Our Analysis: Form of Both Teams
World Cup qualification for 2026 has already started for some nations, including Norway. Meanwhile, it will be Italy’s opening game.
Norway haven’t qualified for a World Cup finals since 1998. Italy, despite being one of European football’s giants, missed out on the last two tournaments.
Norway’s bid to qualify got off to a perfect start in March. They comfortably beat Moldova and Israel, but they now face a much sterner challenge. The Norwegians are in fine form at the moment, but they haven’t faced a side of Italy’s calibre yet.
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There’s a lot at stake for Italy in this campaign. They failed to qualify for the last two World Cup finals and have never before missed three in a row. The Azzurri will be bidding to kick-start their campaign on a strong note following their exit from the Nations League in March.
Probable Lineups for Norway vs Italy
Norway Expected Lineup: Nyland, Ryerson, Ajer, Heggem, Wolfe, Berg, Bergem, Odegaard, Thorsby, Sorloth, Haaland
Italy Expected Lineup: Donnarumma, Gatti, Bastoni, Cambiaso, Di Lorenzo, Barella, Ricci, Tonali, Dimarco, Kean, Retegui
Italy off to a flying start
Italy may not be quite as revered on the international scene as they once were, but they have shown promising signs under Luciano Spalletti. He has adopted a fearless approach for Italy - something different to what’s typically expected of an Italian side.
Germany defeated them in the Nations League quarter-finals, but Italy had previously won four out of six games in League A of the Nations League. After the disappointment of missing the last World Cup, they enter this campaign with added motivation to get off to a strong start.
Italy’s record away from home in World Cup qualifiers is impressive - they have lost only two of 23 matches since 2005. They secured 12 wins during that period. Moreover, they’ve won five of their last eight meetings with Norway.
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Meanwhile, Norway are quite strong when playing at home in World Cup qualifiers. That helps explain Italy’s generous price. Yet, it’s worth noting that all of their recent wins came against vastly inferior opposition. They’ve historically struggled in these games against more established nations.
- Norway vs Italy Bet 1: Italy to win at odds of 2.50 on Stake
No shortage of entertainment
The bookmakers price this match-up as a fairly even contest in the 1-x-2 market, but they clearly expect plenty of goals. That’s understandable given Norway’s explosive start to World Cup qualifying, with at least five goals scored in each of their first two matches.
Considering Norway’s last five internationals averaged a whopping 5.4 goals per game, entertainment should follow them around. Both teams found the net in three of those five games. The two goalless encounters came against low-ranked European nations.
It’s hard to see Norway shutting Italy out here. The same applies to Italy, especially as Erling Haaland is likely to lead the Norwegian attack.
Italy have been quite exciting to watch under Spalletti. Seven of their last eight games have seen both teams score. Each of those seven games also saw over 2.5 goals. This shows Italy’s attacking threat as well as their defensive vulnerabilities.
All of this sets the stage for what could be a highly entertaining contest.
- Norway vs Italy Bet 2: Both teams to score and over 2.5 goals at odds of 2.00 on Stake
Early action seems likely
Both sides will be eager to make their mark in this fixture, so we can expect a fast start. There is strong evidence from both sides that an early goal is well within reach.
Norway, for example, have seen a goal scored before the 15th minute in five of their last seven internationals. Impressively, they themselves scored four of those early goals.
Italy’s games have also featured quick openings. Five of their last eight internationals saw a goal inside the opening 15 minutes. Remarkably, two of those goals came within the opening 60 seconds.
- Norway vs Italy Bet 3: Goal scored between 1-15 minutes at odds of 2.90 on Stake