Napoli vs US Cremonese Betting Preview, Tips & Odds | 24 April 2026

Napoli vs US Cremonese: Serie A Preview

Napoli host Cremonese at the Diego Armando Maradona on Friday evening with Antonio Conte's side still very much in the title conversation, sitting third on 66 points. The visitors are 17th, on 28 points, and fighting to stay in Serie A. On paper this is a mismatch. The numbers back that up. But there's enough going on around this game to make the betting angle worth unpacking properly.

Form and League Position

Napoli's form over the last five has been largely solid, even if that 0-2 home defeat to Lazio stings. Before that setback, Conte's men had put together three wins on the bounce, including a 1-0 over AC Milan and a clean sheet away at Cagliari. The Parma draw away from home wasn't a disaster, and the Lazio result looks more like a blip than a collapse. They've scored five and conceded four across those five games. The goals are coming, albeit in controlled bursts rather than heavy hitting.

Cremonese, though, are in a fragile spot. A 1-4 thrashing at home to Fiorentina, followed by a loss at Cagliari and another defeat to Bologna, tells you where they really are. That single win over Parma doesn't disguise the defensive fragility. Seven goals conceded in five matches, and a home record of two wins, seven draws and seven losses this season. Coming to the Maradona as a struggling side is not where you want to be.

The table says it all. Napoli: 66 points, goal difference of +15. Cremonese: 28 points, goal difference of -21. There's an enormous gulf between these clubs right now.

Injuries and Team News

Napoli have three notable absences. Amir Rrahmani is missing, which disrupts their defensive structure. More significant is Romelu Lukaku being unavailable, especially given the recent reports of clear-the-air talks between him and the club. That's a subplot that clearly hasn't resolved itself on the pitch. Miguel Gutiérrez is also out. Conte has options, but losing Lukaku's physical presence up top is a real consideration.

Cremonese are without Federico Bonazzoli, their top scorer with seven goals this season. That is a massive blow for a side that was already limited going forward. Tommaso Barbieri is also missing. Losing your main attacking threat away at a top-three side is close to a worst-case scenario for Marco Giampaolo.

Head-to-Head

These sides met earlier in the 2025/26 season, with Napoli winning 2-0 at Cremonese in December. Before that, the H2H tells the same story. Napoli won 3-0 in the last Serie A meeting at the Maradona back in 2022/23, and beat Cremonese 1-4 away in October 2022. The only time Cremonese have taken anything off Napoli in recent memory was a 2-2 draw in the Coppa Italia in January 2023. In the league, Napoli have been dominant.

The Betting Angle

Conte reportedly told his squad that "second is just first place for losers" this week. That quote tells you exactly how motivated this dressing room is. Even with Lukaku out, Napoli have R. Højlund with 10 goals this season and McTominay chipping in with 8. There's firepower throughout this squad. De Bruyne has four goals in just 14 appearances. Cremonese, without Bonazzoli, have very little to threaten with.

At 1.37 Napoli are short, no question. But given the context, it's hard to build a case for anything else. The home side are pushing for the title, the visitors are without their top scorer, and the H2H shows Napoli have taken Cremonese apart every time they've met competitively. The 12.00 on Cremonese is generous but it's there for a reason. They haven't won away in Serie A convincingly all season, and this is not the fixture to start.

If you want bigger value, Over 2.5 Goals at 1.97 has legs. Napoli have goals in them, and Cremonese's defence has been leaky. But the straightforward play is the home win.