Roma vs Cagliari Prediction: Cagey start in the capital

AS Roma can move level on points with fourth-place Juventus by beating Cagliari on Monday (19:45 GMT, live on Betfred.com), but with Gli Isolani on a three-game winning run in Serie A, I Giallorossi will likely have to work hard for the victory at the Stadio Olimpico.

Below are my Roma vs Cagliari predictions, supported by all the latest team news and match odds.

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Team News

Paulo Dybala (knee), Artem Dovbyk (groin), Evan Ferguson (ankle), Mario Hermoso, Manu Kone (both hip), Stephan El Shaaraway (Achilles) and Robinio Vaz (muscle) all miss out for Roma due to injury.

Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini could hand a debut to Bayern Munich loanee Bryan Zaragoza, who spent the first half of the season in his native Spain with Celta Vigo, following his Deadline Day arrival last week.

Football Odds

As for Fabio Pisacane’s Cagliari, Michael Folorunsho, Andrea Belotti and Mattia Felici (all knee) are still sidelined, while Yerry Mina (knee) and Gennaro Borrelli (thigh) are doubtful.

Roma vs Cagliari Odds

Roma are 1/2 to beat Cagliari at home for the third season running, implying a 66.7% probability of success, while the visitors are 13/2, or a 13.3% chance, to do the double over their opponents, having won the reverse fixture 1-0 at Unipol Domus in December.

The draw is priced at 3/1, both teams to score at 6/5, and over 2.5 total goals at 11/10.

Betfred have boosted Roma to Win, Roma Most Corners & Cagliari Most Cards to 9/4 (was 15/8).

First Half Total Goals 2-Way - Under 0.5 @ 7/4

Gianluca Gaetano scored the only goal of the game in December’s head-to-head in the 82nd minute, marking the third successive meeting between Roma and Cagliari that failed to see a first-half goal.

Roma’s last three games in all competitions haven’t seen a goal before half-time, either, while Cagliari’s two matches this calendar year against top-five teams, AC Milan (0-1) and Juventus (1-0), saw both defences on top in the opening 45 minutes, too.

Today's Football Fixtures

The hosts are missing several key attackers, while the visitors arrive at the Olimpico in a confident mood, winning their last three games and keeping a couple of clean sheets, so they will look to keep things tight again here, at least in the opening stages.

Player to Have 1 or More Shots On Target - Sebastiano Esposito (CAG) @ 10/11

Cagliari forward Sebastiano Esposito, averaging 0.5 shots on target per 90 minutes in this season’s Serie A, has helped himself to three league goals in 2025/26, although his last strike was back on November 29 in a 2-1 defeat at Juventus’ Allianz Stadium.

The 23-year-old, on loan from Inter Milan, registered two shots on target in Cagliari’s last away game, a 2-1 victory over Fiorentina on January 24, and in his side’s December 7 reverse fixture with Roma, he forced a couple of saves from his five efforts at goal.

Expect him to trouble I Giallorossi’s defence again on Monday.