How is the Scudetto race in Serie A progressing? The state of play

Let's get straight to the point then and take a look at the Serie A standings, where Napoli, at the seventeenth day of the championship, advance undisturbed to +7 from Juventus and Milan. At three points behind them is Inter, who must watch their backs from their pursuers Lazio and Roma, also three points behind.
The race for the Scudetto seems to be, at least so far, a solo game for Napoli, who only showed signs of relenting on matchday 16, when they had to surrender to Simone Inzaghi's Inter. That defeat at the San Siro was the only defeat in 17 matches, marked by a string of 15 consecutive useful results and a crazy performance, with 39 goals scored and 13 conceded. The pursuers, however, do not give up. Juventus, who started badly and were eighth in the league table in the eleventh game of the championship, have been able to push on the accelerator, scoring eight consecutive victories, including the victory in the derby of Turin, the 2-0 against Inter at home and the 3-0 against Lazio, also at home.
A.C. Milan, on the other hand, started to lose touch with Napoli right from matchday 11 onwards, bringing the gap from -3 to -7 in the space of six matches. What weighed most heavily were the 2-1 defeat at home to Toro, then the draw with Cremonese, and finally the recent draw, at home in the last minute of added time, against Roma. In fourth position we find Inter, who have been able to react to an initial difficult moment, made up of four wins and four defeats in the first eight days of the championship, with a series of useful results that have allowed Inzaghi's men to regain the lead in the standings.
The Romans, for their part, have always navigated between fourth and sixth place in the standings, and this is nothing new. The goal of both teams is to earn a place in Europe, possibly in the Champions League. The same goes for Atalanta, which inexplicably went downhill after the tenth of the championship. Until then they were only two points behind Napoli, had scored 10 consecutive useful results and were firmly in second place in Serie A. Then four defeats, one draw and only one win in six consecutive days.
Currently, the odds of the best bookmakers for winning the 2022-23 season say: Napoli favourite at 1.65, followed by Juventus at 4.50, then Milan (6.50) and Inter (7.50). Very little hope for Lazio and Roma (50). For more information on the Italian league, see pronosticiseriea.org.
The calendar of the eighteenth day of the championship is very interesting, opening with the early match on Friday 13 January between Napoli and Juventus. The big match at the San Paolo will give a clear clue as to what could be the continuation of the championship. If the “Partenopei” manage to get the better of them, they will put a serious mortgage on the final victory, distancing the direct pursuer by a good 10 points. On the contrary, should they lose, they would see the little treasure trove of points accumulated so far reduced, and could suffer the blow by losing confidence in their own chances. The bookmakers are betting on a Napoli victory at 1.95, and all the odds seem to favour Spalletti's men.
Between the two litigants, Milan could take advantage, as they will play Lecce on Saturday 14 in a challenge that, at least on paper, looks very accessible. It will not be a foregone conclusion, however, as the men led by Baroni have managed to rack up five consecutive useful results, including home victories, both 2-1, against Atalanta and Lazio. The match for Inter, on the other hand, appears to be much easier, as they will face last-place Verona at home. The other matches scheduled for the top of the table will be Sassuolo-Lazio, Atalanta-Salernitana and Roma-Fiorentina.