Ligue 1 Matchday 26 Preview and Best Bets (Archive)
Ligue 1 enters matchday 26 at the weekend and various online sportsbooks have gone to press with a slew of soccer betting markets for France’s top-flight league.
In this column, we spotlight a couple of matchups, analyze the Ligue 1 odds and serve up select predictions. So, without too much preamble, let’s get started.
Paris Saint-Germain FC vs. AS Saint-Etienne
Saturday, February 26, 2022 – 03:00 PM EST at Parc des Princes
Mauricio Pochettino’s side is coming off a rare defeat in France’s top-flight action, losing to Nantes 3-1 last weekend. On the heels of the loss, Paris Saint-Germain settled on an 18-5-2 record and 59 points.
PSG remains firmly ahead of the chasing pack in the Ligue 1 table. They have a 13-point advantage over their nearest rivals Olympique Marseille and look all but certain to win the domestic title this season. So, last week’s defeat to Nantes didn’t cost PSG a whole lot, except for some pride maybe.
St. Etienne descends on the Parc des Princes this weekend riding a four-game unbeaten streak. Les Stéphanois are mired in a survival battle at the bottom of the table and thanks to their recent surge in form, they’ve clawed their way into 16th place with a 5-7-13 mark and 22 points. That said, only one solitary point separates St. Etienne and last-placed Bordeaux.
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To say St. Etienne faces an impossible task is no understatement. The visitors haven’t beaten Les Parisiennes since 2012. PSG has is unbeaten in 17 straight league fixtures between these sides, including a 3-1 win earlier this season. The hosts haven’t been beaten at home this season either, boasting an 11-1-0 mark at the Parc des Princes.
The soccer betting market is quite rightly tipped towards PSG. An upset win by St. Etienne is a longshot bet at +1584 with Heritage Sports (visit our Heritage Sports Review) while a draw is best priced at +750 with BetOnline. As tempting as either of those bets are, St. Etienne’s best shot is to keep this game a close one.
Soccer Pick: St. Etienne +2.5 (-108) at BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review)
AS Monaco FC vs. Stade de Reims
Sunday, February 27, 2022 - 07:00 AM EST at Stade Louis II
AS Monaco currently ranks sixth in the table behind a 10-8-7 mark and 38 points. There are two points adrift of Rennes and the European qualification spots in the table.
In recent weeks, AS Monaco’s form has perked up considerably. They’re riding a five-game unbeaten streak in their last five overall fixtures. This includes three matches unbeaten at the Stade Louis II too. As well, Les Monégasques are through to the semi-finals of the Coupe de France – a date against Nantes that will be played on Wednesday, March 2, 2022.
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AS Monaco will be keen to maintain their positive run of form at the expense of Reims. The visitors rank 14th overall in the league with a 6-10-9 mark and 28 points. In the last five fixtures overall they’ve gone 1-2-2. The lone victory during this span was a 5-0 drubbing of last-placed Bordeaux.
On paper, this would appear to be a mismatch of considerable proportions. However, this matchup isn’t quite so lopsided according to recent soccer betting trends. Yes, Monaco is unbeaten in its last six fixtures with Reims. But with one win and five draws, Monaco doesn’t exactly come across as infallible here. The visitors have wiggle room to hang their hats on, if not with an outright upset then at least another draw. They played out to a 0-0 draw at Stade Auguste-Delaune in November when they last met.
Soccer Pick: Draw (+340) at BetOnline
Clermont Foot 63 vs. FC Girondins de Bordeaux
Sunday, February 27, 2022 - 09:00 AM EST at Stade Gabriel-Montpied
Girons Bordeaux prop up the league with a woeful 4-9-12 record and 21 points. Wins have been few and far in between for Les Girondins and they’re desperate to stop the bleed. In recent weeks, they were pummelled 5-0 by Reims, beaten narrowly 3-2 by Lens, and settled on a 1-1 draw with Monaco.
Clermont Foot is 15th in the table with a 7-6-12 mark and 27 points. The hosts are coming off a stunning 2-0 win over second-placed Marseille, which should send them into this weekend on a wave of confidence.
The difference between 15th place and 20th is merely six points, putting a premium on the win in this game. Clermont is coming off a statement-win, but they’ll need to be careful to avoid the hangover effect especially if they take Les Girondins for granted.
At the face of it, Clermont Foot should win this match and do so handily at the Stade Gabriel-Montpied. However, if recent trends are any indication, they appear to be playing up (or down) to their opponents. For instance, they beat Nice 1-0 on the away, lost to St. Etienne 2-1 at home, and then stunned Marseille 2-0 on the away. A win or a draw for the visitors wouldn’t be so far-fetched for soccer picks here after all.
Soccer Pick: Bordeaux (+295) at Bovada (visit our Bovada Review)
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.