Ligue 1 Matchday 27 Preview and Best Bets (Archive)
France’s top-flight league enters matchday 27 at the weekend and soccer odds are already treading with several top-rated sportsbooks. In this column, we spotlight a couple of matchups, analyze the markets and serve up select predictions.
So, without too much preamble, let’s get started.
OGC Nice vs. Paris Saint-Germain FC
Saturday, March 05, 2022 – 03:00 PM EST at Allianz Riviera
Runaway league leaders PSG took another concentrated stride towards the Ligue 1 title on matchday 26, beating the struggling St. Etienne 3-1 at the Parc des Princes in the nation’s capital. Mauricio Pochettino’s side needed that small boost of confidence after falling in a shock 3-1 upset to Nantes the week before.
These next few weeks are critical for the French powerhouse as it looks to advance its bid in Champions League action (the second leg against Real Madrid is on Wednesday, March 9). Any missteps, even innocuous ones, could come back to bite them.
Kylian Mbappe scored two goals on the day to help lift his side to the commanding victory that fell in line with the soccer betting markets. The French national leveled Zlatan Ibrahimovic in the club’s record books, drawing level with the Swede on 156 goals in the all-time PSG goal-scoring record.
On the heels of the victory, PSG improved to a 19-5-2 record and 62 points through 26 matches played. They advanced their lead in the table to 15 points over Marseille, who dropped points in a 1-1 draw to Troyes.
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Nice are coming off a scoreless stalemate against Strasbourg in Ligue 1 play, taking merely a point for their efforts. That put Nice into third place and a point behind Marseille as they improved to a 14-5-7 record and 46 points through 26 matches played.
Nice had bigger fish to fry in midweek action though. Nice was looking at a Coupe de France semi-final bout with Versailles, and with a spot in the final on the line, Nice boss Christophe Galtier was mindful of those high stakes. Tale told Nice came through with a convincing 2-0 victory to set up a final showdown against Nantes for the French Cup.
Nice is in good form going into this top-of-the-table showdown against the presumptive league champions PSG. In their last six fixtures, Nice has gone 3-1-2. They’re also 6-3-4 at home in Ligue 1 play this season. Les Parisiennes are in good form too, and they have the confidence of an eight-game unbeaten run against Nice that includes six wins and two draws.
There’s plenty to hang one’s hat for soccer picks here, but if Nice comes out with a purpose in this game, they might not go pointless as the soccer odds would suggest.
Keep in mind, PSG has an important knockout match against Real Madrid next week. The French side did win the first meeting in Paris, but the 1-0 edge is precariously perched and could easily be overcome by Los Blancos at the Santiago Bernabéu in Madrid next Wednesday.
Soccer Pick: Draw (+310) at BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review)
FC Nantes vs. Montpellier HSC
Sunday, March 06, 2022 - 09:00 AM EST at Stade de La Beaujoire – Louis Fonteneau
Nantes boss Antoine Kombouare has a lot on his plate as he juggles Nantes’ upcoming Ligue 1 schedule around the Coupe de France final. Few would have predicted Nantes would be in a position to pick up silverware this season, but that’s the way things stand after Nantes overcame Monaco on penalties to book their passage into the highly anticipated showdown against Nice.
But that’s not all Kombouare has his sights on for Les Canaris this season. Nantes are currently seventh in the table with an 11-6-9 record and 39 points through 26 matches. Fifth-placed Strasbourg and the European qualification spots are merely four points away ahead of this weekend’s round of Ligue 1 fixtures. A win over Montpellier would go some way towards closing the gap in the table and advancing his side’s lofty ambitions.
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Montpellier is struggling badly right now with form. Overall, La Paillade sits in the eleventh spot with an 11-4-11 mark and 37 points, but three losses in their last four domestic fixtures have setback their progress through the ranks. Those losses weren’t even against the best the league has to offer as they lost to St. Etienne 3-1, Lille 1-0, and Rennes 4-2.
Montpellier has a surprisingly solid record against Nantes, going unbeaten in three straight fixtures. The last time these sides met, Montpellier ran out 2-0 winners at the Stade de la Mosson.
However, with Nantes brimming with confidence right now and playing a whole lot better than La Paillade, that trend is more likely to end than continue. Add to that the fact that Les Canaris will be playing at home in this Sunday tilt, the somewhat understated Ligue 1 odds for this game are practically a steal bet.
Soccer Pick: Nantes (+116) 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.