Ligue 1 Matchday 36 Preview and Best Bets (Archive)
France’s Ligue 1 enters the home stretch in May. Only three matches remain on the schedule before the curtain comes down on another top-notch season.
Paris Saint Germain is back on top, crowned champions for the eighth time in the last ten seasons. The rest of the league is yet to be decided. Which teams will clinch European football spots for the next season? Which teams will earn the right to play in France’s top-flight again? Which teams will be relegated? So many questions are still unanswered.
Here we look at the upcoming weekend of Ligue 1 action, which is highlighted by one match on Saturday and a jampacked Sunday.
We preview some of the matchups and examine the corresponding Ligue 1 odds before delivering our verdict on the best bets available this weekend.
Stade Brestois 29 vs. RC Strasbourg Alsace
Saturday, May 07, 2022 – 11:00 AM EDT at Stade Francis-Le Blé
Strasbourg: How Are They Playing?
Strasbourg is chasing one of the European spots for next season that are up for grabs in Ligue 1 and they have very real hopes of claiming one of the coveted spots.
As it is, Strasbourg sits in sixth place in the table with 57 points behind a 15-12-8 mark. Le Racing is three points behind fifth-placed Nice (60 pts) with just three games left in the 2021-22 season.
In fact, they’re actually five points adrift of third-placed Rennes (62 pts), which promises the potential for Champions League qualifiers’ play.
Brestois: How Are They Playing?
Brest is sat pretty in 11th place on the table after a modest campaign with a 13-9-13 record and 48 points. Les Pirates are enjoying middle-of-the-table obscurity, which is great as far as a return to France’s top-flight league is concerned.
They might not be competing for a European position, but they’re also not worried about relegation. That does take the stress and pressure off in these last few weeks of their campaign.
Strasbourg is coming off a 3-3 draw with Ligue 1 champions, Paris Saint-Germain. It marked their third draw in their last five league fixtures (W1, D3, L1). Brest, by contrast, rides a three-game winning streak that includes wins over Lyon, Metz, and Clermont.
How to Bet Strasbourg vs. Brestois?
Online sports betting platforms corner this game with the visitors quite handily. Heritage Sports (visit our Heritage Sports Review) offers the best price of -137 for a win by Strasbourg on the away. The last time these two sides met, Le Racing took the 3-1 victory.
There’s more on the line for Le Racing in this fixture, that’s true. But does that warrant such blatant favoritism on the road when form stands in stark contrast to these odds? Strasbourg is merely 5-7-5 on the away, which includes four draws and one loss in their last five outings.
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Midway through the season, Strasbourg was playing at a high level. They won seven of nine matches and looked to be set for Europe’s top-flight club competition. However, things have cooled since.
On the flip side, Brest is in good form. They might rank lower and have little to play for as the season winds down, but that doesn’t mean they’re not going to be a cakewalk. They may well play spoilers.
Soccer Pick: Stade Brestois 29 to Win (+380) at GTbets (visit our GTbets Review)
Clermont Foot 63 vs. Montpellier HSC
Sunday, May 08, 2022 - 09:00 AM EDT at Stade Gabriel-Montpied
Clermont: How Are They Playing?
Clermont was dealt a setback in their fight for Ligue 1 survival last weekend, losing to Brest 2-0 on the away. Following the defeat, Clermont did remain in 17th place with 33 points, even though their record slipped to an 8-9-18 mark.
The fact that their nearest rivals in the relegation battle all lost too helped keep Clermont just outside of the relegation frame.
Clermont is two points ahead of St. Etienne and the drop zone. They’re merely a point behind Lorient (16th) and two points behind Angers (15th).
Montpellier: How Are They Playing?
Montpellier is faced with a different proposition as the season winds down. They’re safe in the bosom of the league, ranked 13th in the table with a 12-7-16 mark and 43 points.
There will be no European glory-chasing next season, but they can take comfort in the knowledge that they’re guaranteed to return to Ligue 1.
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That said, Montpellier’s form isn’t the best right now. This might suggest they’re merely playing out the string, going through the motions until it's curtains. They’re a lackluster 0-2-3 in their last five fixtures – a run of form that includes three straight defeats on the road.
How to Bet Clermont vs. Montpellier?
As far as this matchup goes, it’s obvious that Clermont has the greater incentive to win. This fact is reflected in the best sportsbooks, too.
Books tip the hosts as the firm favorites to win, with BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review) and Bovada (visit our Bovada Review) providing the best price of -110 on the moneyline.
Soccer Pick: Clermont Foot 63 to Win (-110) at BetOnline
*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.