Ligue 1 Matchday 26 Odds: Messi Scores 700th Career Goal
Battle for European Places Heats Up
Messi Scores 700th Career Goal
Matchday 25 was an eventful one in Ligue 1. Lionel Messi scored his 700th career goal and assisted Kylian Mbappe twice as PSG dominated Marseille in Le Classique to the tune of a 3-0 win. Marseille wasn’t the only title contender that lost last weekend, as Nice ended Monaco’s four-game winning streak. Seventh-place Nice are certainly a team to watch going forward, as they’re now unbeaten in their last eight matches. This weekend, though, Lens vs. Lille and Rennes vs. Marseille take center stage. We’ll cover the Ligue 1 Matchday 26 odds as the competition for European spots heats up.
Matches of the Week
Lens vs LOSC Lille
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Lens had plenty of chances at Montpellier last Saturday but couldn’t make them count. A Faitout Maouassa header canceled out an Angelo Fulgini strike and the teams shared the points. Meanwhile, Lens’ Saturday opponents, Lille, pulled off a comeback vs. Brest to get their third win in their last four. Lens are currently level with Monaco on points and goal difference in third place. To keep their Champions League hopes alive and well, they’ll certainly want to get all three points on Sunday. Lille, on the other hand, enter the weekend in sixth place in the Ligue 1 standings, six points behind Lens.
Before Saturday’s match, Lens take on Nantes in a Coupe de France quarter final matchup on Wednesday. Lille get a full week of rest heading into Matchday 26 but are still +200 road underdogs. Lens have the joint-most home wins in Ligue 1 this season and an impressive 11-1 record there. They’re +130 moneyline favorites but this match is currently listed as a pick’em. The hosts come in at -145 odds to cover the spread while Lille pk shows +115 odds. Lille did win the reverse fixture, 1-0, but Lens defeated Les Dogues at home last season.
Lille could be short on defense heading into Saturday’s match. Ismaily is out with a long-term injury, while Jose Fonte and Bafode Diakite are day-to-day. Even with Lille potentially missing key players, under 2½ goals display -120 odds. In part, that is due to Lens’ excellent defense. Lens have conceded a Ligue 1-best 20 goals this season in 25 matches but have allowed a goal in their last six league matches. Bettors can also find a draw at +245 odds in this key Ligue 1 matchup.
Rennes vs Marseille
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Like Lens, Marseille have a mid week Coupe de France quarter final match vs. Annecy before this weekend’s clash at Rennes. Marseille could have easily been down 5-0 to PSG at halftime last weekend and a better performance is expected here. Rennes managed to win on the road at Nantes last Sunday but are dealing with a bunch of injuries heading into Matchday 26. Joint-leading scorer Martin Terrier has been out long term while midfielder Benjamin Bourigeaud left early vs. Nantes. Hamari Traore, Flavien Tait and Xeka also missed the match vs. Nantes.
With Rennes’ injury woes, the Ligue 1 Matchday 26 odds price Marseille as +145 moneyline favorites in this pick’em. Rennes pk shows -105 odds, while Marseille are -125 ATS favorites. Notably, Rennes have one of Ligue 1’s best home records this season, at 11-2. Still, they are +175 moneyline underdogs and a draw comes in at +245 odds. These teams shared the points when they met in Ligue 1 earlier this season. However, a Matteo Guendouzi goal for OM knocked Rennes out of the Coupe de France in January.
This has been a low-scoring fixture in recent seasons, as the last five meetings have finished with two or fewer goals. Both over and under 2½ goals display -115 odds for Sunday’s match. Even though Marseille fell 3-0 to PSG last weekend, they still managed to get off 19 shots. It’s incredibly rare that OM fail to get on the scoresheet two games in a row. Meanwhile Rennes are on an incredible 24-match Ligue 1 scoring streak heading into this one.
Other Important Matches
PSG vs Nantes
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Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi were unplayable in last Sunday’s 3-0 Le Classique victory. Mbappe has scored four times in his last two matches and leads the league with 17 goals. He’s a popular Golden Boot pick for betting on Ligue 1. Meanwhile, Messi scored and assisted Mbappe twice vs. Marseille. It’s going to be a tough task for Nantes to shut down Paris Saint-Germain’s offense on Saturday. Plus, Nantes will be on just two days of rest after their Coupe de France meeting with Lens. While that works in PSG’s favor, certain factors are working against the Parisians in this one as well.
Neymar’s ankle is unlikely to be risked, especially with a crucial Champions League meeting vs. Bayern Munich next Wednesday. Midfielder Marco Verratti is also suspended vs. Nantes. Meanwhile, defender Presnel Kimpembe suffered a season-ending achilles injury vs. Marseille on Sunday. Christophe Galtier could certainly tinker with his lineup to try to save his best players’ legs for the game vs. Bayern Munich.
Regardless, PSG are still 1½-goal favorites for Saturday’s match and show -125 odds to cover. Nantes +1½ sits at -105 odds and the visitors are big +750 moneyline underdogs. Paris Saint-Germain have already faced Nantes twice this season, once in the Trophee des Champions and another in Ligue 1. PSG have won those matches by a combined 7-0 scoreline and are -325 favorites here. Still, Nantes have won two of the last five meetings. Incredibly, none of the last 25 meetings between PSG and Nantes have finished in a draw. A draw displays +475 odds here and over three goals come in at -120 odds.
Troyes vs Monaco
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Troyes are on a five-game losing streak in Ligue 1 and currently three points from safety. Their matches won’t get any easier as they host third-placed Monaco on Sunday . Prior to Thursday’s loss to Leverkusen in the Europa League and Sunday’s 3-0 loss at Nice, Monaco’s form was excellent. They pose a big offensive threat and the Ligue 1 Matchday 26 odds confirm as much. Monaco come in at -175 odds to score two or more goals and are one-goal favorites. The Monegasques display -125 odds to cover the spread and -200 odds to get a third consecutive road win at Troyes.
However, Troyes managed to pull off an upset in the reverse fixture. After Guillermo Maripan picked up a red card for Monaco, Troyes managed a 4-2 win. It was their first win vs. Monaco since 2002. Troyes +1 sits at +105 odds, while the home side also shows +500 to get back-to-back wins over Monaco for the first time ever. Monaco have scored at least two goals in their last six meetings with Troyes but under three goals come in at -140 odds. Monaco could be short on defense, with Guillermo Maripan and Vanderson out and Ruben Aguilar ill. Lucien Agoume is suspended and Troyes’ poor form has coincided with Florian Tardieu’s season-ending injury. Even a draw would be a great result for Troyes here and it sits at +340 odds.
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