Ligue 1 Matchday 29 Odds, Preview: Returns From International Break
PSG Drop Points as Title Race Continues
Ligue 1 Returns From International Break
PSG’s Kylian Mbappe was named France’s captain ahead of the international break to add to his list of accolades. Mbappe and PSG are on pace to add another Ligue 1 title to their trophy cabinet but lost 2-0 to Rennes at home in their last match. With a seven-point lead over Marseille with seven games remaining, PSG need to bounce back vs. Lyon on Sunday. Meanwhile, Champions League hopefuls Rennes and Lens will also face off this weekend. Let’s run through the Ligue 1 Matchday 29 odds from an excellent weekend in France’s top flight.
Matches of the Week
Rennes vs Lens
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With their 2-0 win over PSG just before the international break, Rennes completed a rare double over PSG in the 2022-23 season. Rennes also handed the Parisians their first home loss of the Ligue 1 season. Now, fifth-placed Rennes host Lens in one of the Ligue 1 games of the week. Rennes are currently seven points behind Lens, who hold the final Champions League berth as things stand.
All three points from the hosts could change the UCL race quite dramatically. That won’t be easy though, as Lens are unbeaten in their last five matches.
The Ligue 1 odds list this match as a pick’em and Rennes are slight favorites. Rennes pk comes in at -135 odds, while Lens sit at +105 odds to cover. While Lens have been the best team in Ligue 1 at home this season, they’ve frequently drawn on the road. In fact, eight of their 14 away games have finished in draws and they hold a 4-8-2 road record heading into this match. A draw displays +240 odds here but SRFC haven’t drawn a single match at home this season.
The hosts are priced at +145 odds to win the match, while Lens come in at +185 odds to get a third straight Ligue 1 win.
The last time these two teams met, Lens picked up a 2-1 win. In fact, RC Lens are unbeaten in the last five Ligue 1 matchups. This has frequently been a low-scoring fixture as of late, as nine of the last ten meetings have finished with two or fewer goals.
Here, under 2.5 goals sit at -125 odds but Rennes have scored in 26 of their 28 matches this season. Lois Openda has been in incredible form for Lens, with five goals in his last two games alone. It’ll be a big challenge for Rennes to shut him down on Saturday.
PSG vs Lyon
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Lyon dominated this matchup in the late 2000’s but PSG have been the team to beat ever since. The Parisians fell in a rare defeat before the international break and haven’t dropped two games in a row all season. Perhaps PSG’s loss to Rennes wasn’t all that surprising given the makeshift backline Christophe Galtier had to field. With Sergio Ramos, Marquinhos, Presnel Kimpembe and Achraf Hakimi all out, PSG went with Juan Bernat, Danilo Pereira and El Chadaille Bitshiabu in a back three. Kimpembe is out for the season, but it remains to be seen whether Ramos, Marquinhos or Hakimi will return in time for Sunday’s match.
In any case, PSG are 1.5-goal favorites heading into their match vs. Lyon. The Ligue 1 Matchday 29 odds price them at +110 to cover. PSG’s moneyline odds are -235 as they look to sweep the season series vs. Lyon.
Despite Lyon’s inconsistency, they have managed to put together a four-match unbeaten run. Lyon also have a decent shot to go on and win the Coupe de France, which could seal a Europa League berth. They take on Nantes in the semifinals the Wednesday following their match at PSG.
For this Ligue 1 clash, Lyon sit at -140 odds to cover the spread. OL did manage to defeat PSG on the road in 2020 but come in at just +500 odds to win here. After all, PSG have managed an impressive 11-2-1 home record so far. After struggling with Arsenal at times last season, Alexandre Lacazette has had a resurgent campaign.
The OL striker is in the running for the Ligue 1 Golden Boot, with 17 goals to his name. He’ll be a threat to what could be another improvised PSG defense. Over three goals for the match show -135 odds while a draw displays +420 odds here.
Other Important Matches
Marseille vs Montpellier
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Second-placed Marseille figure to be a popular pick for Ligue 1 betting in the final 10 matches of the season. They’re still technically in the title race with 59 points, compared to PSG’s 66. Marseille got a huge road result in their last match, by ending the longest unbeaten streak in the top-five European leagues.
OM handed Reims their first loss since September as Alexis Sanchez scored a brace in a 2-1 match. Marseille can end another unbeaten run on Friday as upstart Montpellier enter Matchday 29 without a loss in their last six matches.
Montpellier have won their last three matches and conceded just two goals on their unbeaten run. That streak directly coincides with the start of Michel der Zakharyan’s tenure as Montpellier head coach. They’ve looked resurgent in recent weeks and will be aiming for a top-half finish this season.
Elye Wahi, a 20-year old forward, has scored in each of Montpellier’s last three matches as well. Despite their good form, the visitors are one-goal underdogs heading into Friday. Marseille -1 comes in at -145 odds, while Montpellier +1 shows just +115 odds here.
Marseille are unbeaten in their last eight matches vs. Montpellier, in all competitions, and are -230 moneyline favorites. Meanwhile, Montpellier sit at +600 odds to get their first win over Marseille since 2018 but may be a popular underdog pick.
A draw certainly won’t do for Marseille as they chase PSG, but a deadlock is priced at +375 odds. In what’s frequently been a high-scoring fixture as of late, the oddsmakers price over 2.5 goals at -140.
Lille vs Lorient
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Lille and Lorient are currently on the outside looking in for a European berth. However, neither team is too far off the pace. Lille are just one point behind fifth-placed Rennes, while Lorient head into Matchday 29 five points behind Lille.
All three points will be on both manager’s minds heading into Sunday’s match. Defense will be key for Lille, who have conceded 1.6 goals per game in their last five matches. Although they’ve been leaky as of late, they’ve only dropped one of those matches.
The Ligue 1 Matchday 29 odds price Lille as 1.5-goal favorites even though they’ll be missing some key players. Defenders Ismaily and Tiago Djalo are out, while midfielder Andre Gomes is suspended. It shouldn’t come as a big surprise that Lille -1.5 is listed at +105 odds, while Lorient -1.5 shows -135 odds.
Visitors Lorient won the last meeting 2-1 but have been outscored 7-1 in their last two road matches at Lille. Incredibly, none of the last 16 matches between these teams have ended in a draw. Punters can bet on the trend bucking at +430 odds.
Lille, whose 2020-21 Ligue 1 title seems like a distant memory, also sit at -285 odds to win the match. They do have the most dangerous player on either side, in Jonathan David. The Canadian international is tied with Kylian Mbappe, with 19 goals this season and has linked up well with Jonathan Bamba and Remy Cabella this season.
Lorient lost leading scorer Terem Moffi in the January transfer window but their defense has made up for it. They’ve conceded just two goals in their last five matches but are +650 underdogs heading into Sunday. In an exciting fixture where goals are often abundant, over three goals display -120 odds.
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