Ligue 1 Matchday 33 Odds: Lens Get Crucial Win vs Monaco
PSG Closing in on Ligue 1 Title
Lens Get Crucial Win vs Monaco
It’s a busy weekend in French soccer. Nantes take on Toulouse in a surprise Coupe de France final while Ligue 1 Matchday 33 is also on the cards. With three straight wins, defending Ligue 1 champions PSG are closing in on another title. RC Lens are also in an excellent position to make their first Champions League appearance since the 2002-03 season. Lens beat fourth-placed Monaco 3-0 last weekend to take a five-point lead over the Monegasques. Along with PSG and Lens, Marseille also occupy a UCL place and OM will put a seven-match unbeaten streak on the line on Sunday. At the same time, Nantes and Brest will contest an important match in the relegation picture following the Coupe de France final. Let’s take a look at some of the best Ligue 1 matches of the weekend for betting.
Games of the Week
PSG vs Lorient
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PSG maintained their eight-point Ligue 1 lead with a 2-1 win over Angers last Friday. Kylian Mbappe scored two first-half goals in the victory and is leading the Golden Boot race.
Already one of the greatest Ligue 1 players of all-time, Mbappe could win his fifth straight top scorer award. He’s currently on 22 goals, while Lille’s Jonathan David and Lyon’s Alexandre Lacazette aren’t far behind. While Mbappe has excelled, Lionel Messi has the most goal contributions in the league, with 15 goals and 15 assists. Mbappe, Messi and PSG continue their title pursuit on Sunday when they take on Lorient.
Lorient were firmly in the top half of the table just a few months back but are in 11th place. They lost 1-0 vs. Toulouse last weekend and are winless in their last five matches.
Given their poor form, Lorient enter the match as two-goal underdogs. PSG -2 comes in at -125 odds, while Lorient +2 displays -105 odds. Lorient last won on the road at PSG back in 2010 and are +1100 underdogs here. PSG have won their last two matches vs. Lorient and are -525 favorites for Sunday’s match. PSG have some defensive injuries but they’ve still conceded just twice in their last three matches.
Nordi Mukiele and Presnel Kimpembe are out for the season for the Parisians, while Nuno Mendes and Timothee Pembele are day-to-day. Further up the pitch, both Renato Sanches and Neymar are out. Julien Laporte is injured for Lorient, while midfielders Theo Le Bris and Jean-Victor Makengo are questionable.
A draw would be disappointing but not the end of the world for PSG. One displays +650 odds while over 3.5 goals come in at -125 odds. Only two of the last seven matches between these teams have concluded with four or more goals, though.
Marseille vs Auxerre
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Marseille had just 39 percent of the ball but still managed to get an important road win over rivals Lyon last Sunday. A freak stoppage time own goal from Lyon gifted Marseille a 2-1 victory as they remained in second place in Ligue 1.
Now, they’ll take on an Auxerre side on Sunday that have won three of their last four matches. Auxerre have emerged from the depths of the relegation zone in recent weeks but are still just one-point outside of it. Auxerre last won vs. Marseille in 2009 and lost 2-0 back in September. Alexis Sanchez and Gerson scored in that match but Sanchez is yet to score in the month of April.
Regardless, the Ligue 1 Matchday 33 odds price Marseille as 1.5-goal favorites for Sunday’s match. They come in at -115 odds to cover the spread and -325 moneyline odds. Since suffering an embarrassing upset loss to second-tier Annecy in the Coupe de France, OM are on a seven-game unbeaten run.
They’ve also won their last two matches but Nuno Tavares is listed as day-to-day with a leg injury. Meanwhile, all of Auxerre’s recent wins have come vs. bottom-half clubs. They’re also just 3-3-10 on the road this season as Auxerre +1.5 also displays -115 odds. The oddsmakers also list Auxerre as +850 moneyline underdogs.
Key Auxerre defender Isaak Toure is set to miss this match due to suspension. It figures to be a big blow for Auxerre in their survival fight. Even a draw would go a long way for Auxerre here and it sits at +445 odds.
Marseille are currently six points ahead of fourth-placed Monaco so they have a little bit of wiggle room to qualify for next season’s Champions League. With Auxerre’s recent promotion, these sides have only met twice in the last decade. Both matches finished 2-0 to Marseille and under three goals come in at -135 odds here.
Toulouse vs Lens
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Both Toulouse and Lens are European contenders but in quite different ways. Toulouse’s only hope is to defeat Nantes in Saturday’s Coupe de France Final.
The winner of that match will play in the 2023-24 Europa League and Toulouse are making their first-ever appearance in the final. Following Saturday’s cup final, Toulouse will host third-placed Lens in a Ligue 1 clash. Other than a recent loss to leaders PSG, Lens have been on a tear lately.
They’ve won five of their last six matches, including a dominant 3-0 victory over Monaco last weekend. Lois Openda scored twice in that match and he’s tied for fifth in the Ligue 1 scoring charts, with 17 goals this season.
It’s hard to bet on Lens not to score these days, as they’ve found the net in their last 11 Ligue 1 matches. The Ligue 1 odds price the visitors as 0.5-goal favorites. Lens come in at -135 ATS and moneyline odds and are tipped to continue their good form. However, midfielder Salis Abdul Samed is still suspended from a red card he picked up in the PSG match.
Toulouse +½ displays +105 odds and they’ll get just two days of rest following the Coupe de France final. Hosts Toulouse are also +320 moneyline underdogs but they’ve won two of their last three Ligue 1 matches.
These teams have only met three times in the last decade as they’ve split time between Ligue 1 and Ligue 2. Lens have won all three meetings, outscoring Toulouse 6-0 in the process.
Openda scored a hattrick in the reverse fixture, which Lens won 3-0. Regardless, a draw stands at +280 odds. Goals are certainly expected here, as over 2.5 come in at -140 odds.
Brest vs Nantes
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Nantes are in danger of getting added to the shortlist of clubs to qualify for European competition and get relegated in the same season. FC Nantes are the defending Coupe de France champions and are just one win away from a repeat.
However, they’ve been dreadful in Ligue 1 this season, with just one point per match. With four teams destined for relegation this season, Nantes are only outside of the relegation zone on goal difference. That could change next Wednesday, as they head to Brest.
Brest are level on points with Nantes and are unbeaten in their last five matches. This is a pivotal match in the relegation race, with both teams desperately needing a win.
The Ligue 1 Matchday 33 odds also imply that a Coupe de France hangover is possible for Nantes. Brest come in at +120 ATS and moneyline odds and are home favorites. Nantes +0.5 does show -150 odds and they’ve also dominated this fixture as of late.
Nantes are unbeaten in this fixture during the last five years, with a 5-2-0 record. On Matchday 11, four different Nantes players scored as they crushed Brest, 4-1. Regardless, Nantes are still +230 underdogs here and are just 2-6-8 away from home this season in Ligue 1. A draw also sits at +230 odds.
Brest have also improved greatly on the defensive end recently, as they’ve conceded just four goals in their last five matches. They’ve also kept consecutive clean sheets as both under and over 2½ goals display -110 odds here.
On the offensive end, Pierre Lees-Melou and Jeremy Le Douaron have been key players for Brest. Meanwhile, Nantes’ leading scorer this season is Mostafa Mohamed, with eight goals.
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