Ligue 1 Betting: Make the most of big odds on Marseille

Ghana star Andre Ayew is a key member of Marcelo Bielsa's side

Marcelo Bielsa's Ligue 1 leaders are the smart bet to get a result at Monaco on Sunday night, writes James Eastham...

Lyon v Caen (3rd v 19th)
Fri, 19:30 GMT

Lyon may be odds-on (1.584/7) but in my view should be even shorter. They have Ligue 1's best home record (W8-D0-L1) and have scored 22 goals at Stade de Gerland, conceding only five. Team news is good, too - 13-goal leading scorer Alexandre Lacazette is available to lead the line.

Visitors Caen are in trouble. They've lost their last two games 5-1 (v Guingamp) and 3-2 (v Nice) and central defensive injuries and suspensions have caused real problems. Off-field issues are a concern - popular president Jean-Francois Fortin is suspended from his post pending match-fixing investigations. This appears to have upset the mood in the camp.

Our pick is the Asian handicap. By backing Lyon -1.0, you'll make a profit if the hosts win by two goals or more and get your stakes back if they win by a single goal. For a guide to how Asian handicap betting works, click here.

Recommended Bet
Lyon -1.0 Asian handicap @ 1.9310/11

Nantes v Bordeaux (9th v 5th)
Sat, 16:00 GMT

Nantes' poor record against teams in the top 10 is the reason I'm siding with Bordeaux. The Canaries' record in such games is W1-D4-L4, with their sole victory coming against Montpellier, a side that has only just crept into the top 10. In short, Nantes are one of those sides that picks up wins against teams below them but struggle when facing better opposition.

Bordeaux fall into the 'better opposition' category - they're fifth in the table and have a respectable W3-D1-L2 away record against sides currently below them in the standings. The absence of goalkeeper Cedric Carrasso is a worry but odds of 3.814/5 cannot be ignored, especially as Nantes are as short as 2.3211/8.

Back Bordeaux on the Asian handicap and you'll make money on a Bordeaux win or a draw.

Recommended Bet
Bordeaux +0&+0.5 Asian handicap @ 2.01n/a

Nice v St Etienne (11th v 4th)
Sun, 13:00 GMT

There's one reason I'm willing to oppose St Etienne here: fatigue. This is their seventh game in 27 days (3.86 days per game). On Thursday night they were playing 2,350km away v Dnipro in Ukraine. And injuries mean coach Christophe Galtier has few rotation options.

Nice came from behind to win 3-2 at Caen last weekend so go into this game with confidence. In most positions the team is at full-strength. I'm usually wary about backing Nice but the market makes them big-priced underdogs, which throws up good betting options on the hosts.

Nice DNB (Draw No Bet) is the pick. With this bet you'll get your stakes back if the game ends all-square and make money if Nice win.

Recommended Bet
Nice DNB @ 1.384/11

Monaco v Marseille (7th v 1st)
Sun, 20:00 GMT
Live on BT Sport 2

Monaco are 2.77/4 to win, Marseille 2.962/1. That makes this a rare opportunity to back Marseille as underdogs.

Marseille's away record is W4-D2-L2. Their only two defeats came at PSG (2-0) and Lyon (1-0) - i.e. the teams directly behind them in 2nd and 3rd place. Latest reports suggest Marseille will be at full strength or close to full strength. They should be fresh as they had no midweek game.

Monaco's Ligue 1 home record is a disappointing W3-D3-L2. Their three home wins came against bottom-eight teams Evian (14th), Guingamp (16th) and Lens (18th). This weekend Dimitar Berbatov is out injured. He's their five-goal top scorer. Monaco are generally more effective when he starts.

Consider backing Marseille to win. If not, Marseille DNB is the pick.

Recommended Bet
Marseille DNB @ 2.05n/a

2014-15 P/L (1pt per bet)

Staked: 54pts
Returned: 53.92pts
P/L: -0.08pts