Ligue 1 Betting: Bordeaux the smart bet to upset Monaco's progress

Girondins manager Willy Sagnol has a big challenge on Sunday

Ligue 1 resumes this weekend after the festive break and James Eastham has the smartest selections...

Evian v Rennes (18th v 8th)
Sat, 19:00 GMT

Rennes can be frustratingly inconsistent but should be strong enough to avoid defeat this weekend.

Philippe Montanier's visitors are a potential top-eight side and have some excellent attacking talent, notably centre-forward Ola Toivonen and left winger Paul-Georges Ntep. The latter is superb on the break and that could be vital away to hosts that often leave themselves too open when they play at home.

Evian have won two of their last three home matches but are a limited side and lost 1-0 at Lille in midweek. Crucially their four home wins this season have come against weaker sides than Rennes (Lens, Metz, Nice and Guingamp).

Recommended Bet
Rennes Draw No Bet @ 1.9620/21

Guingamp v Lens (13th v 16th)
Sat, 19:00 GMT

There is no statistical basis for this bet as both teams have scored in only eight of Guingamp's 19 Ligue 1 games and eight of Lens' 19 matches.

But sporadically this season both teams have attacked well and defended poorly and I cannot see either side standing off here. Guingamp go into the game in excellent spirits: they earned a morale-boosting 3-0 win over amateur opposition in the French Cup last weekend after recording five wins and a draw from six matches in December.

Lens centre-back Loick Landre is missing so the visitors may have to trade attacking blows to get anything out of this game. Lens coach Antoine Kombouare would be happy to take a point but it is hard to see his defence holding out against hosts that have scored freely in recent weeks, so I expect Lens to do plenty of attacking - and Guingamp have the division's third-worst defensive record.

Decent odds on both teams to score are worth taking.

Recommended Bet
Both Teams to Score @ 2.0811/10

Lyon v Toulouse (2nd v 14th)
Sun, 13:00 GMT

Lyon are Ligue 1's best home team - their 2014-15 record at Stade de Gerland is an excellent W9-D0-L1 and includes a run of eight straight victories since the start of September. Lyon's general form is excellent, too - they've won five and drawn one of their last six matches home and away in all competitions.

Toulouse are in miserable form - they have lost five of their last seven matches against Ligue 1 opposition and morale is low. Their away stats are disappointing - they've won three but lost seven of 10 away matches.

Lyon are 1.618/13 to win but we prefer the Asian handicap (for more on how Asian handicap betting works, click here). With our selection you'll get your stakes back if Lyon win by a single goal and make a profit if they win by two goals or more. Lyon have won by more than one goal in six of their 10 home matches this season.

Recommended Bet
Lyon -1.0 Asian handicap @ 2.021/1

Monaco v Bordeaux (5th v 6th)
Sun, 20:00 GMT

Monaco go into the game in excellent form (four straight Ligue 1 wins, with clean sheets in all four games) but at 1.784/5 they look too short to win this weekend.

Leonardo Jardim's hosts have an average home record - W4-D3-L2 - and their 1-0 home win over Marseille was an exception as they have generally struggled against better teams.

Bordeaux's away record is far from perfect (W3-D2-L5) but they started 2015 in positive fashion with a 2-1 win over Ligue 1 side Toulouse in the French Cup last weekend, and will be keen to come away with a point.

If Monaco were odds-against then I'd leave this game alone. At odds-on the hosts are worth laying.

Recommended Bet
Lay Monaco @ 1.84/5

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

Staked: 62pts
Returned: 60.86pts
P/L: -1.14pts