Ligue 1 Betting: PSG to main title pressure in style against struggling Lens

PSG should be too strong for Lens this weekend

Ahead of their Champions League second leg against Chelsea Laurent Blanc's side are a good bet to win this weekend, writes James Eastham...

PSG v Lens (2nd v 19th)
Sat, 16:00 GMT

An accumulation of problems at Lens makes the visitors worth opposing this weekend.

A run of poor results since the turn of the year (W0-D3-L3) has left Lens second-bottom of the table, nine points from safety. Off the field there are increasing concerns the club might go bankrupt at the end of the season and Lens also face a legal dispute about whether they should have been promoted to Ligue 1 in the first place.

All these issues are weighing heavily on coach Antoine Kombouare and his young squad, who have lost some of their fighting spirit in recent weeks.

PSG are often accused of taking domestic games too lightly but their home record against French sides in all competitions since the start of 2015 is W6-D1-L0. Their Champions League last 16 second leg against Chelsea next week is a potential distraction but the hosts should still be much too strong.

Recommended Bet
PSG -1.5&-2.0 Asian handicap @ 1.910/11

Caen v Bordeaux (12th v 7th)
Sat, 19:00 GMT

Caen's remarkable journey from the relegation zone to mid-table safety is the Ligue 1 story of 2015 so far.

After looking odds-on for a swift return to Ligue 2 following their promotion last May Patrice Garande's side have embarked on an stunning run of six wins and a draw in their last seven matches. Even more incredible is their scoring form - they've netted 21 times in those seven matches.

Goals is the way to play this match. At home Caen are likely to take the same attacking approach that has seen them climb the table so impressively. And they keep few clean sheets, which is why both teams have scored in 19 of Caen's 30 (63%) games in all competitions.

Bordeaux's stats are similar - both teams have scored in 21 of their 31 (68%) games in all competitions.

Recommended Bet
Both Teams to Score @ 1.855/6

Montpellier v Lyon (6th v 1st)
Sun, 20:00 GMT
Live on ESPN

Lyon lost last weekend but they are unlikely to be as complacent when they face Montpellier on Sunday night.

Leading 1-0 at Lille last Saturday afternoon, Lyon switched off after the interval and paid the price as Lille scored twice to claim a 2-1 win.

It was a salutary lesson for Hubert Fournier's young team and I expect much better focus and determination from them in this fixture. A team with less confidence might be shaken by what happened at Lille but Lyon have played with extraordinary maturity all season so should react to last weekend's setback in the right manner.

Hosts Montpellier's league position is better than anyone expected but they tend to struggle against better sides - their record in all competitions at home to the five sides above them in the table is W1-D0-L4.

Recommended Bet
Lyon Draw No Bet (DNB) @ 1.910/11

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

Staked: 90pts
Returned: 93.16pts
P/L: +3.16pts