Ligue 1 Best Bets: Three Value Picks from France this Weekend

Ligue 1 Best Bets: 13th-14th May
Goals in Montpellier and backing against Troyes and AC Ajaccio (or Angers) in any way possible? Sounds like a bettingexpert Ligue 1 Best Bets.
In this article:
- PSG vs AC Ajaccio Preview & Best Bet
- Rennes vs Troyes Preview & Best Bet
- Montpellier vs Lorient Preview & Best Bet
PSG vs AC Ajaccio Preview
Saturday, May 13th, 20:00 (UK)
Lionel Messi returns following an apology video that pleased the powers that be in Paris, his teammates, and a section of PSG’s support to overturn a suspension on the sidelines.
The Argentine’s presence, plus a Kylian Mbappé still very much in the mood to hunt down the Ligue 1’s top scorer accolade, as mentioned regularly in weeks gone by, should see PSG be comfortable winners on the weekend.
However, at 1.10 favourites, you’ll need to be somewhat creative in getting the Parisians on your side if you fancy them overturning a toothless AC Ajaccio outfit. With an average first-goal-scored time of 29.27 minutes in Ligue 1 plus AC Ajaccio’s 30.94 first-goal-conceded times, the home side to notch the first goal in the opening 45 minutes may well be a runner here.
PSG vs AC Ajaccio Best Bet
If events transpire as they often have this term, that should cover 2/3 of the bet builder picks if PSG can avoid conceding in the first half. Additionally, only four other teams in the division have a later time on the clock than AC Ajaccio’s 50:00 for their opening goal-scored average time. Interestingly, Lille, Reims, and Rennes make up three of said four – all teams you’d expect to create consistent openings in the first half of games.
Last but not least is the PSG -1 handicap pick on William Hill. The handicap has landed in three of PSG’s last five matches, as well as romping home in the 0-3 away three points in the reverse match against Saturday’s opposition in October. For AC Ajaccio, the -1 has hit in all four of their recent fixtures against the top five: 3-0 vs Lille, 0-2 vs Monaco, 7-1 vs Monaco, and 0-3 vs PSG.
- Selection: PSG -1, First Team to Score & PSG Win First Half
- Best Odds: 1.80 (William Hill)
- Stakes: 7.5/10
Rennes vs Troyes Preview
Sunday, May 14th, 20:00 (UK)
It was a tough watch for Troyes last weekend. PSG came, saw, and conquered with ease as the gulf in quality compared to PSG was showcased to the world. The 31 shots in PSG’s favour tell the true story of what transpired, though the hosts nabbed a goal in the 1-3 Parisian visit.
Now, they face a Rennes side three points off European football, with no choice but to throw everything at the season’s final four games. Troyes at home will be targeted as a game they should be getting three points from and a match where they can improve on their goal difference if the season is to boil down to such a metric.
Rennes vs Troyes Best Bet
The 37 home goals scored is the second-highest in France’s top tier – only PSG have scored more with 38. Yet, despite the loftier goals-haul, Rennes have returned 39 points from 17 games, one more than PSG.
Bruno Gensio’s eleven are competent at home, often winning their duels (13/17) and regularly running away with proceedings. I don’t expect that to change when Troyes comes to town.
- Selection: Rennes HT/FT & Over 1.5 Rennes Goals (TRACKED BET)
- Best Odds: 1.80 (bet365)
- Stakes: 7.5/10
Montpellier vs Lorient Preview
Sunday, May 14th, 20:00 (UK)
Montpellier have scored eight goals in their last two Ligue 1 outings (4 & 4), thumping Monaco to touch away from home (0-4) and somehow falling short of an Alexandre Lacazette-inspired Lyon win (5-4).
So, straight away, the idea of goals in the 90 minutes here seems like the first thing to look at. At 1.80 for over 2.5 goals, it feels like a good starting point to me. Three or more goals have landed in six of their recent ten matches, and 9/20 if zooming out a little more over the last few months.
Montpellier vs Lorient Best Bet
Only Angers’ (72%) underperformance has been able to outdo Montpellier in the amount of Over 2.5 Goal games on home turf this season. The 12/17 (71%) games overcoming the three-goal threshold make Sunday’s hosts an attractive proposition for the proposed market.
Similarly, 11/17 of Lorient’s away games have paid out Over 2.5 Goals for punters. With recent goalscoring form and season’s trends on our side, that 1.80 is worth considering.
- Selection: Over 2.5 Goals
- Best Odds: 1.80 (bet365)
- Stakes: 7.5/10
Best odds available as at 10:00 May 11th, 2023. Odds may now differ.
More Montpellier vs Lorient Tips
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Alternative 1Our best bets are posted by some of the best tipsters around. These are our tipsters best value bets. A best bet can be placed on any number of different markets. The most common of which are 1X2, the Asian handicap, BTTS, and the goals markets. Value can be found in matches from leagues across the world. Be sure to follow bettingexpert for the latest best bets.