Ligue 1 Betting: Nantes revival set to continue at St Etienne

Dijon v Bastia (17th v 20th)
Sat, 19:00 BST

Dijon go into this weekend's fixtures on a high after a creditable 1-1 draw at fifth-placed Marseille last weekend.

Dijon manager Olivier Dall'Oglio was delighted with his side's performance, calling it one of their best in recent times and saying it was a "reference point" they could use for inspiration as they look to pull away from the relegation zone in the final weeks of the season.

With powerful striker Lois Diony back from suspension Dijon will be confident of picking up maximum points against struggling visitors. Bastia slipped to the foot of the table last month and will do well to move away from there. Winless in 13 games (W0-D5-L8), they look below-par in all areas of the field at the moment and will need to raise their game simply to earn a draw.

Around evens the hosts are good value.

Recommended Bet

Dijon @ 2.00

Caen v Montpellier (16th v 15th)
Sat, 19:00 BST

This is a relegation six-pointer between two teams under pressure after some disappointing results recently.

Hosts Caen lost 1-0 at 19th-placed Lorient last weekend and cannot ease off as they're only 4pts above the bottom three. Visitors Montpellier - just 1pt and one place above Caen - have lost their last three fixtures. Their disappointing run has dragged them back towards the drop zone just when they thought their relegation worries were over.

The most obvious feature of Montpelier's performances since they appointed Jean-Louis Gasset as their manager in January has been their habit of finding the net while being unable to keep clean sheets.

Montpellier have scored in eight of nine matches under Gasset, conceding in eight of nine, too. With Caen lacking key centre-back Damien Da Silva this weekend, Montpellier should score, but their chances of keeping a clean sheet away from home appear slim given how they've performed in recent weeks.

Recommended Bet
Both Teams to Score @ 1.85

St Etienne v Nantes (7th v 9th)
Sun, 16:00 BST
Live on BT Sport Extra 2

Nantes' fantastic run of form continued with their 2-1 win over local rivals Angers last weekend.

Such has been Nantes' transformation since Sergio Conceicao was appointed manager in December there's even talk of them qualifying for Europe. It's easy to see why: in 13 matches under Conceicao against all but top two Monaco and PSG Nantes' record is an outstanding W8-D4-L1.

With such strong stats to fall back on Nantes will be confident of picking up at least a point. They also have good team news: they're likely to travel to St Etienne with a full squad.

St Etienne are chasing a European place so have everything to play for. But rustiness is a problem: their game at Monaco last weekend was postponed because Monaco were playing in the League Cup final. That, plus the international break, means St Etienne haven't been in action since March 19.

With the hosts lacking rhythm, back Nantes to avoid defeat.

For a guide to Asian handicap betting, click here.

Recommended Bet
Nantes +0.5 Asian handicap @ 1.85