Ligue 1 Betting: Bielsa's new-look Lille set to entertain and win

St Etienne v Amiens (5th v 18th)
Sat, 19:00 BST

St Etienne have made an excellent start to the season. Under new manager Oscar Garcia they beat Nice (who finished third last season) 1-0 on the opening day and won by the same scoreline at Caen last weekend.

Garcia has introduced a high-pressing, high-energy style. The players have adapted quickly and love it. A large and supportive crowd will turn out at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard for this match.

The main doubt about St Etienne is whether they'll be prolific scorers. The squad lacks a top-class marksman. This state of affairs partly explains their consecutive 1-0 wins this month. Expect the goals to be spread around the squad this season.

But they should at least equal the -1 handicap. Newly promoted Amiens have lost their opening two matches, conceding four goals and scoring none. They've yet to replace star striker Aboubakar Kamara, sold to Fulham earlier this month. Their squad is packed with players that are more Ligue 2 than Ligue 1 quality.

For a full guide to Asian Handicap betting, please click here.

Recommended Bet
St Etienne -1 Asian Handicap @ 1.96

Montpellier v Strasbourg (11th v 13th)
Sat, 19:00 BST

There's very little to pick between these sides. Both look capable of avoiding relegation this season but are likely to finish no higher than mid-table.

Montpellier have rejuvenated their squad over the summer but are no stronger. Their results and performances to date - an acceptable 1-0 win over Caen, a limited 1-0 defeat at Toulouse - sum up their middling ability.

Promoted Strasbourg's main asset this season could be manager Thierry Laurey. A tactically smart pragmatist, Laurey was expert in Ligue 2 at setting-up his sides to be difficult to beat. He could be the difference between Strasbourg staying up and being relegated: they should do reasonably well in front of noisy crowds at Stade de la Meinau, but it's the points they ought to pick up on the road thanks to Laurey's tactical nous that may prove crucial.

With Laurey in charge, they should frustrate Montpellier. The hosts deserve to be favourites but their odds-on status overrates their chances of claiming all three points.

Recommended Bet
Lay Montpellier @ 1.90

Lille v Caen (10th v 16th)
Sun, 14:00 BST
Live on BT Sport 2

Don't read too much into Lille's 3-0 defeat at Strasbourg last weekend. The game was finely balanced at 0-0 when Lille goalkeeper Mike Maignan was sent off. Lille had already made all three substitutions so had to put outfield players in goal. Strasbourg took advantage to run out easy winners.

Lille's 3-0 home win against Nantes on the opening day of the season a fortnight ago is a better guide to how this game might pan out. Lille's win showcased the high-energy, attack-minded football new Lille coach Marcelo Bielsa encourages his players to play. Nantes were overwhelmed.

There are few reasons to suspect Caen will put up better resistance than Nantes did. The Normandy outfit have lost two out of two matches and are yet to score. The mood in the camp is low. Their summer signings are largely uninspiring. Manager Patrice Garande is under immense pressure, with local predictions he may be sacked before the month's out.

Lille are a good bet to equal the handicap at least.

Recommended Bet
Lille -1 Asian Handicap @ 2.20