Ligue 1 Betting: PSG to stroll to victory before Manchester United showdown

Simple win on cards for leaders

Caen v PSG (18th vs 1st)
Sat, 16:00 GMT
Live on Betfair Live Video

PSG will already be looking ahead to their Champions League last 16 second leg at home to Manchester United next Wednesday but even at half-pace they should have enough quality to comfortably beat highly limited Caen.

Several times over the past two seasons we've seen PSG record impressive domestic victories despite rotating their side heavily or being without other important players through injury and suspension. With that in mind the potential absence of several regular starters ahead of the second leg against Manchester United should not prevent Paris from cruising to yet another victory.

PSG are W8-D2-L1 on the road this season and their dropped points came against better sides than Caen (Lyon, Strasbourg, Bordeaux). Seven of their eight away victories have been by a margin of two or more goals, and the only time they won by a single goal on the road their opponents were St Etienne, who sit 14 places and 23 points above Caen in the Ligue 1 standings.

Caen have looked like relegation contenders all season. Manager Fabien Mercadal has one of the division's most mediocre squads so cannot take all the blame yet suffered the recent indignity of experienced old hand Rolland Courbis being appointed over his head as special advisor.

The situation is awkward for Mercadal and it remains to be seen whether this unlikely pairing will get Caen out of trouble. The hosts' improvement is unlikely to start this weekend, meaning the visitors are a strong Asian Handicap selection.

Monaco renaissance set to continue

Angers v Monaco (12th vs 16th)
Sat, 19:00 GMT
Live on BT Sport 3 and Betfair Live Video

Monaco may be below Angers in the Ligue 1 table but there's nothing inferior about the Principality outfit's starting line-up. Since their prolific January transfer activity and the re-appointment of Leonardo Jardim they've played more like a side challenging for a European place than one struggling in the bottom six.

The latest example of their dramatic renaissance came last weekend, when they outplayed third-placed Lyon, clinching a 2-0 victory. January signing Gelson Martins and the excellent Rony Lopes scored the goals while the recent return of Croatia's World Cup final goalkeeper Danijel Subasic has made Monaco a lot more secure between the posts.

If Monaco can beat one of the country's top teams in such impressive fashion then this trip to Angers should hold no fears for them. Man for man Angers are a far more limited side and have won just five of their 14 home games this season. They can be difficult to beat, but Monaco have the individual and collective quality in the final third to claim all three points.

The odds-against price on a Monaco victory is more a reflection of their current lowly league position than the quality of their starting line-up or the calibre of football Jardim's team has produced in recent weeks. Take the big odds while you can.

Underrated Guingamp the smart selection

Guingamp v Nantes (20th vs 14th)
Sun, 14:00 GMT
Live on Betfair Live Video

Guingamp may be rooted to the foot of the Ligue 1 table but their chances of avoiding defeat against struggling Nantes this weekend have been underrated. Despite still being at serious risk of relegation there have been signs of improvement from Guingamp since the turn of the year.

Jocelyn Gourvennec's side have picked up four points from their last two matches, keeping two clean sheets in the process (0-0 at Bordeaux, 1-0 home win vs Angers last weekend). They ran out 2-1 winners at home to Rennes last month and also recorded a stunning 2-1 League Cup win at PSG. Inconsistent performances remain a problem, but they've shown enough moments of quality to suggest they can match Nantes this weekend.

The visitors have slipped from 10th in late November to 14th heading into this game. They were unimpressive 1-0 winners at home to Bordeaux last weekend but their away form's a greater concern: Nantes have lost six of their last seven games away to Ligue 1 opposition in a poor run stretching back three months.

Taking all factors into account the 2.88 on a Guingamp win looks a little too big. We wouldn't recommend backing the hosts to pick up all three points but the home team's odds throw up good opportunities to support Guingamp on the Draw No Bet or Asian Handicap markets.

RECOMMENDED BETS

Back PSG -1.5&-2.0 Asian Handicap v Caen @ 2.00

Monaco to beat Angers @ 2.40

Guingamp Draw No Bet v Nantes @ 2.00