Ligue 1 Tips: In-form Monaco set to thrill and entertain again

Ligue 1 Tips: In-form Monaco set to thrill and entertain again

After four winners from six selections last weekend, James Eastham reveals the smart picks on the latest round of games in France's top flight...

Hosts to suffer yet another setback

Bordeaux vs Rennes (16th vs 7th)
Sun, 12:00 BST
Live on BT Sport ESPN and Betfair Live Video

Looking at recent form figures this is arguably Ligue 1's biggest mismatch of the weekend.

Rennes have been reborn since new manager Bruno Genesio was appointed nearly two months ago and have everything to play for as they chase a European berth.

Lens, Marseille and Rennes are locked in a battle for fifth place so Rennes will go all-out to secure another victory as they look to continue their pursuit.

Rennes will travel with a lot of confidence, too: they're W5-D1-L0 from their last six matches. Their goal difference across those games is 15-4, showing that they're doing well at both ends of the field.

The contrast with Bordeaux could not be starker. Bordeaux are on a run of five straight defeats, conceding 17 goals across those five matches. Hatem Ben Arfa (pictured below) has been at the heart of alleged problems on and off the pitch.

Look further back and results are even worse: Bordeaux are W1-D1-L11 from their last 13 matches, their sole victory during that time coming against Dijon, already relegated and cut adrift at the foot of the table.

With form like that and off-field worries over the news that owners King Street are set to pull out of the club, Bordeaux will struggle to muster either the quality or belief to halt the in-form visitors.

The odds on an away win are well worth taking.

Motivation the key for Lorient

Lorient vs Angers (17th vs 12th)
Sun, 14:00 BST
Live on Betfair Under manager Niko Kovac, Monaco have wanted to win convincingly rather than narrowly all season. They're one of the few Ligue 1 sides that can be relied upon to try to add a second, third and fourth goal after going ahead in games.

Meanwhile, Lyon's 3-2 home defeat to Lille last weekend - a serious blow to their title hopes - showcased the good and bad of Rudi Garcia's side.

Lyon played some excellent football to secure an early 2-0 lead, only to wobble and eventually collapse defensively when Lille came back hard.

After that loss Lyon have to chase maximum points here, which will encourage the game to open up even more.

Our selection is to back Over 3.0 on the Goal Lines market and the stats will be on your side.

Looking at all Monaco's and Lyon's league games to date this season, backing Over 3.0 on the Goal Lines market would have won 25 times, lost 22 times and given you your stakes back 21 times (stakes being returned when the game has exactly three goals, i.e. equalling the Goal Line).

Looking solely at Monaco's home games and Lyon's away games, you would have had 14 winners, 12 losers and stakes returned eight times.

These stats suggest a higher chance of over three goals than under three goals, so the odds-against price on Over 3.0 is worth taking. Video

Form and motivation point this towards a home win and the price on Lorient is well worth taking.

Lorient are not yet safe from relegation so have everything to play for at Stade du Moustoir. They're four points above the bottom three with four games to play so a win here would see them take a huge step towards Ligue 1 safety.

Lorient ran out 4-1 winners over relegation rivals Bordeaux last weekend, putting on a show of their attacking strength. Top scorer Terem Moffi - a target for Premier League clubs this summer, surely - took his tally to 14 goals for the season by netting a hat-trick.

Angers are set for a mid-table finish and have nothing to play for. Their form shows just how apathetic they've become: les Angevins have lost their last four games in all competitions, failing to score while conceding 12 times.

Lorient's greater desire for points, plus the quality of some of the attacking play they've produced in recent weeks, make the hosts a good bet to collect all three points.

High goals the smart selection

Monaco vs Lyon (3rd vs 4th)
Sun, 20:00 BST
Live on BT Sport 1 and Betfair Live Video

Monaco and Lyon look set to produce a hugely entertaining encounter at Stade Louis II on Sunday night.

Monaco want to continue their unexpected pursuit of the Ligue 1 title while Lyon - now six points adrift of top spot - have to win to maintain realistic hopes of staying in the title race.

As a result we ought to be treated to a feast of attacking football between two sides that have looked more comfortable playing on the front foot all season.