Ligue 1 Matchday 16 Odds: PSG vs Strasbourg & More Fixtures
First Matches Post-World Cup
French Soccer is Back
Following an unforgettable World Cup in Qatar, the French Ligue 1 is back. We’ll recap some of the Ligue 1 Matchday 16 odds and preview the matches of the week.
Ligue 1 stars played a key role in the World Cup. PSG’s Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe faced off in an unforgettable final and accounted for five of the six goals in the match, which Argentina won in penalties. Messi came away with the Golden Ball Award, while Mbappe won the Golden Boot.
They’ll reconvene on a PSG side that is unbeaten in 15 Ligue 1 matches this season. PSG are always a big draw but there are some other excellent matches on the schedule next week.
Where We Left Off:
If the season ended today, PSG would win a second straight title and they have a five-point cushion over second place Lens. Along with Lens, Rennes currently round out the Champions League places in the Ligue 1 standings Both PSG and Lens entered the World Cup break with five consecutive wins.
Recall that four Ligue 1 teams will be relegated this season because Ligue 1 will reduce its number of teams to 18 ahead of the 2023-24 season. Angers are currently at the bottom of the table with just eight points through 15 matches. Strasbourg, Ajaccio and Auxerre are also in the relegation zone.
Kylian Mbappe just won the Golden Boot at the World Cup and he’s on pace to win another Ligue 1 Golden Boot. He already has 12 goals and teammate Neymar is on 11. Neymar actually leads the league in goal contributions, with 20.
Lorient’s Terem Moffi has been one of the breakout stars of the season, with 10 goals so far. Lionel Messi leads the league in assists, with 10. PSG keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma also leads the league in shutouts, with nine. Marseille’s Pau Lopez has the best save percentage, at 84.8 percent.
Games of the Week:
PSG vs Strasbourg
Date & Time: Wednesday, December 28th, 3:00 p.m. EST
Streaming: Live Stream Sports
We certainly won’t see Lionel Messi in this one as he takes a mini-break after the World Cup. It’s highly doubtful Kylian Mbappe and Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi will play either. That’s good news for a Strasbourg side that has struggled up to this point.
Julien Stephan led RC Strasbourg to a sixth place finish last Ligue 1 season but they’re currently in the relegation zone in 19th place. They have avoided defeat in more than half of their matches, though, with a win and eight draws in 15 matches.
PSG come in at -135 odds to cover the 1½-goal spread as well. Strasbourg, whose only win of the season came in October, show +105 ATS and +950 Ligue 1 Matchday 16 Odds moneyline odds.
Even without Hakimi, Messi, Mbappe, Danilo and Nuno Mendes, PSG sit at -390 odds to win the match. They’ll still have Neymar to provide some attacking punch but this is a trap game for them. PSG come in at -135 odds to cover the 1½-goal spread as well. Strasbourg, whose only win of the season came in October, show +105 ATS and +950 Ligue 1 Matchday 16 Odds moneyline odds. Defenders Alexander Djiku and Ronael Pierre-Gabriel are both suspended for the match.
PSG did draw 3-3 with Strasbourg in April and another one sits at +475 odds. The Parisians are unbeaten in their last 10 matches vs Strasbourg and come into the match on a seven-game winning streak in all competitions. With two of their best attacking options out, however, under 3½ goals is priced at -135 odds. Pablo Sarabia and Hugo Ekitike could get an opportunity to impress here for PSG.
Reims vs Rennes
Date & Time: Thursday, December 29th, 1:00 p.m.
Streaming: Live Stream Sports
Reims may be in 11th place but only five teams have fewer losses than them. They’re unbeaten in their last seven matches and have lost just four times in 15 games.
Their opponents next Thursday, Rennes, are also on a long unbeaten run. Since losing 2-1 to Lens in late August, Rennes haven’t lost in any of their 17 competitive matches. They also won six of their last seven Ligue 1 matches heading into the break.
In a blow for SRFC though, goalkeeper Steve Mandanda and midfielder Lovro Majer are returning late from the World Cup and not expected to play.
Rennes now come in at longer than even odds to win on the road, at +120. Interestingly enough, the road team is unbeaten in the last four Reims vs Rennes fixtures. Still, underdogs Reims show -150 odds to cover the ½-goal spread and get a win or draw.
Arsenal loanee Folarin Balogun has been excellent for Reims and will look to get his ninth goal of the season in this one. The Ligue 1 betting odds price Reims at +240 to win the match.
Two of the last four meetings have finished in draws and another sits at +215 odds here. All of the three-way moneyline outcomes look probable in a match that could certainly go either way. While Rennes have won seven of eight on the road, they’ve drawn four of their seven road matches.
Martin Terrier is the main danger man for Rennes and, like Reims’ Balogun, he has eight goals on the year. The over is implied to be more likely than not here, as over 2½ shows -120 odds.
Nice vs Lens
Date & Time: Thursday, December 29th, 3:00 p.m.
Streaming: Live Stream Sports
Here’s another match which features two teams on unbeaten runs. Nice have gone six Ligue 1 matches without a loss, while visitors Lens won five straight before the break.
Lens are a perfect 8-0 at home but have managed just a 3-3-1 record on the road. Forward Adam Buksa is out for RC Lens but he hasn’t started a match this season even when available. The latest Ligue 1 Matchday 16 Odds imply this should be a very tight game. It’s listed as a pick’em and Nice show -145 odds to cover, while Lens come in at -115. Nice have won four of their last five matches vs Lens but are +225 moneyline underdogs for next Thursday’s match.
Lens show +150 odds to win a sixth straight match and have only conceded ten goals so far this season. They may be feeling confident about their chances to keep a clean sheet here too.
Nice have scored just 15 goals this season and only two Ligue 1 teams have scored less frequently. Since making the switch from Nottingham Forest over the Summer, Lens goalie Brice Samba has done quite well. He’s saving shots at above an 80 percent clip and has kept seven clean sheets. Florian Sotoca has also been a highly productive player for Lens, with 11 goal contributions so far this season.
None of the last six meetings between these teams have finished with a draw but a deadlock shows short odds here. Bettors can find a draw at a +180 price. With Nice struggling to score and Lens’ defensive prowess, under 2½ goals shows -150 odds for the match. Although Nice have often been toothless in front of goal, forward Andy Delort is averaging a solid 0.6 goals per 90 minutes.
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