Skip to main content

Top Ligue 1 Matchday 21 Betting Picks

Sportsbook Review

Last Updated: January 12, 2022 5:25 AM EST • 2 min 7 sec read.

Thilo Kehrer of Paris celebrates his goal 1-1 with Kylian Mbappe, Georginio Wijnaldum and Xavi Simons during the French championship Ligue 1 football match between Olympique Lyonnais (Lyon) and Paris Saint-Germain on January 9, 2022 at Groupama stadium in Decines-Charpieu near Lyon, France - Photo Romain Biard / Isports / DPPI (Photo by Romain Biard / Isports / DPPI via AFP)

PSG aims to return to winning ways when they take on free-scoring Brest this weekend. We look at that game and more with our Ligue 1 Matchday 21 picks.

Perennial heavyweights PSG remain 11 points clear of their closest rivals at the top of the Ligue 1 table despite drawing three of their last four games. Nice are up to second thanks to three straight wins, while Rennes are falling down the table and St-Étienne appear to be in real danger of relegation.

Here are my top betting picks and predictions for the Ligue 1 Matchday 21 schedule (odds via Unibet; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).

Ligue 1 Matchday 21 Picks

PSG to beat Brest and both teams to score (+140) ???Lens (+120) vs. St-Étienne ???Bordeaux vs. Rennes both teams to score (-150) ????

SEE ALSO: All Soccer Picks

Ligue 1 Matchday 21 Predictions

PSG to win and both teams to score (+140)

PSG need to start picking up confidence-boosting wins as they gear up for next month's Champions League showdown with Real Madrid. They're drawing too many games lately, but this expensively assembled collection of superstars should be able to overwhelm Brest at the weekend.

Brest are an enjoyable team to watch. They've kept only three clean sheets in 20 Ligue 1 games so far this season, but they've also found the back of the net in 18 matches. As such, both teams to score has paid off in 75% of Brest's games.

It finished 4-2 to PSG in the reverse fixture early in the season, and we could see a similar scoreline Saturday.

Lens (+120)

St-Étienne have slumped to the bottom of the Ligue 1 table with six losses in a row, leaving them in grave danger of being relegated.

The short-term situation looks bleak for Les Verts, as five important players have all left to play in the Africa Cup of Nations - Wahbi Khazri, Denis Bouanga, Harold Moukoudi, Yvan Neyou, and Saïdou Sow - while their goalkeeper is out with an elbow injury. Their finishing has also been poor this season. Their expected goals tally is 19.42, but they have managed to score only 17 times.

Meanwhile, Lens are missing only two African players - Ignatius Ganago and Massadio Haïdara - and don't have any major injury problems. They're back up to sixth in the table after beating Rennes last weekend and should be able to capitalize on St-Étienne's problems.

Bordeaux vs. Rennes both teams to score (-150)

Bordeaux are another highly entertaining Ligue 1 team. They haven't kept a single clean sheet, and both teams to score has paid off in 16 of their 20 matches. They may be a little unlucky - their expected goals against tally is 37.26, whereas they've actually conceded 44 times - but their defending has certainly been poor.

Rennes have a much better defensive record than Bordeaux, but they've struggled in recent weeks.

They've lost four of their last five games and look a little low on confidence. Goalkeeper Alfred Gomis, defenders Nayef Aguerd and Henri Traore, and striker Kamal-Deen Sulemana are at the Africa Cup of Nations, which doesn't help matters, and they're unlikely to keep a clean sheet against Bordeaux. But they should score.

Ligue 1 Matchday 21 Quick Picks

https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/cG4jt/1/

SEE ALSO: All picks and odds. Be sure to check out SportsbookReview.com's community forums and betting tools.

Ligue 1 Matchday 21 picks made 1/12/2021 at 9:22 a.m. ET.

Written By:
Sportsbook Review
Free sports picks from SBR's experts. Get the latest analysis, odds and predictions on the top industry events. Home of the #SBRPros! SBR - trusted by sports bettors for over 20 years.