Top Ligue 1 Matchday 22 Betting Picks

Sportsbook Review

Last Updated: January 18, 2022 9:21 AM EST • 2 min 6 sec read. Twitter link Google News Link

Ander Herrera of PSG during the French championship Ligue 1 football match between Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Stade Brestois 29 (Brest) on January 15, 2022 at Parc des Princes stadium in Paris, France - Photo Jean Catuffe / DPPI (Photo by JEAN CATUFFE / Jean Catuffe / DPPI via AFP)

PSG take on Reims in an eagerly anticipated game this weekend, while heavyweights including Lyon and Nice are also in action. We have picks on those games and more from Ligue 1's Matchday 22.

PSG maintained their 11-point lead over Nice at the top of the table after easing to a 2-0 win against Brest last weekend. The fight for a top-three finish is heating up, with Nice, Marseille, Rennes, Monaco, and Lens all in contention and within six points of each other. At the other end of the table, St-Étienne and Bordeaux are both in miserable form, and their chances of survival are looking increasingly slim.

Here are my top betting picks and predictions for the Ligue 1 Matchday 22 schedule (odds via DraftKings Sportsbook; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).

Ligue 1 Matchday 22 Picks

Lyon -1.25 (-115) vs. St-Étienne ???Metz vs. Nice (-140) ???PSG win to nil vs. Reims (-120) ???

Ligue 1 Matchday 22 Predictions

Lyon -1.25 (-115)

St-Étienne suffered a sixth consecutive defeat in Serie 1 play when they lost 2-1 to Lens last weekend. That dismal run of form has left them cast adrift at the bottom of the table, and it is hard to see the situation improving any time soon.

Five key players for St-Étienne have gone to the Africa Cup of Nations and their goalkeeper is out due to an elbow injury.

Lyon ended a run of four straight draws by beating Troyes 1-0 on Sunday, which should give them confidence.

They need to sharpen up their finishing, as their expected goals tally is 34.47 this season, but they have scored only 28 times. If they display more of a killer instinct this weekend, they should ease to victory against this depleted St-Étienne team.

Nice (-140)

Head coach Christophe Gaultier pulled off a minor miracle by leading Lille to the Ligue 1 title ahead of the ultra-wealthy PSG last season.

He then surprised everyone by swiftly decamping to Nice, but it has proved to be a shrewd decision. Nice are second in the table after winning four games in a row, while Lille are marooned in 10th.

Metz have the second-worst home record in Ligue 1 this season, with just one win, four draws, and five defeats from 10 games. Nice have the best away record, with seven wins from 10 road trips, so betting on them seems like a no-brainer.

DraftKings has -140 on Nice to beat Metz, but you can find -125 or -130 if you shop around for your odds, which is a tempting price.

PSG win to nil vs. Reims (-120)

PSG have won their last three meetings with Reims to nil. It finished 2-0 when they met in the Champagne region at the start of the current campaign in August.

Last season, PSG beat Reims 4-0 in Paris and 2-0 on the road. The Parisians have kept only seven clean sheets this season, but five of them came at home, with a 50% strike rate at the Parc des Princes.

Last weekend, PSG faced free-scoring Brest in Paris, and they eased to a 2-0 win. They rarely looked trouble in defense, and they should control this game en route to another comfortable victory.

Ligue 1 Matchday 22 Quick Picks

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Ligue 1 Matchday 22 picks made 1/18/2022 at 3:34 a.m. ET.

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