One of the upper-level teams in Ligue 1 is Montpellier, who could go second – depending on how other results go – with a win away to Nantes on Saturday afternoon. Nantes, however, upset Marseille last time out with an entertaining 3-2 win and will be out to do the same once again as they look to climb out of the bottom half of the table.
- Nantes is unbeaten in its last four league outings on home soil.
- Montpellier has won just one of its last four league contests.
- There has only been one draw in the last 10 meetings between these two teams.
Nantes vs Montpellier Game Center
Home form is key to Nantes improvement
After a slow start to the current campaign, there have been encouraging signs over recent weeks that Nantes could well be ready to start climbing the table. They have lost just one of their last four outings and, despite being down in 13th place, are actually just nine points off Montpellier in third. A sustained run of form could well propel the side toward a qualification berth for next year’s Champions League.
Montpellier, by way of comparison, has just started to slip of late, having managed a solitary victory in its last four league encounters. They remain third in the table, but there have been recent suggestions that a paper-thin squad is beginning to run on empty and is in dire need of the winter break.
With that in mind, it is Nantes that comes into this clash as the favorite to take the points and maintain its run of recent form. You can back the home side to pick up the win at +140, with Montpellier out at +210 to do the same. A draw comes in at +210 as well.
Nantes to take the points in close call
We are expecting the recent run from Nantes to continue as they send Montpellier crashing down. It is of course tricky business trying to predict the exact scoreline of any football match, but a narrow 2-1 win for the home side is priced at +900, and looks worth backing when you consider how these two teams have been performing over the last few weeks.
That outcome would also allow you to back OVER 2.5 goals in the game, which is priced at +137, as well as both teams to score, which is priced short at just -106. Therefore, if you are looking to increase any potential winnings from this game, then you may wish to consider combo betting, which allows you to select multiple outcomes at higher odds.
For example, a combo bet of a Nantes win coupled with both teams to score is at the far higher price of +500, while a home victory and OVER 2.5 goals in the game is at +350. You may also bet on the total number of goals in the game, with UNDER two priced at +175, two or three dropping down to -105 and OVER three goals in the match out at +350.
Could we see a fast start?
At home and in fine form, we could well see Nantes come racing out of the blocks as they look to impose their authority on their opponents. You can therefore back OVER 0.5 goals in the first 10 minutes at +400, with Nantes at +1000 to be ahead by the end of that time period. Out of interest, Montpellier is only slightly higher, at +1100, to do the same.
We are expecting an entertaining game with plenty of goalmouth action, and as such Nantes could well score in both halves – something they managed in their last home outing against Marseille – and they are priced to do so here at +333. Meanwhile, they are out at +900 to actually go out and score in both halves.
When it comes to goalscorers, Nantes’ Argentine forward Emiliano Sala could well be their best bet of breaching the Montpellier defence. He is at +162 to net at any time during the game, while you can back him at +450 to open or close the scoring.
