High goals to kick-off the New Year

11Jan 2013

After finishing 2012 in excellent tipping form James Eastham picks out the best bets on the first Ligue 1 weekend of 2013...

Ligue 1 Outright Analysis

At the halfway point of the French season our ante-post tip PSG are top of the table and their current price (1.35) is virtually the same as their ante-post price of 1.36 we recommended.

The league table suggests Ligue 1 isn't a one-horse race yet - PSG (38pts) lead Lyon and Marseille on goal difference only - but it is hard to see how the chasing duo can keep pace with Carlo Ancelotti's multi-talented squad once the legs start to tire towards the end of the campaign. Last season everybody expected PSG to pull away from rivals Montpellier only for Montpellier to win the title, but it's almost impossible to see the same thing happening again.

The six-point gap separating the top three from the peloton makes Lyon and Marseille strong bets to finish in the Champions League places. But fourth-placed Rennes - who we suggested pre-season were good enough for a top-three finish - cannot be ruled out yet, even though they may wobble a little while star winger Jonathan Pitroipa is on Africa Cup of Nations duty. Lille, our tip in the Winner W/O PSG market, have struggled in the first-half of the season and are nine points behind the top three so may have too much to do. Other dangerous outsiders, such as Valenciennes (29pts) and St Etienne (27pts), have also slipped back.

On to this week's tips:

Troyes v Lyon (19th v 2nd) Sat, 16:00 GMT

I'm always wary of making too many selections after the winter break as you're never entirely sure what sort of condition the teams will be in. Looking through the coupon, though, both teams to score in this game would be a smart choice based on Troyes' home form alone.

'ESTAC', as they're known, have found the net in eight of 10 matches at Stade de l'Aube following promotion to the top flight, including each of their last six. Jean- Marc Furlan's side are destined to battle against relegation until the very end of the campaign but they can be delightful to watch: the five-man midfield he has installed includes great technical players in Mounir Obbadi, Fabien Camus and Benjamin Nivet, so I can see the hosts troubling Lyon.

Lyon have scored in seven of nine away games and will be confident of finding the net against a Troyes side that have conceded in 17 of 19 games. Lyon will also be highly motivated after going out of the French Cup on penalties against part-timers Epinal last weekend.

Nancy v Lille (20th v 8th) Sat, 19:00 GMT

Nancy coach Jean Fernandez quit this week so the mood in the camp going into this game will be uncertain, but if the players can maintain the standards they produced towards the end of 2012 I would give them a good chance of scoring. They found the net in each of their last nine league games of 2012 - with both teams scoring in all nine of those games - and then started the year with four goals in the opening 31 minutes of their French Cup tie at amateurs Dreux last weekend, eventually winning 5 -1.

Lille's attacking form improved towards the end of 2012 as they scored eight times in their final four games of the year. And last weekend they saw off Ligue 2 Nimes 3-2 in the French Cup thanks to tremendous first-half goals from Dimitri Payet, Florent Balmont and Nolan Roux, although LOSC's lax defending in the second-half will give Nancy hope.

'Yes' in the Both Teams to Score? market is the smart pick.

Best Bet: Troyes v Lyon Both Teams to Score @ 1.86

Other Recommended Bet: Nancy v Lille Both Teams to Score @ 2.18