Home and Away: Monaco look to extend winning run at inconsistent Chateauroux

8Mar 2013

Betfair

Jonno Turner scours the continent looking for the best value tips of the day - and has taken a closer look at action in France and Holland.

We're focussing on France for our penultimate selection of the week, as Ligue 2 leaders Monaco travel to Chateauroux, looking to extend their points gap at the summit of the division.

Claudio Ranieri's side have been formidable this campaign, and go into this clash unbeaten in 13 outings - with five straight wins away from Stade Fontvieille giving them much confidence.

Furthermore, four clean sheets on the bounce away from home underlines just how comfortable this Monaco side have looked of late, and they will be desperate to maintain that record as they face a Chateauroux side which looked off colour in a 1-0 loss at Le Havre last time out.

Ranieri has indicated that he sees March as an integral month in his attempt to return his side to the top tier - and the visitors will be looking to take all three points here, as Ranieri has no new injury worries ahead of this clash.

The hosts line up for this clash sitting 13th in the table - and boss Didier Tholot will be keen for his side to arrest a slump which has seen them win just three of their last 12.

That inconsistency has played a major part in La Berri's underwhelming league position, and although they have won their last three on their own patch, they are missing some players tonight.

Dialo Guidileye, Lassana Doucoure, Emeric Dudouit and Loic Nestor are all doubtful for the home side, and, along with suspended Jordan Fauque, will be big absences for Tholot to deal with.

Monaco have lost just one of their last five meetings with their hosts - and I'm backing them to take all three points once again, at decent value.

Bet 1: Monaco (AWAY) @ 2.32

Over to the Netherlands for our next pick, and Den Bosch line up against Veendam at de Vliert, aiming to secure three points which would see them leapfrog their guests.

Jan Poortvliet's side sit ninth in the Eerste Divisie following seven unbeaten, and will be full of confidence following three without a loss on their own patch.

The Blue and White Dragons will now be eyeing further climbs up the table - they are just six points off replicating their sixth placed finish of last year - and a win in this clash would be a massive result in that quest.

And 10 goals scored in their last five Eerste Divisie outings suggests that in the likes of 13 goal striker Tom Van Weert, and his fellow forwards Jeffrey Vlug, Randy Wolters and Ralf Seuntjes, the home side have more than enough attacking prowess to punish their guests this evening.

Veendam travel to s'Hertogenbosch having won just one of their last five games away from de Langeleegte - and Gert Heerkes side will be desperate to arrest that slump here.

Eleven games without a clean sheet suggests that the visitors are susceptible to conceding in this clash, and those defensive weaknesses threaten to derail the Veenkolonialens' campaign.

Heerkes is likely to be without Menno van Elsas, Robert Katschner and Mitch Apau, who all missed last week's clash with Cambuur - and the club is in financial disarray, with the chairman having to confirm on TV this week that the players wages would be late.

That is bound to have knocked confidence in the away dressing room, and I think that, coupled with the momentum of the home side, we should see the three points stay in s'Hertogenbosch.

Bet 2: Den Bosch (HOME) @ 1.91