Ligue 1 Matchday 5 Odds & Picks: Saint-Etienne to Exploit Mendy-less Rennes

• Ligue 1 kicks off their fifth matchday this weekend with the top two teams squaring off on Saturday morning
• Saint-Etienne and Rennes are locked at the top of the table with ten points, while Montpellier and Lens look to replace them as they remain in third and fourth place, respectively
• Paris look to kick a rocky Ligue 1 start as they face 19th place Reims on Sunday

After four rounds of fixtures, Ligue 1 has some surprising faces at the top of the French table. Saint-Etienne and Rennes are level on points at the top and are two out of the remaining three teams without a loss. Luckily, we all get to watch them compete on Saturday as Rennes could be without one of their most important starters.

Additionally, there are some very tricky mid-table fixtures between Bordeaux and Nice and Angers and Brest. Moving forward, these games will be very important for the Ligue 1 pecking order. On the contrary, Ligue 1’s best teams in Paris and Lyon look to shake up their relatively poor starts. Paris has lost two out of their last four games, while Lyon sits in 12th place, having only won once. We will see this weekend if these sides can overcome their Champions League hangovers and put in a good shift come Matchday 5.

Ligue 1 Matchday 5 Odds

All odds taken Sept 22 at DraftKings

Pick 1: Saint-Etienne vs Rennes

The first highlight of the weekend is far and way Saint-Etienne versus Rennes. They are neck and neck after four games in Ligue 1 until Paris finally catches up and this would be a statement victory for either side. However, Saint-Etienne will have it easier than the oddsmakers think against Rennes. That is because Rennes will be without their starting goalkeeper Edouard Mendy.

OFFICIAL: Frank Lampard confirms goalkeeper Edouard Mendy is having his Chelsea medical ahead of a transfer from Rennes 🚨 pic.twitter.com/AcvwsWiuvy

— B/R Football (@brfootball) September 22, 2020

Frank Lampard confirmed early this week Mendy had completed his medical ahead of a move from Ligue 1 to Chelsea of the Premier League. Rennes had the second-best record for goals conceded last year with a measly 24, and without the Senegalese shot-stopper, they could be gaping at the back. Saint-Etienne already have eight goals in four games, so expect their offense to lead them to another victory in this one.

Pick: Saint-Etienne moneyline (+170)

Pick 2: Angers vs Brest

Angers and Brest is a Ligue 1 mid-table match that could get a little crazy as both these sides are wildly inconsistent. Last year, these teams finished close to each other in the table and split 1-0 victories away from home. Nonetheless, this fixture has the ‘Over’ written all over it.

It is well noted that Brest has the better offense. However, their defense is as leaky as a roof without shingles. In their first four Ligue 1 games, they have allowed nine goals and while Angers have trouble putting the ball into the net, this game will go over 2.5 goals. Instead of going with history (both teams had a 1-0 road win last season against each other), these sides are due for a match with a little more entertainment in front of the net.

Pick: Over 2.5 total goals (+118)

Pick 3: Bordeaux vs Nice

Lastly, another mid-table match in Ligue 1, sees Bordeaux facing Nice. Bordeaux is favored in this match despite only winning one game so far in a dreadfully mediocre start for Jean-Louis Gasset’s side. In the last two matches these sides played, both were one-all stalemates which go to show this could be a close, slow-rolling football match.

With that being said, Nice are trying to go back to their hot start after losing their last two. Amine Gouiri is already off to a flyer in Ligue 1 with two goals and an assist to his name and is one of the reasons I think they will upset Bordeaux. Picking Nice has tremendous betting value, and let’s not forgot, they started off the season beating Lens and Strasbourg, there is no reason they cannot do it again this weekend.

Pick: Nice moneyline (+240)