More punters are beginning to spread their tentacles to the lower leagues in Europe. Indeed, the decision is yielding great rewards. One of the more exciting leagues is the French Ligue 2, France’s second-tier football club competition.
Troyes secured promotion to the Ligue 1 as winners and Clermont Foot as the second-best team. Unfortunately, due to the format of the playoffs, Toulouse was eliminated by Nantes- the 18th team in the first division.
For clarity’s sake, the play-offs to determine qualification for the third team is particularly exhaustive. The fourth and fifth teams first play a one-legged tie, and then the winner faces the third-best team. The winner of that tie takes on the 18th team in the Ligue 1 over two legs.
With the Ligue 2 nearing its conclusion (9 matchdays remaining), Toulouse looks primed to win the division, leading with five points ahead of Paris FC.
In effect, the final rounds of matches will make for a compelling watch. More so, some patterns have emerged to help punters cash out handsomely.
Here are four tasty bet options:
Toulouse To Win And Over 2.5 Goals At Home
Toulouse has remained consistent in Ligue 2 since it finished in the bottom position in the top-tier two seasons ago.
After finishing third and losing on away goals to Nantes in the playoffs last season, they are fighting even harder this season.
Denis Zanko was replaced with Patrice Garande as manager last term and guided them to third place. Phillipe Montanier joined last summer and has done excellently.
Le Tefece has outscored (67) every other team in the division. In fact, they have scored more goals than any team in both professional divisions.
Forward, Rhys Healey has continued from where he stopped last season, already matching his 15-goal tally with 28 matches played.
Toulouse has won its last five matches at home by an aggregate scoreline of 21-1, an average of four goals per match.
They have won 12 of 16 matches played at the Stadium Municipal with 10 of them finishing with more than 2 goals scored.
This is an excellent bet option for any punter in Ligue 2.
Over 1.5 Goals In Matches Involving Nimes
Nimes was relegated from the Ligue 1 after finishing in 19th place last season.
Somehow, they have struggled in this campaign. They sit in 7th position, 9 points from a playoff position and 16 points from an automatic spot.
Les Crocodiles have struggled to hold on to some of their top-division players, although Moussa Kone continues to shield the goal-scoring responsibilities. He has managed eight goals so far.
And yet, the team’s defensive problems have been a reason for its current standing. They have conceded 30 goals so far, more than any other team in the top-10.
22 of 29 matches played this term have recorded an over 1.5 margin. Hence, this option looks particularly safe for intelligent punters interested in the Ligue 2 market.
Under 3.5 Goals In Matches Involving Ajaccio
L’ours do not score many goals, nor do they concede. The tactic is to score one goal at least and ultimately close shop, parking the bus.
In truth, Olivier Pantaloni’s style has been essentially successful. Ajaccio sits in fourth position, three points off second place.
Last season, his side were not scoring, yet they kept conceding in large numbers. Oumar Gonzalez (defender) joined in from the Championnat last January and has brought stability to the team.
They have the stingiest defence in the division with 15 goals conceded, even while managing to score only 25 themselves.
This campaign, Ajaccio have not conceded more than two goals in a match. 27 have ended with over 3.5-goal margins.
Over 2.5 Goals In Matches Involving Paris FC
After finishing fifth in Ligue 2 last season, the Capital club is on course to win an automatic ticket.
And this is no mean feat for the team that received a transfer ban from FIFA last term.
Without having a particularly prolific forward, the likes of Alimamy Gory, Khalid Boutaib have contributed only six goals. Yet, Morgan Guilavogui has been the team’s best player, scoring 11 from midfield.
It is worthy to note that the Blues have also been solid in defence, with plenty of credit to Ousmane Kante.
Thierry Lauray’s team is the third-highest scoring team in the division with 42 goals. The Parisians are almost certain to score in every match.
They have recorded 10 over 2.5 goal margins this season. This is a high-risk, high-reward option. However, with Paris FC desperately looking to gain promotion at the end of the season, you can expect this trend to continue.
