Ligue 1 23/24 Betting Tips

The 2023/24 Ligue 1 season got under way on August 11 and will conclude on May 18. This is the first campaign to feature 18 teams after France’s top flight slimmed down from 20 sides last term, and we’re giving you the insights needed to browse our huge Ligue 1 odds selection.

Ligue 1 is considered to be one of Europe’s top five domestic football competitions, alongside La Liga, Serie A, the Bundesliga and the PL. It is home to numerous talented players and coaches, and several historic clubs.

In this article we have made some Ligue 1 betting tips for the season ahead. We take a look at both match and outright markets to provide a comprehensive guide to the 2023/24 campaign.

Ligue 1 Team Betting

Match Markets

The most popular way to bet on Ligue 1 is via the match markets, of which the go-to for many bettors is the one which covers the match result. This is exactly what it sounds like: punters place a wager on either a home win, an away win or a draw.

There are many advantages to this particular market. It is simple to understand and does not require a huge amount of detailed study. If you are a more casual bettor, this could be the market for you.

For more avid followers of Ligue 1, there will often be better choices. This is especially the case when there is a clear favourite and an obvious underdog in a particular match. If Paris Saint-Germain are facing Le Havre in front of their own supporters at the Parc des Princes, there is very little value to be had in backing a home win.

One alternative to consider is handicap betting. In the example used above, this would see Le Havre given a ‘fake’ lead. Tipping PSG with a -1.5 handicap would require the champions to win by two clear goals in order for the bet to come through. You could also back Le Havre in that market if you believe PSG might only triumph by a one-goal margin.

You could also combine two predictions into a single bet in the match result and both teams to score or match result and over/under 2.5 goals markets. Again, this will give you better odds than simply backing the home team to beat the away team.

Incidentally, you can simply focus on the both teams to score or over/under 2.5 goals sections too. These can be placed as individual bets, for instance if you believe there will be goals at both ends because, say, the defences of Marseille and Lyon are both weak.

You can also focus on one team rather than making a bet which involves both. Team A to score in both halves or Team B to win both halves are good picks, particularly if you are looking at a game which you think will be pretty one-sided.

To win from behind is a risky pick but could come in useful if a particular side has a habit of conceding the first goal but bouncing back to win. The correct score market is another which is hard to master, but the attractive returns make it a decent choice on occasion, especially if you predict a low-scoring outcome like 0-0 or 1-0.

Outright Markets

Ligue 1 betting tips in the outright markets are dominated by the Ligue 1 winner. PSG were, unsurprisingly, the champions last season and despite a summer of turmoil they are once again the favourites to finish top.

Luis Enrique is the new man at the helm after Christophe Galtier was relieved of his duties at the end of the 2022/23 campaign. Neymar and Lionel Messi have both departed, but Kylian Mbappe is set to stay put for now.

Despite all that, PSG should prove too strong for the rest of the competition in France. They are much richer than all the other teams in the division and, even if they are underwhelming like they were last year, PSG should win the title.

Because of their expected dominance, it could be worth finding a Ligue 1 winner without PSG market. This in effect pretends the club from the capital are not competing in the division, and whichever club gets closest to them is the winner.

Marseille look in good shape. They have retooled with the signings of Renan Lodi, Geoffrey Kondogbia and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, with Marcelino a canny replacement for Igor Tudor.

Monaco and Lille could also challenge in this market. Monaco have one of the most productive youth academies in Europe and there is plenty of talent in their squad, while Lille won the title in 2021 and will look to use that experience to their advantage.

Due to the expansion of the CL for the 2024/25 campaign, there is an additional qualification spot up for grabs for a French team. The top four market has therefore become more appealing to bettors.

PSG are certain to claim one of the spots, and Marseille, Monaco and Lille look best positioned to join them. But Lens cannot be ruled out after they finished second last term, and those who like a dark horse pick should consider Lyon or Rennes.

Another outright market to be aware of focuses on relegation. Two teams will go down to Ligue 2 automatically this term, while another will enter the relegation play-offs.

Metz and Le Havre, the two sides that came up from the second division, are the favourites to go down. Other possible relegation candidates are Brest, Lorient, Clermont Foot and Nantes.

Ligue 1 Player Betting

Match Markets

There are plenty of Ligue 1 tips for player betting within match markets. The ones you have probably come across on numerous occasions relate to putting the ball past the goalkeeper – first goalscorer, last goalscorer and anytime goalscorer.

It is worth doing some research before placing one of these bets. Check to see if a particular player has a good record against the team he is facing.

You should also check out his recent form – it would be risky to back a player to score when he is on a 10-game drought, unless he has been playing well in that time.

There is also the opportunity to back a particular individual to receive a yellow card or be sent off.

Some tough-tackling defenders or midfielders regularly find their way into the referee’s notebook, so this could be an astute pick in a match that could be ill-tempered, such as a derby like Marseille vs PSG.

Outright Markets

French Ligue 1 betting tips focused on individual outright markets revolve around the race to be Ligue 1 top scorer. Now that Kylian Mbappe has mended his relationship with PSG (for now at least), he is the overwhelming favourite to score more goals than any other player in the league.

However, there could be better options out there – the odds on Mbappe finishing as top scorer are not particularly appealing and would necessitate a hefty stake for relatively small returns.

Consider other options. Jonathan David is still at Lille despite reported interest from elsewhere, and he has a proven track record of scoring goals in Ligue 1. The Canada international scored 24 last season, behind only Alexandre Lacazette and Mbappe.

Lacazette is another contender to keep an eye on. Now 32 years of age, the Lyon striker is still a major threat to opposition defences at Ligue 1 level.

Others will like the look of Monaco frontman Wissam Ben Yedder or PSG’s new loan signing Goncalo Ramos, while Nice’s Nigerian attacker Terem Moffi had a successful second half of last season after securing a loan switch from Lorient.

PS: Odds might have changed since article was written