Ligue 1 is the top division of French football. The 20 best teams in the country compete to be crowned national champions.
Ligue 1 is the top division of French football. The 20 best teams in the country compete to be crowned national champions.
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According to UEFA rankings, Ligue 1 is the fifth best league in Europe. That is reflected in the fact that only the top two teams in Ligue 1 are awarded a guaranteed place in the Champions League. The team that finishes in third place will have to make it through the playoff stage of qualifying. The fourth-placed team will enter into the Europa League and the fifth into Europa Conference League qualification.
League level: | First Tier - France |
Number of teams: | 20 teams |
Players: | 590 |
Record-holding champions: | AS Saint-Étienne and Paris Saint-Germain(10 times) |
Most valuable player: | Kylian Mbappé (€160.00m) |
There is a great variety of Ligue 1 betting markets available with most bookmakers. You can place outright bets on which teams are going to be relegated. There is always a good fight to avoid being in the bottom three places. This results in dropping down to Ligue 2 after the 38 game season ends.
The best bookies all offer Ligue 1 odds for each individual match. Many of these are managed in-play. If you are looking for the best Ligue 1 odds at all times, we recommend you bookmark this page.
Over the past few years, Ligue 1 winner odds have been dominated by one team, Paris Saint-Germain. PSG have been the team to beat in France. As yet, only AS Monaco and Lille have been able to top them. Monaco won the division in the 2016/2017 campaign, and LOSC Lille in season 2021/2022, but last season PSG claimed the 10th title and now has the same number of titles as Saint-Etienne. This shows that whilst Paris Saint-Germain are still considered to be the strongest side, they are not the only quality outfit in France. As well as AS Monaco and Lille, Lyon and Montpellier have both pushed them in recent years. There is little sign of the gap closing completely just yet.
Ligue 1 winner odds are not going to be incredibly competitive for a while. Thankfully there are a number of other betting options to be taken advantage of. As well as straight winner odds, some bookmakers offer winner specials. These can include how many points a side will win the title by. Or, with how many games left in the season do they wrap up the title. These markets usually bear longer odds than the straight winner market.
Paris Saint-Germain head into every season in recent years as clear favourites to win the Ligue 1 crown. A market that may offer more favourable Ligue 1 odds to bet on is Winner Odds Without PSG. This market means who will finish top of the table if PSG were excluded. In other words, who will finish second to Paris Saint-Germain. There a number of sides consistently improving their squad quality. This can be an extremely competitive market.
Relegation betting provides excitement right through to the last kick of the season. Teams desperately fight to keep their place in the top division. Those sides newly promoted from Ligue 2 are generally amongst the favourites to go straight back down. There may be more value in looking at sides who have struggled to retain their top flight status in recent seasons.
If you’re convinced that a particular side will suffer relegation at the end of the season, you may find extra value in the To Finish Bottom market. Odds in this market are usually longer than straightforward relegation odds.
Ligue 1 is home to some of the world’s most talented players. Paris Saint-Germain’s squad in particular is the envy of many. Players like Neymar and Kylian Mbappé now plying their trade in France. There is an excitement that has returned to the French top division.
Ligue 1 odds on top goalscorers has always been a popular market. It's even more so now with the influx of talent that has headed into the French league. Odds on the best strikers and attacking players are often short. A Paris Saint-Germain striker has won the Golden Boot in nine of the last 11 seasons meaning long odds on PSG players are hard to come by.
However, there are players at other Ligue 1 clubs well worth your consideration. Sides like AS Monaco and Nice have gifted strikers at their disposal. Ligue 1 odds on these strikers may be more appealing.
Another Ligue 1 outright market that may be of interest is the Top Three Finish market. The top three all qualify for the Champions League, albeit third place enter a qualifier. Competition is fierce. This leads to plenty of betting opportunities for punters. Variations on this market are available at some bookies, with Top Two Finish odds and Top Ten Finish odds on offer.
Outright betting markets are extremely popular. Individual match markets though should not be dismissed. Ligue 1 may appear to lag behind other major European leagues, but there is still an abundance of quality that attracts. Bookmakers are onto this too. The majority of them offer a wide range of Ligue 1 odds on each match of the season.
Favourite pre-match markets like Match Result, Total Goals, Both Teams To Score and Correct score are commonly available. The best bookies offer much more than these. You can find corner and throw-in markets, as well as a variety of specials such as Player To Score & Correct Score
The best bookmakers can offer over 100 Ligue 1 odds on any given match. Make sure your bookmaker can provide you with your favourite markets.
Organize your bets and follow the action as it happens carefully. Betting in-play can also help you cover your pre-match bets if they aren’t looking too clever. Most bookies will offer you an in-depth selection of Ligue 1 odds in-play on each match of the season. Live betting classics like Next Team To Score and Next Player To Score are commonly available. Final Score, Total Goals Over/Under and Win Next Half markets are available too.
Ligue 1 has never been considered the best division in the world. There is however an amazing number of talented young players plying their trade in France’s top flight. There are also experienced, seasoned internationals. Ligue 1 appears to be attracting a higher quality of player than ever before. If you know what you are betting on, French Ligue 1 odds can offer you a very good route to some bonuses.
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