Friday 02/05/2014, 20:30, France Ligue 1, Round 36, Bastia vs Lille
Bastia vs Lille Betting Preview
Lille did a fine job this season to finish in the 3rd place behind PSG and Monaco, teams with bigger budgets, higher expectations and overall better players. Three rounds are left and a single victory will insure the fact that they will be playing in the Champions League playoffs. A draw tonight and another point collected in the last round against Lorient would also do, so the hosts can take the game lightly.
Bastia vs Lille Betting Odds
Bastia 4.80, Draw 3.60, Lille 1.85
Bastia vs Lille Betting Tips
Lille hasn't lost a match in over a month and they came very close of winning 5 in a row, but failed to convert any of the scoring opportunities against Monaco. Even so, they have a 7 point cushion over St Etienne, so the odds of being tied for the third place by the Sainte are remote.
Tonight they travel to Bastia without any injured players, while the hosts are going to play without 6 players, including four defenders. Two of them have picked up red cards and are serving suspensions, while the other four are mending injuries.
Bastia would normally be a force to be reckoned with in front of its fans, but with so many absentees they will need to take the foot off the gas. In order to avoid another defeat, they will be using a 4-5-1 starting formation with a single striker, most likely Bruno who scored 8 goals so far. It is also possible that a midfielder will join the defense, as there are simply too few players it to play in the backline.
Key Facts
- Bastia and Lille played 10 games at Stade Armand Cesani and only won 3 matches, but prevailed in the last two games on the road.
- With 6 players injured and motivation at its lowest, Bastia won't play aggressively tonight and will simply try to weather the storm.
Bastia vs Lille Betting Prediction
Nothing wrong can happen to Bastia even if they lose tonight, with the worst case scenario being to have more players injured or suspended. Lille is the better side and definitely in better form and the fact that they have no players missing, explains why bookies see them as big favorites. Punters can enjoy the same odds if they bet on fewer than 2.5 goals to be scored, with the most likely outcome being a draw or a narrow margin victory for Lille.
Bet: Under 2.5 goals @ 1.80 with Pinnacle Sports
