Reims vs Sochaux-Montbeliard

Match details. Ligue 2, Regular Season - 11. Kick-off is Mon 2 Nov, 20:45 Lagos time. It is played at Stade Auguste-Delaune, Reims.

What's at stake. Reims are 5th on 18 points after 10 games, 1 point behind Nancy, 1 point clear of RED Star FC 93. A win would take them above Nancy. Sochaux-Montbeliard are 13th on 11 points after 10 games, 1 point behind Dunkerque, 1 point clear of Boulogne. A win would take them above Dunkerque.

Form. Reims have won four, drawn six and lost none of their last ten, 1.8 points a game. Their last five, newest first: D W D D W. Sochaux-Montbeliard have won two, drawn five and lost three of their last ten, 1.1 points a game. Their last five, newest first: L L D D W.

The numbers. Reims score 2.6 and concede 1.8 a game in their last five at home, with no clean sheets. Reims average 11.8 shots (5.4 on target), 2.9 corners and 2.1 cards a game, with 48% of the ball. Sochaux-Montbeliard score 0.8 and concede one a game in their last five away, with two clean sheets and two games without a goal. Sochaux-Montbeliard average 11.4 shots (3.5 on target), 4.5 corners and 1.8 cards a game, with 44% of the ball.

Head to head. In the last seven meetings Reims have won three, drawn one and lost three. Two of the seven went over 2.5 goals and both teams scored in two. In the last four, Reims won two, one was drawn and Sochaux-Montbeliard won one. The last time they met, on 9 Feb 2018, it finished Reims 3-0 Sochaux-Montbeliard: Reims had 15 shots to 17, 45% of the ball, one yellow card.

Where it pulls both ways. The prices and the records disagree: the odds board makes it 58% against the records' 36%. On goals, their goals for and against point to an open game; their records put over 2.5 goals at 45%; five of the last seven meetings went under 2.5, and the meetings settle it.

The case against. Not everything agrees on goals: their goals for and against point to an open game.

The read. No firm call: Reims are the better side, but not at this price. A tight game. Their goals for and against make Reims the likelier winners; Reims are the stronger side on form and the table. Their records put over 2.5 goals at 45%. Five of the last seven meetings went under 2.5.

The bets. Best bet: Reims to win at 1.72, 88% on the records (the tipsters read Reims as a clear winner (3 scores) and Reims are 1.0 points a game better this season - 21 of 24 games like this were won). Leave: Under 3.5 Goals (Reims are a clear winner, no Unders); Sochaux-Montbeliard Under 1.5 goals (Reims's own games don't back it (2 of 5)); Under 4.5 Goals (Reims are a clear winner, no Unders). Predicted score: Reims 2-0 Sochaux-Montbeliard (12% chance).