So I'll just be honest here. All of our other books have Toulouse getting the +, but BetRivers is an outlier. And that's something I always like to do. I get it, it's a marketing ploy to be different. And as you can see, it's a bit juiced so it may not be there much longer. But I also think a gift. I have no interest without the +. Sometimes you have to pick at near 6 a.m. to get the right numbers with the Andy Griffith Show in the background. I don't much like that show but it sure seems to be on a lot at 6 a.m. ET. I usually just waited for to end so I could see Jeannie next.
Just a fabulous Saturday of soccer; wish I remembered what I put in the proverbial Wheaties this morning. I actually don't much like cereal. About the only dude in college not eating it 24/7. That's where I met my true love: Ramen. Kinda surprised Le Harve is the home dog with the struggling clubs separated by only a point in the Ligue 1 table. Didier Digard’s side (what a French name) has picked up at least a point in five of its past six home matches. Paris FC is winless in three straight and has allowed the third-most goals in the league. Each of the past two in the series ended in scoreless draws, although when they were in Ligue 2.
AS Monaco is the better team, sitting 7th in Ligue 1 and Brest 11th. Do they have trap games/matches in soccer? Of course they do. Friday feels like one for Monaco after upsetting PSG last time out. But that was at home and Monaco is winless in its past two away. It has a couple guys suspended and Team USA star Folarin Balogun is out injured. Brest had been hovering near the bottom of the table due to a six-match winless run between October and mid-November but enters off B2B wins, scoring five total goals, and with at least a point in three of four. Les Pirates have at least a point in four of their previous five at Stade Francis-Le Ble.
Was only playing this at +1 as our other books all are offering +0.5. And it may well push. I am obviously no Wile E. Coyote super-genius on soccer (yet) but even I know all about PSG. This would seem to be the home game of the season for Monaco and I'm hopeful for a bit of a letdown via the visitors. Ousmane Dembélé came back from injury in their victory against Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League on Wednesday. Nuno Mendes was injured in that and out today. Les Monégasques (I thought maybe meant Monkees like the band/show but no; don't know French) will get Team USA star Folarin Balogun back after his ban against Stade Rennes in the last domestic match. Half unit.
Only two points separate these sides in Ligue 1 and Monaco has a ton of player availability questions even out of the break. It was ripped in its final pre-break game, 4-1 at home, and is in danger of three straight domestic losses for the first time since losing the final three matches in the 2022-23 Ligue 1 campaign. Team USA star Falorin Balogun plays for Monaco but is suspended for this match, for an example. Rennes is unbeaten in its past three and has just one home loss this season. Esteban Lepaul (the American in me almost typed DePaul) is tied for second in Ligue 1 with eight goals.
I actually looked at an AirBNB in Strasbourg a few years back. Alas, COVID got in the way. I just imagine great beer and sauerkraut, which I strangely love as an otherwise picky eater. Although I think I thought this was Germany so what do I know. Strasbourg is unbeaten in three straight at home, but per usual I don't care who wins. Give us a draw. Few knocks -- yes, I came across knocks on a UK site and I like it -- on the visitors and one suspension. Guess I don't get why we are getting the + on the home side. But I don't speak French so ...
Did you really think I'd let Buckets have the Euro soccer Friday to himself? We don't even let that dude near a candle. I'm totally joking, I've never met Jon but I can't think of a more fun guy to have a Guinness with and watch soccer. I ask his opinion occasionally. And the also-excellent Martin Green. We have world-class soccer cappers, best in the biz. Me? Rookie and never bet a French game that didn't involve the World Cup. I just assume they drink wine and eat brie at intermission. I'd like to tell you more but it took me long enough to decipher French on the Ligue 1 site -- something about a Louvre robbery (find that utterly fascinating BTW).