PSG vs. Clermont Foot Betting Odds & Preview: How to Bet Ligue 1 Match Without Superstars

PSG vs. Clermont Foot Odds

Global powerhouse Paris Saint-Germain hosts upstart promoted side Clermont Foot in Saturday's match featuring two of the top three Ligue 1 teams out of the gate this season.

Oddsmakers have forecasted this fixture to be another walk in the park for the Parisians, tabbing the hosts as close to 4-1 moneyline favorites to give the Lancers a thorough waxing at Parc des Princes. However, manager Mauricio Pochettino has several stars likely to miss out, including Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé, Neymar, Angel Di Maria and Leandro Paredes.

As for Clermont Foot, things could not have gotten off to a better start for the outfit hailing from central France. The Lancers look nothing like a team getting settled in after earning a spot in the top flight for the first time in the club's 30-year history.

So, can the short-handed stalwarts still boss the new kids on the block in this affair or could we have a shocker brewing in the French capital? Let's take a look at this meeting and see what could be in store.

Several Key Absences Could Be Issue for PSG

Normally, this would probably be just another day at the office for the Champions League title contender. Unfortunately for the Parisians and their worldwide supporters, this is shaping up to be more of a match than they would have expected.

Messi, Di Maria and Paredes likely won't feature due to a late return from international duty, highlighted by Thursday's 3-0 rout of Bolivia in a World Cup qualifying match. The world's best player was up to his old tricks, bagging a hat trick en route to passing Pele for most goals (79) by a male in South American history.

The former Barcelona man opened the scoring against Bolivia with this slice of pure filth in the 14th minute, setting the tone for an easy home Argentina win.

Neymar, who scored in Brazil's win over Peru on Thursday, is also a late returner and Mbappé is dealing with a calf issue that kept him from competing for France on the qualifying road to Qatar.

Marco Verratti is also doubtful after picking up a knock in Italy's match against Bulgaria, but reports are Mauro Icardi could return to Pochettino's lineup following a stint on the sideline with a shoulder issue. With multiple questions surrounding who and who isn't available, we could see several young players — including promising talent Alexandre Fressange — dressing for this contest.

The Parisians have looked sharp on the attack thus far (12 goals scored leading to 6.2 expected goals), but have struggled defensively. Pochettino's men have just one clean sheet so far, which game in a 2-0 victory against Reims in its most recent game. Lowly Brest and Troyes, along with Strasbourg, combined to record five goals in the other three matches.

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Clermont Foot Loves Throwing Caution to Wind

If you asked me what I knew about the Lancers prior to this season, I would have told you I thought they had one of the cooler names in global club soccer. Other than that, I wouldn't have had much else to offer about Clermont Foot.

However, my lack of information about the Lancers went from zero to 100 real quick after watching them start their life in the French top flight this season with back-to-back victories over Bordeaux and Troyes. A wild 3-3 draw with Lyon came next, followed by a 2-2 stalemate with Metz.

Needless to say, Clermont Foot has gotten my attention and become part of my weekly "must-see-TV" schedule. Perhaps my reasons for being drawn to the club are the similarities it has to Premier League outfit Leeds United, which is a side I've developed a major affinity toward since its promotion.

The teams are very similar, due to the fact they will throw everything at an opponent (including the kitchen sink) for 90 minutes. And like the Peacocks of the English top flight, the Lancers' advanced metrics show a comparable tale and approach on the pitch.

Clermont Foot leads all of Ligue 1 with 8.7 xG, but boasts one of the worst xGA (6.6) numbers. Scoring five goals and conceding the same amount in its last two matches will do that to your statistics, but I truly believe this is the rollercoaster style of play we're going to see this campaign.

Elba Rashani and Mohamed Bayo lead the potent Clermont attack with three goals apiece, so they'll look to carve put some chances against a PSG defense that has anything but spectacular so far.

PSG vs. Clermont Foot Pick

Simple math easily sums up what's on deck. Electric offenses and leaky defenses typically equal a plethora of goals. And if you have concerns about PSG missing its murderer's row, don't fret. The host has plenty other attacking options, plus you can't forget the lively lads of Clermont Foot in the mix.

For those reasons, I'm hitting the Asian Handicap and backing the total going over three goals at -140 odds via DraftKings as my top pick. This really has the makings of being a wide-open affair, with both sides getting their fair share of quality chances.

My colleague, BJ Cunningham, has the total pegged right at 3.00 xG, so I'm optimistic a push would be the absolute worst-case scenario.

I’ve also dug a little deeper and found value on PSG going over 1.5 total cautions (yellow cards) for the match at -120 odds. The Parisians have gone over that number in all four of their games thus far, including three last time out against Reims and four in the season opener against Troyes.

If you're looking for a player prop, take a swing on Julian Draxler to score any time at ripe +300 odds. The German international is one of the lone regulars on the PSG attack, so I find this number loaded with value. The market hasn't adjusted accordingly to all his teammates set to miss this affair, so it's worth sprinkling a little on one of the remaining standouts at these inflated odds.

Picks: Total Over 3 Goals (-140) | PSG Over 1.5 Cautions (-120)