Nice vs Lorient — Tips & Analysis

Under 2.5: Nice cannot score, and that is the heart of this pick. They won only 3 of their last 15 games and managed under a goal a game. At home they were worse still, one win in six. A side that shy in front of goal does not turn an opener into a shootout. Lorient will not blow the game open either. They tied 6 of their 14 games last season on the way to tenth, and they score more than a goal a game. Two careful teams tend to cancel each other out. The history says the same thing. Nice and Lorient have tied 8 of their last 20 meetings, and the most recent one finished 0-0. Six of every ten Nice games ended with 2 goals or fewer, and Lorient were just behind that. Olivier Pantaloni takes his first competitive game in charge of Nice, and new coaches almost always start careful. Both sides have players out or in doubt as well, so neither attack is at full strength. A 1-1 is the read, and two goals leaves this comfortable. The one warning is the home history. Nice scored 3 or more in each of the last two home meetings with Lorient. That is worth knowing, but the quiet game is still the strong call here.