Rennes vs Auxerre — Tips & Analysis

Auxerre +1.5: Rennes win at home, but they win small, and that is what this pick is built on. They have won by 2 or more goals in just 1 of their last 12 games. They have won six of those 12 by exactly one goal. Rennes are strong on their own ground, with five wins and a tie from six games there. They score 2 goals a game at Roazhon Park and let in just over one, so they take control without burying anyone. Auxerre arrive in better form than their league place suggests. They have just beaten Nice and Brest back to back, and they score more than a goal a game. A team that keeps scoring usually stays in touch. The meetings between these two have been close as well. The last 11 gave Rennes 4 wins, with 4 ties and 3 for Auxerre, averaging just over 2 goals a game. Auxerre do have a long absentee list, with six players injured and Makosso suspended. A 2-1 Rennes win is the honest read, and Auxerre staying within a goal is exactly the shape we want. The risk sits in the away defending. Auxerre let in more than 2 goals a game on the road, and they were beaten 5-2 at Lens and 3-1 at Lyon this season. A heavy night is clearly in their range. We still back Auxerre to keep this close, because Rennes simply do not win games by big margins.