Lens vs Lorient Prediction: Les Sang et Or can stake top-five claim

Just three rounds are remaining in the 2023/24 Ligue 1 season, but there is plenty at stake still for both RC Lens and FC Lorient, who meet at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis on Friday night (20:00, TNT Sports 2).

Read below for my Lens vs Lorient prediction as the hosts go in search of a win to boost their top-six aspirations and the visitors scramble for points in their survival bid.

Lens are currently sixth which, as it stands, would be enough to secure a place in the Europa Conference League next season.

However, Olympique Marseille and Olympique Lyonnais are just two points behind Les Sang et Or, and there are several other teams still capable of usurping them.

Europa League qualification isn't out of the picture either, though, with fifth-placed OGC Nice five points ahead.

Lorient, meanwhile, are 17th and three points off Le Havre (15th), who occupy the final survival slot, and FC Metz (16th), who are on course to play in the Ligue 1 relegation/promotion play-offs.

Both sides head into Friday's fixture in poor form; Lorient are on a seven-game winless run and have lost their last five, while Lens have won just once in their last six, losing four of them including Sunday's 2-1 defeat at Marseille.

Team News

Lens have a full complement to choose from except Jimmy Cabot, who has been injured for the entire season.

Lorient are missing injured defender Igor Silva, who hasn't featured since a 3-0 loss at Lille on January 14.

Match Odds

Lens are 2/5 to win back-to-back games at home, giving them an implied win probability of 71.4%, while Lorient are 6/1, or a 14.3% chance, to pick up a vital three points on their travels.

The draw is available at 4/1, both teams to score at 5/6, and over 3.5 goals at 13/8.

Lens to win & over 2.5 goals @ 21/20

No club in Ligue 1 has been involved in more games with over 2.5 goals than Lorient (20 - level with Paris Saint-Germain) this season, which goes some way to explaining why they are in the predicament they are in.

37 goals scored is at least three more than any other side in the bottom six, but their biggest issue has been at the back where they have shipped 61 - 10 more than the next worst (Metz and Lyon, both 51).

Lens are less frequently involved in high-scoring games, with just 14 of their 31 matches in Ligue 1 ending in over 2.5 goals.

However, there has been an increase in the number recently, as four of their last six have ended with at least three goals scored.

Les Sang et Or lost all four of those, but they won their last game at home - against a Clermont side just one point below Lorient - and pushed Marseille - beaten just once at the Stade Velodrome all season - to the end in a 2-1 defeat last time out.

The quality in the home ranks should shine through enough for them to land the three points in a potentially high-scoring contest.

Mohamed Bamba anytime scorer @ 11/4

Mohamed Bamba made a sensational start to his Lorient career when he found the net in his first four games, scoring five goals in total, and he took his tally to six in as many games with a strike against Rennes on March 3.

The 22-year-old has managed just one in his last seven, however, with his struggles mirroring that of his club. That goal was as a substitute in the backyard of back-to-back Ligue 1 champions PSG, though, and he should take heart from that.

Bamba was unable to find the net as a starter in Sunday's 2-1 defeat at Toulouse FC but should get another chance to prove his worth on Friday, and he must be relishing the chance to face a Lens side that has kept just one clean sheet in their last six.

Check out the rest of our Football Betting Tips here.