Metz vs Nice Prediction

Right then, let's have a proper look at this one. Metz are propping up the table in 17th with a measly 8 points, while Nice are cruising in 8th with 17. But don't let the league positions fool you - this could be tighter than a Scotsman at a charity auction.

Metz have actually shown some signs of life recently, and I mean proper signs. They've nicked two wins in their last few - a smart 0-2 away at Nantes and a cracking 2-0 home win against Lens. Now, beating Lens is no small feat, especially when you consider Lens are averaging 2.20 points per game. But let's not get ahead of ourselves - they've also had some absolute pastings like that 6-1 hammering at Lille and 4-0 stuffing at Toulouse.

Nice, meanwhile, have been about as consistent as my ex's excuses. They had a decent little run beating Lille 2-0 and Rennes 1-2 on the road, but then got done 1-0 by PSG. Their away form is proper dodgy though - losing 60% of their travels. That's not what you want from a team sitting in the top half.

When these two have met before, Nice have generally had the upper hand, winning 4 of their 8 encounters. Metz's home record against Nice is particularly poor - just 1 win from 4 home games against them.

Now, let's talk about what really matters - the goals. Metz have been keeping it tighter at home recently, conceding just 1 per game on their own patch. Nice are a bit more generous away, shipping 1.6 per away game. Both teams to score has landed in 70% of Nice's recent games, but only 40% of Metz's.

The stats are pointing towards a low-scoring affair here. Metz are showing some improvement in their form, while Nice are trending slightly downwards. Plus, Metz have had an extra day's rest, which might just give them the edge in terms of freshness.