Latest Odds on Ligue 1 Title Race: Paris Saint-Germain Still Heavy Favorites

The race for the Ligue 1 title is once again shaping up to be a dramatic fight to the finish with plenty of twists and turns.

Although there are many games which could have a huge impact yet to take place, one team is head and shoulders above the rest in the eyes of the bookmakers.

Three teams emerged from the pack in the early stages of the season, with early favorites and last season's runners-up Paris Saint-Germain climbing to the summit of the table following a slow start, after once again spending big in the summer transfer window.

However, two sides that have focused more on youth development also still harbor title hopes, with Olympique Lyonnais and Marseille eager to derail PSG's chances of winning their first "Le Championnat" since 1994.

Still in spite of the best efforts of the chasing pack, it is PSG who remain the clear front-runners. Carlo Ancelotti's side are 1/6 favorites to clinch the French crown, and that should come as no surprise given their irresistible form since the turn of the year.

Indeed, the Parisians have won six of their last seven league outings, with Lucas Moura - who has provided three assists already following his move from Sao Paulo—inspiring les rouges-et-bleus to a 2-0 in "Le Classique" against their arch enemy Marseille.

That triumph restored PSG's three-point lead at the top, and with games against relegation candidates Reims, Nancy, Troyes, Evian and Brest all to come in the final months in the season, it would take a brave man to bet against the capital club finally securing the trophy they so desperately crave.

The leaders cannot afford to rest on their laurels just yet however, with Lyon hot on their heels and eager to recapture the crown they have won seven times already in their history.

It truly has been an excellent season for Remi Garde's charges, who have achieved success in spite of cost-cutting measures from club president Jean-Michel Aulas which have forced many of their bigger names such as Hugo Lloris and Aly Cissokho to move to pastures new.

The mass exodus has meant that OL have had to rely on some of their younger talents, and it is a policy that has paid dividends with the likes of Samuel Umtiti, Maxime Gonalons, Gueida Fofana and Clement Grenier all impressing for a side that possesses the second-best attacking record in the division.

Lyon may not be able to boast the same strength in depth as PSG—who they face in a potential title decider in May—and although they have eight games against top-half sides remaining, with the quality they have in their ranks at 5/1 they are an excellent bet to end their five-year wait for another league title.

Les Gones are still in with a shout of overhauling PSG, but one side whose hopes of winning the league appear to be fading is Marseille.

Elie Baup's men were limp and ineffective going forward in the defeat at the Parc Des Princes last Sunday and have a number of difficult away fixtures against the likes of Lyon, Nice, Lorient and Lille to come.

Top scorer Andre-Pierre Gignac has been impressive for OM this term, scoring eight goals, but with a lack of depth underlining their current run of just two wins in their last six games, they look unlikely to be able to bridge the eight-point gap to the top, and that is reflected in their 33/1 odds.

Nice and Saint-Etienne can also claim to have an outside chance of making a dramatic late push for the championship, but there can be no doubt that the smart money suggests there will be celebrations in Paris at the end of the season.