GAA Betting: The All-Ireland Football Championship: Dublin On Course To Win Sam
Daire Walsh
The first set of knockout games are on the horizon this weekend, and the best betting sites are once more looking at who the main challengers are for the Sam Maguire Cup in 2024.
A day after Derry finally recorded their first win of this year’s championship with a scrappy 2-7 to 0-9 triumph over Westmeath, Armagh claimed top spot in Group One of the All-Ireland series by coming from behind to secure a 1-12 to 0-15 draw with Galway at Markievicz Park in Sligo.
In Group Two, Dublin progressed automatically to the All-Ireland quarter-finals after playing out a 0-17 to 0-17 stalemate with Mayo at Dr Hyde Park on Sunday, while Roscommon sealed third place in the same group with a 3-20 to 1-20 win over Cavan at Pearse Park, Longford.
Ulster champions Donegal recovered from their defeat to Cork with a comprehensive 2-23 to 0-5 victory against Clare in Castlebar.
Tyrone got the better of Cork in Tullamore on Saturday, but Jim McGuinness’ Donegal side claimed top spot in Group Three.
As expected, Kerry claimed a comfortable win over Louth at O’Moore Park in Portlaoise to finish at the summit of Group Four, and the Wee County claimed second spot due to their better scoring average to Monaghan’s.
Dublin Favourites Despite Draw
Given they are the only teams guaranteed to be in the last eight of the All-Ireland series next weekend, it is little surprise that Dublin, Kerry, Armagh and Donegal are seen as the key contenders in the eyes of betting apps for the time being.
That could change after four teams emerge from the preliminary quarter-finals this weekend, but that is how things have panned out for the moment.
While they weren’t at their best in the Mayo game, Dublin remain the 6/4 favourites to retain the Sam Maguire Cup.
Although the likes of Con O’Callaghan and Brian Fenton were relatively well shackled, Cormac Costello and Ciaran Kilkenny exerted a strong influence in the Metropolitan outfit’s gripping encounter with Kevin McStay’s Mayo.
Kerry Viewed As Main Contenders To Dublin’s Crown
Kerry have consistently been viewed as the second favourites for Sam Maguire glory in 2024 and this continues to be the case.
The only team to have won every fixture they’ve played in this year’s championship, and they have played one game more than the unbeaten duo of Dublin and Galway.
The Kingdom have had a decent spread of scorers thus far in the All-Ireland championship and haven’t been too reliant to date on David Clifford and Sean O’Shea.
BoyleSports are offering odds of 5/2 for Kerry to win a 39th title.
Armagh And Donegal Also In The Running
Generally seen as outsiders up until last weekend, Armagh have suddenly moved up in the betting stakes as a result of finishing at the summit of Group One in the All-Ireland championship.
This is despite the Orchard County’s performance against Galway last Sunday, when they were well below the level produced in their comprehensive success over Derry in the previous round.
Kieran McGeeney’s charges did show plenty of character in overcoming a five-point deficit to eventually emerge with a credible draw.
Armagh, for whom Rian O’Neill and Conor Turbitt were strong performers last weekend, are available at 8/1 on new betting sites to win just their second title.
This puts them just ahead of Donegal, who got the better of the Orchard men on penalties in an intriguing Ulster Senior Football Championship final showdown at St Tiernach’s Park in Clones last month.
Yet even though it didn’t adversely affect their status in Group Three of the All-Ireland series, Donegal’s recent defeat to Cork has raised some question marks about the O’Donnell County.
The Ulster champions are 12/1 for a first All-Ireland final success since 2012.
Galway And Mayo Stay In Contention
Having been so close to claiming an automatic spot in the All-Ireland quarter-finals, Galway and Mayo will now look to bounce back in preliminary round games against Monaghan and Derry respectively this weekend.
Both counties are priced at 14/1, and should either or both Connacht teams emerge victorious this weekend, it is anticipated that Irish bookmakers will give them a greater chance of All-Ireland success.
Derry And Monaghan Looking For Last-Eight Spots
Both Derry and Monaghan will believe away wins are within their grasp on Saturday.
These two counties reached the last four in 2023 and pushed Kerry and Dublin all the way before eventually coming up short to the most successful counties in the competition’s history.
Successive losses against Donegal, Galway and Armagh significantly lengthened the odds on Derry (25/1) claiming their second Sam Maguire Cup crown.
Monaghan (150/1) have also struggled for form in 2024, and while they have the potential to pull off a big performance, the Farney men are outsiders to claim a breakthrough All-Ireland triumph.
Tyrone And Cork Seen As Outsiders for All-Ireland
Buoyed by their back-to-back wins over Clare and Cork, Tyrone will enter their preliminary quarter-final against Roscommon on Saturday with a pep in their step.
Their odds might be 28/1, but the 2021 winners could yet have a big say in the destination of the Sam Maguire Cup.
Cork will have an immediate chance to bounce back from their four-point defeat to Tyrone last weekend in a preliminary quarter-final encounter with Louth at Inniskeen on Sunday.
They have regularly reached the last eight of the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship in recent years, but at 66/1, they need to play at their very best for the rest of the summer.
The aforementioned Roscommon and Louth are the other teams still in the running, but both counties are viewed as rank outsiders for what would be a shock march to All-Ireland championship glory.