GAA Betting: The All-Ireland Football Championship: Dublin On Course To Win Sam

Daire Walsh

Now that we have entered into the last-eight of the Sam Maguire Cup, the best betting sites are once again taking a look at who the main challengers are for the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship title.

While group stage winners Dublin, Kerry, Donegal and Armagh were in a position to put their feet up ahead of this weekend’s action in Croke Park, eight different counties had their seasons on the line in a series of All-Ireland preliminary quarter-finals last Saturday and Sunday.

First up on Saturday at a rain-soaked Pearse Stadium in Salthill, Galway played host to a Monaghan side that have struggled for form throughout 2024. It was a sluggish start to the contest for the Tribesmen, but with the evergreen Paul Conroy, John Maher and Rob Finnerty leading the way, they emerged with a 0-14 to 0-11 victory.

Also joining Padraic Joyce’s charges in the next phase of the competition are their Connacht neighbours Roscommon – who recorded a magnificent 0-14 to 0-12 win at the expense of Tyrone in Omagh, thanks in no small part to four points apiece from Diarmuid Murtagh and Donie Smith.

Mayo had an opportunity to make it three counties from the west in the quarter-finals when they welcomed Derry to MacHale Park in Castlebar on Saturday evening. Yet after the sides were ultimately inseparable at the end of both normal time and extra-time, it was their Ulster counterparts who progressed with a 4-3 penalty shootout triumph.

This was a dramatic and gripping affair, but perhaps the biggest story of the weekend came in Inniskeen on Sunday. With Sam Mulroy’s late free earning them a 1-9 to 1-8 triumph over Cork, Louth have qualified for an All-Ireland quarter-final for the very first time.

Although there was significant relief in the ranks of Galway, Roscommon, Derry and Louth to have come through do-or-die encounters, Monday morning’s draw for the All-Ireland SFC quarter-finals saw them switch attention to the next task at hand.

There is a feeling that the counties who advanced automatically to the last-eight of the championship will have a strong advantage over their opponents in this weekend’s quarter-finals and this is how the bookmakers are viewing things at the time of writing.

Dublin Remain Team To Beat

Having been favourites to defend their Sam Maguire Cup crown since the very beginning of the year, Dublin are still regarded as the most likely All-Ireland winners ahead of their 6.15pm clash with Galway at Croke Park on Saturday.

Despite not being at their best in the contest, Cormac Costello grabbed a dramatic equaliser to earn Dublin a draw against Mayo at Dr Hyde Park in Roscommon on June 15. This meant – instead of unexpectedly being in a preliminary quarter-final – the Sky Blues claimed top spot in the Group Two of the All-Ireland championship and guaranteed themselves a quarter-final place.

With multiple Celtic Cross winners Jack McCaffrey, Paul Mannion and James McCarthy all introduced off the bench in the Mayo game, it is clear that Dublin manager Dessie Farrell still has an array of options at his disposal. This – and another of other factors – makes them the current favourites with betting apps for another All-Ireland success.

Dublin’s chances of lifting the Sam Maguire Cup are currently rated at 6/4 with BoyleSports.

Kerry Second Favourites For All-Ireland Glory

As the only side remaining in the competition to have won all the games they have played – albeit after playing fewer games than some of their rivals for All-Ireland supremacy – Kerry are unsurprisingly viewed as the main challengers to Dublin’s crown in 2024.

This has been the case throughout the championship and after advancing from Group Four of the All-Ireland senior football championship with an average winning margin of 13 points from their encounters with Monaghan, Meath and Louth, the Kingdom more than merit being the second favourites for the Sam Maguire Cup.

While David Clifford clocked up an impressive tally of 2-14 across these fixtures, there has been a healthy spread of scorers to ensure Jack O’Connor’s side aren’t overly reliant on the Fossa ace. Yet his talents were needed when Kerry overcame Derry in last year’s All-Ireland SFC semi-final and it could come in handy when the two sides clash once again in Croke Park at 3.15pm on Sunday.

Despite the resurgence of their opponents, however, Kerry continue to feature strongly in the betting for the All-Ireland championship. Betting sites are currently placing a value of 9/2 on the Kingdom winning a second national football title in three years with Ladbrokes.

Armagh And Donegal Closely Ranked In Sam Maguire Betting

Thus far in 2024, Armagh and Donegal have met on no fewer than three occasions in league and championship fixtures.

After sharing the spoils in their round four meeting in National Football League Division Two, Donegal pipped the Orchard men in the competition’s final at Croke Park on March 31.

The teams also clashed in a gripping Ulster Senior Football Championship final with the O’Donnell County once again having the edge over Armagh – this time on penalties.

Given how little there has been to separate the two sides on the field of play, it comes as little surprise to see them neck and neck in the betting for the All-Ireland SFC.

Ahead of their quarter-final meeting with Roscommon at 4pm on Saturday, Armagh are available for All-Ireland glory at odds that range from 6/1 with William Hill.

There is a similar value being placed on Jim McGuinness’ Donegal – who take on Louth at 1.15pm on Sunday – but with BoyleSports going slightly longer at 13/2, they are currently just behind their Orchard counterparts as the fourth favourites for the Sam Maguire Cup.

Derry And Galway Also In The Running For All-Ireland Title

After coming into this year’s championship as the third favourites with bookmakers for the All-Ireland, consecutive defeats at the hands of Donegal, Galway and Armagh saw the odds on NFL Division One champions Derry lengthening substantially.

Recent wins against Westmeath and Mayo have offered them renewed hope and while their clash with Kerry on Sunday is a daunting one, the Oak Leaf are still seen as an enticing outside bet for a first All-Ireland title since 1993. Ahead of their second knockout showdown against the Kingdom in as many years, Derry are available at 9/1.

Whereas Derry are up against the second favourites for the Sam Maguire Cup, Connacht champions Galway are coming face-to-face with the leading contenders for the All-Ireland crown. This explains why they are slightly behind the Oak Leaf as the sixth favourites for top championship honours, with odds on the westerners now 10/1.

Roscommon And Louth Viewed As Unlikely Champions

Despite their heroics against Tyrone and Cork last weekend, the best odds available on Roscommon and Louth for shock All-Ireland championship victories are 33/1 and 66/1 respectively.

They will also be coming into their encounters with Armagh and Donegal this weekend as clear underdogs, but following their major scalps in the weekend just gone, this could suit both teams down to the ground.