All-Ireland Football Championship Odds: Galway And Armagh The Last Ones Standing

Daire Walsh

After yet another fancied side saw their season coming to an end, the best betting sites are taking one last look at an All-Ireland Senior Football Championship that just keeps on delivering drama.

Following the exit of 2023 winners Dublin at the hands of Galway in the last-eight of the competition, Kerry immediately assumed their mantle as the favourites for Sam Maguire Cup glory before the semi-finals took place.

Armagh Dig Deep To Knock Out Kerry

The Kingdom avoided a potential banana skin against Derry in their quarter-final clash at Croke Park on June 30 and appeared to be on course for another showpiece appearance when they led Armagh by four points (0-10 to 0-6) at the midway stage of their penultimate round clash in the same venue a few weeks later.

A second half goal from the raiding Paul Murphy had them in an even stronger position, but after Barry McCambridge shook the net for the second game in succession, there was suddenly a new lease of life to the Armagh challenge.

While a Dylan Geaney point halted the Orchard County’s momentum and forced the tie into extra-time, there was no stopping Kieran McGeeney’s Ulster men in the additional periods.

Thanks to a 90th minute score from Conor Turbitt, Armagh sealed a 1-18 to 1-16 triumph and a place in an All-Ireland SFC final for the first time in 21 years.

Galway Get The Job Done Against Donegal

Meanwhile, having previously locked horns with Armagh in this season’s championship, Galway and Donegal met in the other semi-final for the right to face Armagh in the July 28 showpiece at GAA HQ.

There seemed to be little to separate the teams on paper and despite bagging a fortuitous goal from the right boot of Paul Conroy, the Tribesmen were on level terms with the O’Donnell County at 1-7 to 0-10 during the interval.

The lead changed hands on a number of occasions in the second period – and parity was also restored a further five times – but having displayed remarkable efficiency before the break, Donegal’s accuracy in front of the posts largely deserted them in the closing stretch.

A slightly more experienced outfit in comparison to their Ulster counterparts, Galway ultimately registered back-to-back points late on through Rob Finnerty and Liam Silke – which was enough to earn them a 1-14 to 0-15 success.

Familiar Foes Meet For The First Time In An All-Ireland Decider

This now leaves us with the novel pairing of the Tribesmen and Armagh in the forthcoming All-Ireland decider, albeit they have become familiar foes in recent years.

Back in 2022, the two sides played out a classic All-Ireland quarter-final encounter at Croke Park with Galway ultimately prevailing by a score of 4-1 in a penalty shootout after normal time and extra-time couldn’t produce a winner.

There was a renewal of acquaintances at the group stage of the All-Ireland senior championship a little under a year later at the neutral venue of Carrick-on-Shannon in Leitrim and Armagh squeezed home on this occasion with a single point to spare (0-16 to 1-12).

Padraic Joyce’s Connacht champions had looked set to gain revenge on the Orchard County in another Sam Maguire Cup group meeting at Sligo’s Markievicz Park, but a final-quarter fightback that included a goal from Tiernan Kelly secured them a 1-12 to 0-15 draw.

This trilogy of games shows how evenly matched they are on the field of play and this is what helps to make their first showdown in a Sam Maguire Cup final all the more intriguing.

Galway Go Into Decider As The Slightest Of Favourites

Nonetheless, even if the gap separating them is very small, bookmakers are always going to side with one team when it comes to this stage of the competition and it is Galway who currently hold a slight edge over their northern counterparts.

With a total of six betting apps – including the likes of Bet365, William Hill and 888sport – the Tribesmen are rated at 8/11 to collect the Sam Maguire Cup for the 10th time in their history.

The westerners are also available at odds of 4/5 with Betway to emerge as the top team in Gaelic football for 2024 – which didn’t appear to be the most likely of prospects earlier in the year.

Forced to cope without the services of Shane Walsh, Damien Comer, Cillian McDaid and a number of others for the majority of the campaign, Galway just about preserved their status in Division One of the National Football League during the spring.

The Tribesmen also needed a late goal from Rob Finnerty to earn a dramatic win against underdogs Sligo in a Connacht championship semi-final, but a subsequent provincial showpiece triumph at the expense of Mayo had a galvanising effect on their squad.

Either side of their aforementioned draw with Armagh, Joyce’s troops have displayed remarkable resolve to grind out victories over Derry, Westmeath, Monaghan, Dublin and Donegal.

Of course, you only have to go back to 2022 for their last All-Ireland final appearance and it will be interesting to see if Galway have absorbed the lessons from that 0-20 to 0-16 defeat against Kerry.

Armagh Right Up There After Previously Being Viewed As Major Outsiders

In turn, that game represented the Connacht side’s first Sam Maguire Cup decider outing in all of 21 years. Armagh bridged a similar gap in overcoming Kerry as their most recent All-Ireland SFC final showdown was all the way back in 2003 – when provincial rivals Tyrone denied them back-to-back successes in the competition with a 0-12 to 0-9 victory.

The Orchard County’s return to an All-Ireland final has taken many people by surprise, particularly when you consider it was all of 19 years since they had even featured at the penultimate stage of the All-Ireland championship.

It is hard to believe now that the odds of them winning the Sam Maguire Cup were as long as 22/1 at the end of May, albeit those odds had shortened to 5/1 in advance of their semi-final date with Kerry.

While Galway will come into Sunday week’s final as the favourites for the All-Ireland – and as a 10/11 prospect to win the game itself – many new betting sites are giving Armagh a great chance of climbing the steps of the Hogan Stand in Croke Park.

Whereas the Tribesmen are 8/11 with both Bet365 and 888sport, Armagh are available at 10/11and 5/6 respectively for a Sam Maguire Cup triumph.

Alternatively, Boyle Sports have the Orchard as an 11/10 prospect and there are even odds (1/1) on the Ulster men with Betway.

Indeed, such is the tight nature of the betting for this All-Ireland decider, that a victory for either side – or even a draw, which is available at odds ranging from 6/1 to 8/1 – couldn’t possibly be regarded as a shock result.