GAA Betting: Who Are The Contenders For This Year’s National Football League?
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Following an opening weekend of action that saw the new rules for Gaelic football on full display, the best betting sites are having another look at who the main contenders are for National Football League glory.
While it will likely be a while before spectators deliver their final verdict on the way the big ball game is now being played, the series of league encounters that took place around Saturday and Sunday offered some idea of how the sport might evolve in the weeks, months and – potentially – years to come.
New Rules Given First Significant Run Out
There were two-pointers aplenty across Ireland’s county grounds and there was also some evidence that teams are still coming to terms with the fact that they must keep three players in the opposition’s half of the field at all times.
The role of goalkeepers has also proven to be a big talking point over the past few days with the new rules still allowing for roaming netminders to make their way into the attacking half of the pitch.
Although each tie is understandably being viewed with these alterations in mind, the National Football League remains competitive, with little separating the top teams with GAA betting sites.
Kerry Still League Favourites Despite Being Idle So Far
The majority of fixtures that were due to be held at the weekend managed to take place despite Storm Eowyn sweeping across the nation last Friday.
Kerry’s proposed meeting with Donegal in Fitzgerald Stadium, Killarney on Sunday was ultimately postponed until a later date.
As a result, judgement will be reserved on both of these counties.
Even allowing for the fact that they are now playing catch-up on six of the teams in Division One, Kerry are still the favourites for the league title with Bet365 at odds of 10/3.
While this could change in the wake of their showdown with Derry at Celtic Park on Sunday, it is felt that the Kingdom will be a formidable proposition when they get up and running for 2025.
Dublin And Galway The Best Bets Available After The Kingdom
Dublin were seen as the second most likely side to win the league before it started, and the Sky Blues are still seen as a viable option for the top prize after earning a 1-17 to 1-15 victory over Mayo at Croke Park last Saturday night.
Sean Bugler registered seven points in a stellar performance for the Dubs, while Kevin Lahiff also impressed with a haul of 1-2.
The odds on Dessie Farrell’s men winning Division One are 4/1 with Boylesports and they are offering the same price on Galway (4/1) following their 1-12 to 0-9 success at home to Armagh.
This was revenge, of sorts, for Galway after their All-Ireland senior football championship final defeat to the Armagh last July.
Even though it wasn’t seen as a great advertisement for the new rules, second-half two-pointers from Cillian O Curraoin, Shane Walsh and Paul Conroy did help the Tribesmen create a strong cushion they never relinquished.
Donegal And Tyrone Good Options As An Outside Bet
Donegal were slightly ahead of the westerners before the opening round, but – unlike Kerry – being idle last weekend has seen them drop slightly in the betting order.
This means that followers of the O’Donnell County (as well as those across the nation) will have to wait until this Saturday’s home game against Dublin to see Michael Murphy make his long-awaited comeback to the inter-county fold.
A loss to the Sky Blues could affect their standing in the overall scheme of things, but for the time being Donegal are available at 5/1 for a first top-tier league success since 2007.
The same odds are now available on Tyrone (5/1) for Division One glory – a slight improvement on the 7/1 you could have gotten on them a little under a week ago.
A 2-13 to 1-9 triumph over Derry last Saturday has given the Red Hand a shot in the arm.
Given his recent achievements at club and county level, new team manager Malachy O’Rourke will feel he can get a tune out of this crop of Tyrone players.
If they were to have the measure of provincial rivals Armagh at the Athletic Grounds this Saturday, it would further bolster their claims for National Football League honours.
Odds Lengthen On An Armagh League Win
Despite their status as Sam Maguire Cup champions, Armagh weren’t necessarily considered top contenders for league honours in 2025.
Yet the 6/1 being offered on them before their duel with Galway was much more enticing than the 12/1 Bet365 are now placing on them.
This isn’t to suggest that Kieran McGeeney’s men are going to struggle to replicate their remarkable achievement in last year’s championship, but it does perhaps suggest that it may take them a while to rediscover their best form.
That said, a win against Tyrone this weekend could change matters in an instant, and it would be foolish to rule anybody out of contention just because they lost an opening-round fixture.
Mayo And Derry Seen As Outsiders
Though his side ended up on the wrong side of the final result, Mayo manager Kevin McStay should be able to glean plenty of positives from their two-point loss to Dublin at GAA HQ.
Alongside the more established Ryan O’Donoghue, the likes of Frank Irwin, Paul Towey and Davitt Neary also chipped in with scores.
Yet Mayo are missing some experienced figures at the moment for a variety of reasons, and it is possible they will use this league campaign as an opportunity to build rather than challenge for a title.
This could all change with some positive results – they face rivals Galway on home soil this Sunday in round two of Division One – but as it stands, the green and red are only available at odds of 16/1with 10Bet for the league crown.
It is remarkable when you consider they are the defending champions, but Derry (20/1) are only up for grabs at the same value for a second consecutive Division One success.
Their stock has dropped since that league final win on penalties against Dublin, and their long search for a manager after Mickey Harte stepped away in the aftermath of last year’s championship hasn’t helped matters.
Paddy Tally has ultimately assumed the reins after being involved in the Kerry backroom team more recently.
As a consequence of losing out to Tyrone in the first round, Derry are on the back foot going into their game with Kerry this weekend.