GAA Football Betting Tips: 3 Bets For This Weekend’s Action
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The All-Ireland Senior Football Championship returns this weekend, and with four of the 16 teams in the competition set to be eliminated, the best betting sites are actively analysing the markets for the upcoming fixtures.
While Kerry, Meath, Monaghan, Down and reigning champions Armagh are already guaranteed a place in the knockout stages – with Armagh the only team in the country assured of a last-eight spot – several others still have work to do in the coming days to keep their 2025 championship hopes alive.
Provincial champions Louth and Galway are among those seeking positive results in their final All-Ireland SFC group-stage matches.
However, their bid to reach a preliminary quarter-final remains firmly within their own control.
Regardless of how events unfold, it promises to be a jam-packed weekend, with four matches scheduled on both Saturday and Sunday.
Identifying the three best bets across these fixtures is no easy feat, but we’ve highlighted below what we believe are the most intriguing markets for the forthcoming All-Ireland SFC extravaganza.
Cork And Roscommon Meet In Crucial Game
It is effectively a winner-takes-all encounter between Roscommon and Cork in Group Two at in Portlaoise on Saturday with the victors – should there be one – securing a place in the knockout stages of the All-Ireland Championship.
A draw will be sufficient for the Rossies to progress beyond the Sam Maguire group stages, but a defeat for either side will bring their 2025 inter-county season to a close.
There was plenty at stake when these two teams met in a preliminary quarter-final at Pairc Ui Chaoimh in June 2023, and it was a late point from Kevin O’Donovan that sealed victory for Cork over Roscommon on that occasion.
If the Leesiders are to replicate that result in this latest showdown with the Rossies, they will need strong performances from virtually all of their key players.
Chris Og Jones was one of the standouts in Cork’s agonising Munster semi-final defeat to Kerry back in April, notching an impressive 1-3, and he has since contributed five points in the All-Ireland group stages.
Goals could prove decisive in determining the outcome of this match, and with BoyleSportsoffering odds of 6/1 on Jones scoring the first goal of the contest on Saturday, this may be a wager worth considering.
GAA Football Betting Tip 1: Chris Og Jones To Score The First Goal – 6/1 With BoyleSports
Pressure On Dublin And Derry To Deliver
Dublin find themselves in unfamiliar territory as they head into their All-Ireland SFC Group Four encounter with Derry on Saturday.
Despite overcoming the 2024 Sam Maguire Cup runners-up Galway in their opening group fixture, the Sky Blues can no longer finish top, having lost to Armagh at Croke Park the previous Sunday week.
This means the best Dublin can now hope for beyond this weekend is a preliminary quarter-final – a stage of the competition the Metropolitan side have successfully avoided since the championship was restructured in 2023.
While the outcome of the group’s other Round Three clash between Galway and Armagh will significantly influence the final standings, there is a real possibility Dublin could suffer a shock early exit if they lose to Derry.
Derry, for their part, are still searching for a first competitive win in either league or championship in 2025 and will be eager to finally secure a positive result on Saturday.
The Oak Leaf county will be aiming to make a strong start at a ground they know well, but Dublin remain the favourites to come out on top in this fixture.
The phrase ‘a game of two halves’ has been a familiar one this year, and with that in mind, the 5/1offered by GAA betting sites on Derry to lead at half-time but ultimately lose to their Leinster opponents could be a particularly appealing punt.
GAA Football Betting Tip 2: HT/FT Derry/Dublin – 5/1 With Betway
Tight Battle Anticipated Between Donegal And Mayo
Matters couldn’t be tighter in Group One of the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, with all four teams currently level on two points heading into the final round.
Donegal and Mayo sit in the top two positions on score difference ahead of their clash at Dr Hyde Park in Roscommon on Sunday, but either team could still finish bottom of the group – and consequently miss out on qualification for the knockout phase of the competition.
After both sides suffered defeat in their opening group games, they bounced back impressively in Round Two to reignite their campaigns.
Mayo recorded a 2-17 to 1-13 victory over Tyrone at Healy Park in Omagh, while Donegal produced a dominant 3-26 to 1-13 win away to Cavan. As a result, the group is finely balanced heading into this weekend’s fixtures.
While there is considerable interest in the simultaneous meeting of Tyrone and Cavan at Brewster Park in Fermanagh, the general expectation is that the Red Hands will defeat the Breffni men for a second time in this year’s championship.
Encounters between Donegal and Mayo have often been tightly contested affairs, many going right down to the wire. With that in mind, the 7/2 available on Donegal to win by a margin of one to three points with betting apps could be an appealing option for value-seeking punters.
GAA Football Betting Tip 3: Donegal To Win By 1-3 Points – 7/2 With BoyleSports