Football predictions and GAA tips: Cavan and Westmeath fancied to advance

Free GAA football tips, best bets and match previews for this weekend's Tailteann Cup semi-finals

Best bets

Cavan -5
3pts 10-11 Paddy Power

Westmeath -1
3pts 10-11 Ladbrokes, Paddy Power

Sligo v Cavan

RTE2, 1.45pm Sunday

Cavan have been favourites for the Tailteann Cup ever since details of the competition were announced and the 2020 Ulster champions can outclass Sligo in the first of the semi-finals.

The place-kicking and shot-stopping ability of Raymond Galligan has been a joy to watch over the last few weeks, while Paddy Lynch has been a real find up front. He has added a real scoring dimension to the Cavan attack and it is hard to see how Sligo are going to cope at the back.

Cavan were nine points too good for Down - 0-24 to 1-12 - despite a sluggish start and the winning margin was identical in the quarter-final triumph over Fermanagh - 2-16 to 0-13.

Thomas Galligan and Gearoid McKiernan kicked 1-9 between them in that success over Fermanagh and a similar outcome could be in store here.

The handicap has been set at five and given Cavan's recent Croke Park experience, that looks too low. They could oblige by double figures.

Westmeath v Offaly

RTÉ2, 4pm Sunday

The form of Westmeath's Leinster campaign is not looking so shabby now given Kildare outplayed Mayo for long periods last weekend and Jack Cooney's charges are fancied to book their place in the Tailteann Cup decider at the expense of neighbours Offaly.

Westmeath kicked 3-13 in their provincial opener against Longford and managed to score 2-15 in a brave three-point loss to Kildare.

They were arguably the better team in the second half of that outing and they have carried that form into the Tailteann Cup.

They should be stronger favourites than just a single point on the handicap and can win more comfortably than the betting suggests, provided John Heslin continues his fine form.

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