League of Ireland predictions: St Patrick's look home bankers

Free football tips, best bets and analysis for this weekend's League of Ireland matches

Best bets

Derry +0.5 on handicap
2pts 4-5 bet365

St Patrick's -0.5 on handicap
3pts Evs BoyleSports

Shelbourne 0 on Asian Handicap
2pts 23-20 bet365

Both teams to score in Bohemians v Dundalk
2pts 4-5 general

Waterford -1 (11-10) & Treaty Utd (4-6)
1pt double BoyleSports

Preview

The TV cameras visit a sold-out Brandywell and Derry City fans can go home happy after frustrating Shamrock Rovers.

Neither side have been perfect so far. Rovers looked sloppy defensively against St Patrick's and UCD, while Derry gave away soft goals in Dundalk last Friday.

Rovers like the Brandywell surface and pitch size. They are rightly favourites but with Jamie McGonigle in great form, City should give it a good go. They made really impressive signings in the off-season and under Ruaidhri Higgins they have more points than any team bar Rovers.

The bet of the night is St Patrick's to win at home to Sligo Rovers, who missed out on their season opener due to snow and are priced on their third-place finish last season, which they will do incredibly well to emulate.

Saints are title contenders and look solid odds-on shots against a Sligo team with plenty to prove having lost John Mahon and Johnny Kenny to the SPL.

Finn Harps probably deserve to be favourites at UCD but it's a tough one to call, while Bohemians look vulnerable favourites at home to Dundalk in what is their first competitive game.

Goals look a certainty at Dalymount given Bohemians' key off-season departures but also their abundance of attacking quality and Dundalk's shaky defending in week one.

Shelbourne look worth backing at Drogheda, who also had their intended opener cancelled due to the weather. Damien Duff's men were good in many areas against Pat's and surely should be favourites here.

In Division 1, Waterford ought to hammer Bray at the RSC, while Treaty Utd should have no problem easing past Athlone at home in Limerick.

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