Expert League of Ireland predictions and football betting tips from Johnny Ward

Best bets

All matches 7.45pm Friday
Sligo
1pt 7-1 BoyleSports

Shelbourne draw no bet
4pts 8-15 bet365 

League of Ireland predictions

Shamrock Rovers are the biggest price they have been for several years to win the League of Ireland Premier Division title and it's likely they will need to beat Sligo Rovers on Friday to keep their hopes of a fifth successive championship alive.

Stephen Bradley's side are out to 3-1 for the title and that is understandable. A tally of 31 points out of a possible 63 is dire given their quality and they have simply been too easy to score against.

It is going to be a night full of emotion at the Showgrounds, with local supporters paying tribute to the late RTE journalist and massive Sligo fan Tommie Gorman. 

With the Hoops still shorn of key players and with issues in goal, it might be worth taking a chance on Sligo at 7-1.

John Russell's hosts are a hard side to predict but they are nonetheless only six points adrift of their visitors. They never need extra motivation for this fixture and the champions have been so poor this season that it's easy to see them falling short again.

Leaders Shelbourne have found Galway United tough going this season but they have lost only three league games all term and, as is often the case, they make plenty of appeal with the draw no bet. 

Galway have been surprisingly good since promotion but they have scored just 17 goals in 20 league fixtures this term and Shels should find a way past them.

Drogheda will be concerned that they went into the break bottom of the table. 

While they have a good record against Friday's opponents Derry but will surely struggle when the sides meet at Brandywell. 

Elsewhere, resurgent Dundalk host surprise packages Waterford and Bohemians travel to St Patrick's.

Click for more free bets and betting offers from the Racing Post

Commercial notice: This article contains affiliate links. Offers are handpicked and come from operators our experts have first-hand experience of. Opening an account via one of these links will earn revenue for the Racing Post, which will be used to continue producing our award-winning coverage of horseracing and sports betting.