Cillian O'Connor can top the scoring charts once again

Player specials

It is a pleasant surprise to see the player who has finished four of the last five championship campaigns as top scorer available at 5-1 to continue that domination of the scoring charts.

Cillian O’Connor racked up an incredible 3-66 in 2017, thanks in no small part to the fact that Mayo took the most scenic route possible to the All-Ireland final. He was top scorer in 2015 with 3-34, top scorer in 2014 with 5-36 and he was also top dog in 2013.

Dean Rock managed to stop the sequence in 2016, when he notched 1-58 during Dublin’s All-Ireland winning campaign. He is hot favourite to do so again, but the odds-on prices look skimpy and surely O’Connor is the play.

O’Connor is an injury doubt for the Connacht opener with Galway on Sunday but he is expected to win his fitness race and, if he plays, 5-1 will look a big price on Sunday night if Mayo can win on home soil.

There is the potential for them to get three games in Connacht, three more in the Super 8s and then an All-Ireland semi-final and final. Mayo are as short as 8-11 to reach the last four and 5-2 to get to the decider.

If they have a prolonged stay in the race for Sam Maguire you can guarantee that O’Connor will be the key contributor. He is a class act and gets goals too. A Connacht semi-final showdown with Sligo has the potential to see him rack up a huge individual tally.

How many times has Mayo’s obituary been written? It seems we pen a new chapter at the start of every season yet they come back time and time again and it would come as little surprise to see them reach yet another All-Ireland decider as the new Super 8s format is tailor-made for them in late summer.

Kevin McLoughlin rescued a priceless draw for Mayo against Donegal with virtually the last kick of the ball in round seven of the league, the point keeping their heads above water in Division 1, and the versatile workhorse is worth a stab at three-figure prices in the Footballer of the Year market.

He is hugely popular, had a terrific 2017 and was one of the few Mayo men to come out of the league campaign with his head held high. The 15-2 on offer for him to get an All-Star catches the eye too.

Lee Brennan was one of the success stories of the league campaign and, with Tyrone likely to dominate Ulster, he looks overpriced at 8-1 to receive a first All-Star.

Recommendations
C O’Connor to be top scorer
2pts 5-1 BoyleSports
K McLoughlin to win an All-Star
1pt 15-2 Paddy Power
L Brennan to win an All-Star
1pt 8-1 Paddy Power
K McLoughlin Footballer of the Year
0.5pt 125-1 Paddy Power

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