David Jennings' National League preview, best bets, free GAA tips

Division 1

Tyrone failed to pick up a single point from the opening two rounds of the league in 2018 and 2019, but they are unbeaten in ten games from rounds three to seven over the last two years and look terrific value for top-flight success in 2020 given the question marks over hot favourites Dublin.

Tyrone are notoriously slow starters and were staring relegation in the face after three rounds last year. They had lost to Kerry and Mayo before snatching a last-gasp draw with Roscommon in round three.

Despite that sluggish start, Tyrone missed out on a spot in the Division 1 decider by a single point as they won their next four games by seven, nine, three and seven points. Their narrowest margin of victory was against Dublin at Croke Park where they completely outplayed the All-Ireland champions.

Tyrone have been within touching distance of the final for the last two years and had they sneaked into the decider last year they would have been strong favourites given they signed off the round-robin series with a seven-point win over Galway.

The early fixtures have been much kinder to Tyrone this time. They kick off on home soil against relegation favourites Meath and travel to Monaghan in round two in a game they will be favourites for. They have home advantage against Kerry and Dublin and could take maximum points from those games given their strong record in Omagh.

Jim Gavin's shock departure will surely affect Dublin, while Kerry's heartbreaking All-Ireland final defeat could see them suffering a nasty hangover in the early rounds. Galway and Monaghan both have new managers and it could take time for them to gel.

In stark contrast, Mickey Harte is commencing his 29th year at the helm in Tyrone and it was interesting to hear him say how important the league was for his side after securing a 12th McKenna Cup against Monaghan earlier this month. They outplayed Kerry for long periods of last year’s All-Ireland semi-final so they don’t have much ground to make up on their rivals.

Perhaps the reason Tyrone's price is so big is because of the uncertainty surrounding Cathal McShane and the hamstring injury to Mattie Donnelly, but the new mark rule looks sure to suit Frank Burns who is extremely versatile and will pose problems for every defence he faces.

Darren McCurry, Ronan O'Neill, Kyle Coney and Niall Sludden have all been quick out of the traps in the McKenna Cup, with McCurry's seven-point tally against Down and O'Neill's two-goal salvo against Armagh giving Tyrone fans cause for optimism heading into the league campaign.

Tyrone are 4-11 with Paddy Power to begin with a win for the first time since 2017 and, should they take care of Meath, their current odds are sure to tumble.

Best Bet

Tyrone
2pts 10-1 BoyleSports

Division 2

Jack O’Connor looks a good fit for Kildare and the All-Ireland-winning manager can commence his tenure with the Lilywhites by guiding them to the Division 2 title.

Kildare must have been kicking themselves that they did not secure promotion back to the top flight last year as they completely outplayed Meath in round five only for a late smash-and-grab raid from the hosts to seal a narrow win. A win there would have put them in pole position for promotion.

Cian O'Neill has left the scene and O'Connor's first bit of good news was the return of Daniel Flynn, who is Kildare's most talented attacker.

Kildare are long odds-on to secure maximum points from their first two games against Fermanagh and Clare and a pair of victories would tee them up nicely for a shot at the title.

Division 2 looks weaker than normal with Laois, Fermanagh and Clare all looking out of their depth, while Cavan have to cope with a host of their key players who have failed to commit to the panel in 2020.

Armagh are Kildare's big dangers and Kieran McGeeney will be targeting a good league campaign, but O'Connor could provide the Lilywhites with the bounce they need and the odds about them claiming the silverware look very fair.

Best Bets

Kildare
2pts 5-2 bet365
Kildare & Armagh to be promoted
1pt 9-2 Paddy Power

Division 3

If most of the teams in Division 3 had faced All-Ireland champions Dublin in a Super 8 showdown at Croke Park last summer it would almost certainly have been a humiliating experience for them.

Cork, in contrast, caught Dublin cold early on and led 0-4 to 0-0 after six minutes. They were every bit as good as Dublin in the opening period and did not deserve to be 2-9 to 0-9 in arrears at the halfway mark. They went on to score 1-17.

There is finally something for Cork football fans to shout about and there is plenty to look forward to in 2020. Their first aim should be to secure promotion from Division 3 and a pair of wide-margin wins against Offaly and Leitrim in rounds one and two should be forthcoming. They have Derry and Down at home, so odds of 11-4 about them going through the campaign unbeaten look generous.

Leitrim have already been destroyed by Roscommon in the Connacht Senior League and it could be a subdued spring for them, especially as Emlyn Mulligan is not on the panel. It is hard to see where they will pick up points.

Best Bets

Cork not to lose a game
3pts 11-4 Paddy Power
Cork & Derry to be promoted
2pts 100-30 Paddy Power
Leitrim not to win a game
2pts 9-4 Paddy Power

Division 4

Derry and Leitrim coasted their way out of the basement division last year, but it looks far more open this time and it is hard to envisage any side going through the campaign unbeaten.

Antrim have finished third in the table for the last two years and there was enough encouragement from their championship campaign in 2019 to suggest they are up to winning Division 4 this year.

They scored 2-9 against Tyrone in Ulster and they upset Louth in the qualifiers on a scoreline of 2-16 to 1-11. There was no shame in bowing out at the hands of Kildare and they have unearthed some talented youngsters.

Antrim have some natural scoring forwards, something most of their opponents in Division 4 are lacking.