GAA: Allianz Football League Saturday match betting preview and tips

Free GAA football tips, best bets and match previews for Saturday's Allianz National League fixtures

Best bets

Donegal
3pts 7-2 Coral, Ladbrokes

Donegal-Donegal double result
2pts 15-2 Betway, Coral, Ladbrokes

Donegal to win by four, five or six points
1pt 12-1 general

No Fermanagh goal
2pts 10-11 Betfair, Paddy Power

Cork -4
2pts 11-10 Betway

Meath Under-20s
2pts 9-4 Betfair, Paddy Power

Saturday gaelic football analysis

Dublin v Donegal

Eir Sport, 7pm Saturday

Dublin somehow find themselves sitting pretty at the top of Division 1 after three rounds of league action but the table wallpapers over cracks in the early stages of the Jim Gavin era and Donegal look terrific value to cause an upset.

The All-Ireland champions came from an uncompromising position to secure a share of the spoils with Monaghan in round two. Much has been made of their remarkable comeback there, but perhaps we should be focusing on their dismal display in the first half and how easily the Farney army opened them up.

Conor McManus got in behind the Dublin defence with one crisp foot pass from midfield and Donegal have the potential to pose them all sorts of problems with a similar approach.

Donegal have won the last two Ulster titles, and few would argue against them being a better side than Monaghan. This is their chance to prove they are serious dangers to Dublin in the All-Ireland race.

Declan Bonnar's side should be top of the table. They conceded a goal deep into stoppage time against Mayo in round one, which meant they bagged only one point instead of two. They mauled Meath in round two and were six points ahead of Galway midway through the second half of their latest outing.

Indeed, Michael Murphy uncharacteristically pushed a routine late free wide when a share of the spoils was at their mercy.

Donegal have been the better side in all three games and that is a fair achievement given they have been without a lot of their key performers.

Bonner now has most of his most prized possessions to pick from with Paddy McBrearty, Hugh McFadden, Daire O Baoill and Caolan McGonagle all returning to the panel for the trip to Croke Park.

The slickness with which Donegal move the ball means they are made for Croke Park and, if they can utilise Michael Murphy at full-forward at various times, Dublin could be in real trouble. The advanced mark is a big asset to their style of play.

Donegal are no longer the negative side who were so frustrating to watch under Jim McGuinness and Rory Gallagher. They are averaging 18.2 points per game in their 31 league and championship outings with Bonner in charge. It was only 15.15 under Gallagher.

Whereas Dublin have started slowly on their last few outings, Donegal have been blasting from the traps and odds of 15-2 about the visitors leading at half-time and going on to win the way are tasty.

The straight 70-minute price of 7-2 makes lots of appeal too and a small wager at 12-1 on Donegal winning by four, five or six points is advised.

Fermanagh v Cavan

7pm Saturday

Fermanagh have yet to score a goal in their three games in Division 2, so 10-11 about that trend continuing is worth snapping up.

They have scored 0-14, 0-13 and 0-8 and have barely carved out a goal chance in those games. Cavan have conceded four goals in their opening three games, but they have a top-class goalkeeper in Raymond Galligan and it is hard to envisage their defence being breached by a side who are so timid up front.

Cavan have turned around their season with impressive wins over Westmeath and Laois and they should be able to make it three wins in a row. Their price looks about right, but backing the Breffni boys to keep a clean sheet looks value.

Tipperary v Cork

7pm Saturday

Cork have covered the handicap in all three of their Division 3 tests and they can do so again against Munster rivals Tipperary.

Cork are head and shoulders above every other side in the third tier, but the layers do not seem to have cottoned on to that.

They beat Offaly by seven, Leitrim by nine and Down by five, but you can still back the Rebels at odds-against to get the better of Tipperary by five points or more.

Tipperary are in transition and the fact they struggled to get over Louth in round two is worrying. This could be one-way traffic.

Dublin U20 v Meath U20

2pm Saturday

Dublin are hot favourites to win their Leinster Under-20 quarter-final on home soil against Meath, but the visiting side are worth supporting.

Meath manager Ger Robinson has a cracking crop of forwards and a full-forward line of Jordan Morris, Shane Walsh and Aaron Lynch has the potential to do serious damage.

Add into the mix Curraha sharpshooter Jack O'Connor and Dunshaughlin star Matthew Costello and you have an impressive attacking unit.

Meath were impressive in atrocious conditions away to Wexford in round one when they recovered from the concession of an early goal to win easily and they have been underestimated in the market.

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