GAA: Allianz Football League Saturday match betting preview and tips

Free GAA gaelic football tips, best bets and analysis for Saturday's Allianz Football League matches.

Best Bets

Over 30.5 points in Dublin v Monaghan
3pts 4-5 Paddy Power

Over 13.5 Monaghan points
3pts 6-5 Paddy Power

Wexford -3
2pts 11-10 general

Kildare -1
2pts 15-8 Paddy Power

Sunday match analysis

Dublin v Monaghan
Croke Park, 7pm Saturday

Given there were 44 points (1-19 each) scored in Dublin's draw with Kerry a fortnight ago, the total-points line of 30.5 looks on the low side for Monaghan's visit to Croke Park.

Monaghan's opening encounter against Galway, a narrow 1-14 to 0-16 loss, yielded 33 points and their attacking unit looked in good shape last Sunday when scoring 1-12 in their comfortable four-point victory over Tyrone.

It is not Seamus McEnaney's style to go ultra-defensive and it is hard to envisage him deploying multiple sweepers against the All-Ireland champions. When these sides met in the opening round of last year's league campaign Monaghan came out on top by 2-13 to 1-13 (35 points).

In the last three league campaigns Dublin have averaged 19.25 points when playing at Croke Park and there has been no evidence from Dessie Farrell's first two games in charge to suggest his style is going to be any more defensive than Jim Gavin's.

The new boss appears to be going by the motto: 'if it isn’t broke then don't fix it.'

Monaghan have the tools to disrupt the Dublin defence. There have been promising signs from Conor McCarthy, who scored four points in the win over Tyrone, while Conor McManus remains one of the top operators in the business. Add Jack McCarron and the imposing Kieran Hughes at full-forward and you have a potent forward division.

Monaghan have averaged 15.5 points in the first two rounds of the league and their last visit to Croke Park in the league in March 2018 saw the Farney Army secure a 2-12 to 0-17 win.

The Ulster outfit are seeking a third straight success against Dublin in the league and, while their big odds makes some appeal, the sensible option is to take the 6-5 available about them scoring 14 points or more.

Armagh v Kildare
Athletic Grounds, 7pm Saturday

The favourites for promotion go head-to-head at the Athletic Grounds and Armagh look dodgy odds-on favourites given how poorly they played in their six-point loss to Laois last weekend.

Kieran McGeeney's charges started the campaign in devastating fashion with a 2-18 to 1-8 victory over Cavan and that form was franked last Saturday when the side they beat by 13 points in round one went on to get the better of Westmeath.

Armagh were awful in their loss to Laois, though, and Kildare are fancied to come away with their second victory of the campaign.

Kildare exploded from the traps in Ennis, leading Clare 0-5 to 0-2 after 14 minutes, but the loss of Paddy Brophy to a red card with 12 minutes plus stoppage remaining proved their undoing. Had he remained on the pitch the Lilywhites may well have come away with maximum points.

Daniel Flynn did not get on the scoresheet there, which was a surprise given he is Kildare's most prized possession, so an improved performance from him could be the catalyst for glory.

Odds of 15-8 for Kildare winning by two points or more do not look an accurate reflection of where the sides are right now.

Waterford v Wexford
Fraher Field, 7pm Saturday

The Paul Galvin era in Wexford got off to a poor start away in Antrim in round one when they suffered a six-point loss. But they impressed last weekend with a 2-10 to 1-6 success over Carlow and can defy a three-point handicap against struggling Waterford.

Waterford would have earmarked Wicklow as a potential game to bag maximum points from but they were on the receiving end of an eight-point hammering there and it is not going to get any easier for them this week.

Expect Wexford to get better each week and a comfortable victory ought to be on the cards at Fraher Field.

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