GAA: Allianz Football League Sunday match betting preview and tips

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

Best Bets

Meath to score over 11.5 points
3pts 4-5 Boylesports, Paddy Power

Galway
2pts 7-4 general

Tyrone -1
2pts 13-5 Boylesports

Roscommon -3
3pts 6-5 Betfair, Paddy Power

Cork -4
2pts 6-5 Betway

Analysis

Meath v Mayo
Pairc Tailteann, 2pm

Meath might be staring at relegation back to Division 2 following back-to-back defeats at the hands of Tyrone and Donegal, but the total points line for Andy McEntee's misfiring troops looks on the low side for the visit of Mayo to Pairc Tailteann.

The bookmakers have opted for 11.5 and odds of 4-5 for Meath to score 12 points or more makes plenty of appeal.

Nothing went right for the Royal County against Donegal last weekend. They conceded two quickfire goals in the opening period when playing with the assistance of a stiff breeze and the visitors were able to manage the game from that point on. The second half was a subdued affair with the outcome never in doubt.

McEntee will surely get a response from his side this week and traditionally Meath have always fared well against Mayo. When they met in the Super 8s at Croke Park last August, an upset was on the cards until the final quarter and a Seamus Lavin point midway through the second half nudged Meath into a 0-12 to 0-11 lead.

Meath had goalkeeper Andy Colgan sent off and conceded two late goals as Mayo swooped late for a 2-17 to 0-14 win. The final scoreline was not a fair reflection of the 70 minutes.

Meath averaged 16 points in the four home games in Division 2 last year and they even managed to score 1-9 away to Tyrone in round one.

Their bitterly disappointing return of 0-8 was the lowest score by any side in any division last weekend, but the layers have read a bit too much into that. Thomas O'Reilly was one of only a small few who came out of the Donegal game with his head held high, scoring three terrific points, and the outing would have done exciting youngster Matthew Costello no harm either.

If Cillian O'Sullivan and Bryan McMahon can recapture their superb form of last season, Meath should have little difficulty reaching 12 points.

Donegal v Galway
Letterkenny, 2pm

If it was not for a last-gasp equalising goal from Mayo's James Durcan deep into stoppage time, Donegal would have banked maximum points from their opening two games in Division 1.

That said, Mayo were pretty poor in the opening encounter and Meath were awful last Sunday so Galway will present a much tougher assignment when they visit Letterkenny in round three.

There have been very encouraging signs in the early stages of the Padraic Joyce era and they were the better side against Kerry last weekend, deserving more than the minimum margin defeat.

Shane Walsh was unstoppable against Kerry, kicking 1-4, and his pace could pose the Donegal defence all sorts of problems. Damien Comer is a real handful too and Galway's form looks stronger than Donegal's despite the fact they have banked one point less.

Donegal are still without a whole host of starters and it is surprising to see Galway available at 7-4. That looks value.

Tyrone v Kerry
Healy Park, 2pm

Kerry were unable to repeat the heroics of their opening-round draw with Dublin when staging a smash and grab raid against Galway last weekend and the Kingdom look too short in the betting for their trip to Healy Park in Omagh.

Tyrone were workmanlike in their opening-round win over Meath and deserved to be beaten by more last Sunday against Monaghan. But the news of Cathal McShane's return to the panel could be the lift that Mickey Harte's side need.

Tyrone's league record from rounds three to seven in the last two years is exceptional. They are unbeaten in ten games and, the longer the league goes on, the better they get.

Kerry have been priced up on their Dublin performance rather than their Galway one and there could be a shock on the cards.

Roscommon v Clare
Dr Hyde Park, 2pm

Roscommon will fancy their chances of securing promotion back to the top flight and a wide-margin win over Clare looks on the cards at Dr Hyde Park.

Fermanagh are always a tricky side to face in Enniskillen and Roscommon were on the receiving end of a minimum-margin defeat last Sunday,. But they have a potent attacking unit and it is hard to envisaging Clare coping with them.

Roscommon could easily have four points tucked away from their opening two games, and although they have only one, a first win of the campaign should be a formality.

Cork v Down
Pairc Ui Chaoimh, 2pm

Cork have covered the handicap in both of their outings in Division 3 and they can complete the hat-trick at the expense of Down.

They were always in control against Leitrim last Sunday and the four-point handicap does not do their superiority in the division justice.

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