Weekend All-Ireland Football Championship match predictions

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Best bets

Monaghan -2
3pts Evs Boylesports

Dublin -11
3pts Evs Paddy Power

Over 2.5 Dublin goals v Wicklow
2pts 7-4 Boylesports

Football Championship weekend predictions

Monaghan vs Cavan

3pm Sunday, BBC

Seldom has a Monaghan team entered the cauldron of the Ulster championship with so little hope or expectation.

It has been a rotten year for the Farney army, who did not bank a single point in Division 1 of the league and were relegated to the second tier.

They were destined for the drop from early in the campaign but that may have been a blessing in disguise as the focus has surely been solely on the Ulster championship from a long time ago. It was a case of getting injuries sorted and training going well.

There is no Jack McCarron in the starting line-up but he has been named on the bench alongside Conor McCarthy and Killian Lavelle, who are yet to appear at all in 2026. All three can be expected to feature at some stage.

Cavan didn't set the world alight in Division 2 and just about escaped the drop to Division 3.

Michael Bannigan, Stephen O'Hanlon, Andrew Woods and Stephen Mooney give Monaghan an edge up front and home advantage in Clones is massive.

Wicklow vs Dublin

3pm Sunday

The demise of Dublin has seemingly happened a lot more quickly than anybody expected but there is surely some sort of sting in them in 2026 and it would be no surprise to see them issue a statement of intent in their Leinster opener against Wicklow.

Dublin scored 2-21 against them at the same stage of the Leinster championship last year, eventually prevailing by nine points following a lacklustre performance. But there was no heat on the Dubs at that stage and they were in second gear. Now the boot is very much on the other foot and they have to start proving themselves again.

The Dubs have been relegated to Division 2 and a Leinster championship success is an absolute must if they are to have any hope of being All-Ireland contenders. They probably aren't, but that doesn't mean they don't have the quality to dish out a hammering to Wicklow.

Although Wicklow have a championship outing under their belts - an emphatic victory over Carlow - they face a different animal altogether when Dublin visit Aughrim. This is the type of game Dublin won in their sleep over the last decade.

Ger Brennan will have to watch from the stands as the Dublin boss is serving a suspension for his misdemeanours against Galway in the league but he is sure to have his troops fired up for battle, plus he has some key players back in the starting line--up.

If Seán Bugler, Paddy Small and Con O'Callaghan can click together, it could get ugly for Wicklow.

Read more GAA tips:

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