Weekend All-Ireland Football match predictions and GAA betting tips

Best bets

Kildare
3pts 11-10 general

Kildare -3
2pts 11-4 Paddy Power

Wicklow +17
2pts 10-11 general

Meath -2
2pts 5-6 BoyleSports

Laois +6
2pts Evs general

Laois to lead at half-time
1pt 16-5 Paddy Power

Tyrone -6
4pts Evs BoyleSports

Tyrone over 2.5 goals
2pts 7-2 BoyleSports, Paddy Power

Cavan under 19.5 points
2pts Evs BoyleSports

Weekend Gaelic Football predictions

Kildare vs Westmeath

GAA+, 7pm Saturday

The first target of Brian Flanagan's Kildare tenure would have been to secure promotion to Division 2 and that was secured by the skin of his teeth.

The Lilywhites lost the Division 3 final to Offaly, but they were the superior side for long periods and missed some glorious chances when on top.

They fired seven second-half wides, hit the post with a point attempt, dropped another short while Darragh Kirwan had a gilt-edged shot at goal brilliantly saved when Niall Kelly was unmarked on his outside and should have been provided with a tap-in.

Flanagan must have been wondering how he left Croke Park that day without silverware, but there were sufficient signs to think Kildare are getting there.

Westmeath were arguably the most unlucky side in any of the divisions of the league, given the amount of games they either drew or lost narrowly, and you can understand why they have been installed as slight favourites given the last time we saw them they drew with Roscommon.

But John Heslin's absence will surely tell in 2025 and this game is at Newbridge, against a Kildare side that is building, and it is the perfect chance for the Lilywhites to issue some sort of statement to fans that have been starved of late.

Kildare might just be the second-best team in Leinster right now and that could become even more apparent on Saturday night.

Wicklow vs Dublin

2pm Saturday

The days of Dublin waltzing through Leinster might be over. They have won the provincial title for the last 14 years in a row and 19 of the last 20, but there were signs during the league that the new-look blues brigade might not be the well-oiled machine it used to be.

They have to travel to Aughrim to face a Wicklow side who already have an away win over Longford, albeit after extra-time, to their name in the Leinster championship and the atmosphere will be very different to what they are used to at Croke Park.

That's not to say Dublin won't win, of course they should and they are 1-100 to get the job done in 70 minutes, but the 17-point handicap looks on the high side given where the game is being played.

Wicklow have a pair of quality forwards in Oisin McGraynor and Kevin Quinn who contributed 1-12 between them in the 2-23 to 1-20 success over Longford and the minnows might just be able to keep the loss to 12 points or less. Certainly keeping within 17 points should be manageable.

Meath vs Offaly

2.30pm Saturday

Meath managed to zone out all the noise surrounding the bizarre departure of coaches Martin Corey and Joe McMahon at the end of the league and sidestep a potential banana skin in the shape of Carlow in their Leinster opener.

There is another one waiting for them this weekend as Division 3 league champions Offaly visit Navan, but the hosts should be able to beat a two-point handicap.

The emergence of Ruairi Kinsella is a major boost to Meath. He was a key ingredient in Dunshaughlin's club championship triumph in 2024 and scored 1-5 against Carlow. His pace and creativity will help make up for the long-term absence of Jordan Morris.

Meath can win this by five or more, with home advantage crucial.

Louth vs Laois

3pm Saturday

Ger Brennan has done a terrific job since taking over at the helm of Louth, but the betting looks all wrong for their Leinster championship clash with Laois.

It might be asking a bit much for Laois to cause a shock, but keeping within the six-point handicap seems feasible given how fluent they looked during the first half of last weekend's surprisingly comfortable victory over Wexford.

They kicked 2-12 inside the opening 35 minutes there and were in cruise control from that moment on. That form looks reasonably solid, too, given Wexford won seven games in a row in Division 4 before a shock league final loss to Limerick.

Mark Barry and Ronan Coffey have been impressive for Laois of late and, if the O'Moore men can keep Sam Mulroy at bay and not concede easy frees within his range, this could be tight.

Backing Laois on the handicap and to lead at half-time are the two plays that appeal most.

Tyrone vs Cavan

RTE, BBC NI, 4.15pm Sunday

Tyrone are dark horses for the All-Ireland and can kick off their Ulster championship campaign with a big win at home to Cavan, potentially by double-digits.

Malachy O'Rourke is widely recognised as being one of the sharpest minds in the game and you could see his influence creeping in towards the latter stages of the league where Tyrone were transitioning from defence to attack much quicker than they had been doing in recent years.

Tyrone were somehow relegated from Division 1 despite accumulating seven points. They were the first side in the history of the competition to have been demoted with such a tally, but it is not the end of the world and O'Rourke would have been delighted with the way his side demolished Dublin in round seven. They scored 2-20 in that seven-point win and recovered very well from the concession of an early Con O'Callaghan goal.

Darragh Canavan could make hay against this Cavan defence and backing the home side to defy a six-point handicap looks a great bet, as does three or more Tyrone goals at 7-2.

Cavan are still without the scoring power of Paddy Lynch and his absence has left a big void in the Cavan attack. It is hard to envisage the visitors reaching 20 points.

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