Weekend Gaelic football predictions and GAA betting tips: Monaghan plotting another shock success

Best bets

Monaghan
2pts 2-1 Betfair, Paddy Power, Boylesports 

Kildare to score over 13.5 points
4pts 10-11 Paddy Power

Armagh -4
4pts 11-10 Paddy Power

Down to score under 14.5 points
3pts 8-11 Boylesports

Derry v Monaghan

5pm Saturday, streamed live on GAAGO

Monaghan keep exceeding all expectations and, after avoiding relegation from Division 1 of the league, they staged a late rally to shock Tyrone. 

Derry are far too short for their Ulster semi-final clash and the value is most certainly with the Farney army, who have four dangerous scoring forwards capable of breaking down a stern rearguard unit. Odds of 2-1 look too generous on recent form. 

Dublin v Kildare

4pm Sunday, streamed live on GAAGO

When Dublin and Kildare last met in the championship - the 2022 Leinster final - Kildare somehow managed to score 1-15 and were beaten by only 14 points despite conceding five goals in the opening 20 minutes.

They stuck at it in admirable fashion given they were staring a record-breaking defeat in the face. 

The Lilywhites have turned their season around in recent weeks too. They scored 3-10 against Limerick in the penultimate round of the league and beat Meath by five points before disposing of Wicklow in last weekend's championship opener by ten points, 1-17 to 0-10. 

Their big guns are slowly returning to the fold and they can be expected to score at least 14 points against Dublin. They have a talented crop of forwards capable of building up a decent score against a defence that conceded 2-9 to a poor Laois side. 

Armagh v Down

4pm Sunday - BBC Northern Ireland

The Kieran McGeeney-era is most probably on the back nine, but the way in which Armagh took care of business at Breffni Park suggests 2023 could be a big year for Geezer. 

Some will argue that Armagh had to withstand a late Cavan rally, with a helping hand from Rian O'Neill and a miraculous goal-line save, but they bossed the exchanges throughout and were full value for the win. 

They are really beginning to purr and O'Neill looks set to be used from the start against Down. A four-point handicap can be defied and it would be a surprise to see Down reach 15 points. 

Cavan scored only 12 points against Armagh and they kept Kerry to 0-12 and Donegal to 0-10 in the league too. 

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