Weekend Gaelic football predictions and GAA betting tips: Cork set to struggle for scores

Best bets

Under 15.5 Cork points
3pts 4-5 Boylesports

Over 1.5 Galway goals
2pts 11-8 Boylesports

Kildare to lead at half-time
1pt 100-30 general

Over 2.5 goals in Armagh v Tyrone
2pts 9-4 Boylesports

Ryan O'Donoghue RTE Man of the Match in Mayo v Louth
2pts 9-2 Paddy Power

Donegal to lead at half-time
2pts 2-1 general

Weekend Gaelic football predictions

Cork v Kerry

GAAGO, 3pm Saturday

Cork have not managed to score more than 11 points in their last two championship clashes with Kerry, yet they can be backed at a very tasty 4-5 to score 15 points or fewer in their All-Ireland series clash. That looks terrific value. 

Kerry will be disgusted with their display against Mayo in round one, and the worst part of that defeat was how open they were defensively. 

That is the one aspect of their game which Jack O'Connor tightened up upon his arrival and it is surely something they have worked on relentlessly all week having conceded 1-19 last week. 

On top of that, Cork scored only 0-13 against Clare in the Munster championship earlier this year and, while they accumulated 1-19 in their win over Louth, they won't have anything close to the sort of possession they had there in this encounter. 

Kerry ought to beat Cork convincingly, but it might be a lower scoring event than the markets suggest. 

Westmeath v Galway

5pm Saturday

A late Conor Turbitt goal sealed a smash-and-grab raid for Armagh last weekend, unravelling a stubborn Westmeath rearguard unit to win by the minimum margin. 

Armagh were happy for Westmeath to have possession in that outing, but Galway are unlikely to be so kind and look sure to try to break through the blanket defence with long kick passes into their full-forward line. 

Given the gulf in class between the two sides, it is a surprise to see quotes of 11-8 about last year's All-Ireland finalists scoring two goals or more. 

Dublin v Kildare

GAAGO, 5pm Saturday

Kildare led Dublin by two points - 0-8 to 0-6 - at half-time when the sides met in the Dubs' back yard at Croke Park in the Leinster championship and didn't trail until the closing moments. 

In this outing at Nowlan Park, it seems strange that the Lilywhites can be backed at 100-30 to be in front at the halfway mark again, especially since Dublin trailed Roscommon by 0-9 to 0-5 at half-time last Sunday.

Tyrone v Armagh

RTE2, 7pm Saturday

This is arguably the game of the weekend and, despite being less than impressive in their opening outings of the All-Ireland series, both these sides look set to be around the business end of the championship. 

The match betting looks just about right with Tyrone slight favourites at home, but the bet that stands out on the coupon is for three or more goals in the match at 9-4. There were none scored when the sides met in the league but conditions will be very different here and it may be more open that expected, especially with Westmeath in the group and likely to be the team eliminated at the end of the group stages. 

Mayo v Louth

RTE2, 2pm Sunday

Louth had their limitations exposed by Dublin in the Leinster final and it is hard to see them making Mayo sweat. 

The handicap has been set at nine points by most firms and a landslide home success appears on the cards, but the market that is definitely worth delving into is man of the match. 

With a match like this, and the prospect of a big win for Mayo, it is probably a six-runner race between the forwards. Ryan O'Donoghue is the main marksman for Mayo these days and he is a special talent. This is the perfect occasion for him to show just how good he is and odds of 9-2 about him receiving the award look too big. 

O'Donoghue was terrific in the win over Kerry, scoring five points including three from play, and he could well double that sort of tally here. 

Donegal v Derry

RTE2, 4pm Sunday

It has been a strange season for Donegal, who got rid of manager Paddy Carr before the championship began, but they got the job done in round one against Clare and look a big price at 2-1 to lead Derry at half-time. 

Monaghan were a point in front of Derry at the change of ends last week, the game ending in a draw, and Donegal look set to explode from the traps on home soil at Ballybofey, a venue where they have such a terrific record.

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