Weekend Gaelic football predictions and GAA betting tips: Cork can claim crucial win

Best bets

Cork -2
3pts 6-5 Hills

Over 2.5 goals in Armagh v Westmeath 
3pts 7-4 BoyleSports 

Over 3.5 goals in Armagh v Westmeath 
2pts 9-2 BoyleSports

Over 4.5 goals in Armagh v Westmeath
1pt 10-1 BoyleSports

Monaghan to lead at half-time
2pts 5-2 general 

Roscommon to score seven points or more in each half
2pts 100-30 BoyleSports

Weekend Gaelic football predictions

Cork v Louth

3pm Saturday 

Louth are in bonus territory having qualified for their first Leinster final since 2010 which earned them a spot in the All-Ireland series. No matter what happens from here, 2023 has been a success and nobody can take that away from them. 

Mickey Harte could have got a worse draw for their first outing in the All-Ireland series too and he will fancy his chances of beating Cork for the second time this year. When these sides met in Ardee during the league, Louth won 1-10 to 0-10 but it is worth noting the Rebels led at half-time and scored only two points after the resumption. 

The key factor in this repeat of the 1957 All-Ireland final could be that Cork have had since April 9 to prepare for this game, whereas Louth's Leinster final loss was less than a fortnight ago on May 14. That is massive. 

Cork were hot and cold in the league, but they still have natural scoring forwards and can get the better of a Louth side who were beaten by 21 points in the provincial final. 

Armagh v Westmeath

GAAGO, 4.45pm Saturday

Westmeath succumbed to a late Louth surge in the Leinster championship, coughing up two goals in the process, and there could be plenty of goals on the menu when last year's Tailteann Cup champions visit Armagh for the first round of the All-Ireland series. 

Armagh lost the Ulster final on penalties, but they proved themselves to be every bit as good as Derry and found the net on four occasions against Down in the provincial semi-final too. 

This could be a high-scoring encounter and it has goals written all over it. It might be the perfect opportunity for Kieran McGeeney to let his Armagh side express themselves, rather than protect themselves. 

Derry v Monaghan

GAAGO, 7pm Saturday

Derry could suffer an Ulster final hangover in the opening round of the All-Ireland series so get on Monaghan to lead at half-time at a very generous 5-2. 

The Farney army have had the best part of a month to prepare for this. It is a repeat of the Ulster semi-final on April 29, a game they lost by seven points, but expect them to explode from the traps here. 

Derry's class should tell in the closing stages, but Monaghan could give them a major scare before that. 

There was a lot of emotion in Derry's Ulster final penalty shootout victory over Armagh and there was all the commotion surrounding ex-manager Rory Gallagher in the lead-up to it too so it would come as no surprise if they were a little flat in the early stages of this encounter. 

Dublin v Roscommon

GAAGO, 4pm Sunday

Dublin are the new All-Ireland favourites after Kerry were beaten by Mayo last weekend and, while the Dubs should have little difficulty negotiating Roscommon at Croke Park, the layers may have underestimated the scoring power of the Connacht side. 

Boylesports are offering odds of 100-30 about Roscommon scoring at least seven points in each half and that makes plenty of appeal, especially with no rain forecast. 

Roscommon have already beaten Mayo and certainly weren't disgraced against Galway either. They have tough championship matches under their belt and scored 0-21 in their final league match against Donegal. 

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