Gaelic football predictions and GAA betting tips: Cagey contest expected between Donegal and Mayo

Best bets

Meath +8
3pts 10-11 Ladbrokes

Meath to lead at half-time
1pt 15-2 Ladbrokes

Cork
4pts 6-5 Boylesports

Cork to score over 1.5 goals
2pts 13-8 general

Galway -1
3pts Evs general

Derry
1pt 11-5 Boylesports

Down
2pts 13-5 Paddy Power

Clare +6
2pts Evs general

Tyrone to score over 2.5 goals
2pts 13-5 general

Under 44.5 points in Donegal v Mayo 
5pts 4-5 Boylesports

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Weekend Gaelic Football predictions

Kerry vs Meath 

4.15pm Saturday

Kerry are All-Ireland favourites but they go into their last group game without Paudie Clifford, Diarmuid O'Connor and Paul Geaney, as well as Barry Dan O'Sullivan and Brian O Beaglaoich. That is a quality quintet to be missing and they look far too short at 1-10 to beat Meath. 

The Kingdom will probably get the job done but they are far more vulnerable than the betting would lead you to believe and they have already secured their spot in the knockout stages. 

Jack O'Connor will be keen to go straight to the last eight rather than take in a preliminary quarter-final, but they won't have it all their own way against a Meath side who have already beaten Dublin and Cork  this year. 

Robbie Brennan has done a brilliant job with Meath in 2025, instilling a confidence that hadn't been there for decades. He has managed to find a group of useful attackers and the eight-point handicap looks huge, especially if Matthew Costello continues his heroic form. James Conlon has been on fire, too, while Jason Morris has made a very swift return from injury. 

Meath won't fear Kerry after beating Dublin and they will play with a freedom in the opening half. That makes the standout 15-2 with Ladbrokes about the outsiders leading at half-time a great bet. They may not complete the shock after the break but expect it to be in the melting pot heading down the stretch. 

Cork vs Roscommon 

GAA+, 4.15pm Saturday

Cork have failed to secure promotion from Division 2 of the league, were dumped out of Munster at the semi-final stage and have lost both their games in the All-Ireland series against Meath and Kerry.  

Yet they could have beaten Kerry in the Munster championship and were minutes away from causing one of the biggest shocks of the season. The Rebels were electric for long periods of that game and  were the better side in the opening half of their clash at Meath. 

Kerry were well on top in the closing stages when the sides met again, but Cork failed to convert some glorious goal opportunities and were value for finishing a lot closer to the Kingdom than the 11 points they were beaten by. 

Roscommon will be kicking themselves after failing to claim maximum points from their meeting with Meath. They got back level with 15 minutes left and had the wind behind them, but couldn't complete the job and had to settle for a point. 

It is winner takes all at O'Moore Park and, if Chris Óg Jones, Brian Hurley and Mark Cronin can bring their shooting boots, this Cork side have far more potential than Roscommon while goals could be on the menu too.

Armagh vs Galway

GAA+, 6.30pm Saturday

This is a repeat of last year's All-Ireland final and the starting team Kieran McGeeney has named would make you think he wants Galway out of the championship right now.

Armagh have already secured top spot in their group and will go straight into a quarter-final, but McGeeney has named all his big guns in his starting line-up. 

But, surely, with everything on the line Galway can keep their All-Ireland hopes live. They were dead and buried with a few minutes to go against Derry – losing by seven points and lacking creativity up front – but they managed to keep breathing somehow and now they have to take full advantage of their reprieve. 

Galway need so much more from Shane Walsh and perhaps now is the time for Damien Comer to start. He caused carnage in the Derry defence after his introduction and it is probably the right time to let him loose from the word go. 

Derry vs Dublin

GAA+, 6.30pm Saturday

This is another crunch clash. The winners will survive and if that is Derry, Dublin need Armagh to do them a favour against Galway. 

Dublin were wayward in their loss to Armagh, clocking up 17 wides, and the injury doubts surrounding Con O'Callaghan are a concern. 

Derry are gradually getting there after after a slow start and they excelled for an hour against Galway. If Conor Glass can bring the same level of form to the table here, the Dubs may struggle to contain him.  

Goalkeeper Odhran Lynch returns for Derry, while Paul Cassidy, Shane McGuigan and Brendan Rogers are all battle-hardened campaigners. At the prices, it's hard to resist a nibble on Derry.

Down vs Monaghan

RTE, 2pm Sunday

These Ulster rivals met in the final round of group games in Division 2 of the league, when Down caused a shock in Clones. 

They led 0-11 to 1-3 at half-time and held out for a narrow victory. Results elsewhere enabled Monaghan to reach the league final and secure promotion back to the top tier. 

Down haven't really delivered on their early promise, but they would have got great confidence from their narrow success over Louth last time, holding on for a slender success having built up a huge lead with the wind. Monaghan's style of play seems to suit Down and they look the value option. 

Clare vs Louth

2pm Sunday

Louth are pointless after two games in the All-Ireland series and staring elimination in the face. 

A weak group is keeping them alive, though, and victory over Clare will secure a preliminary quarter-final. They might achieve that, but seem to have regressed since their famous Leinster final success and Clare look a juicy bet with a six-point headstart on the handicap. 

Donegal vs Mayo 

RTE 4pm Sunday

With so much at stake at Dr Hyde Park, the scoring could be lower than expected and backing a total of no more than 44 points looks the best bet of the weekend. 

Mayo's two All-Ireland games have produced 39 and 37 points, while Donegal's loss to Tyrone saw 43 points. 

Donegal managed to score 3-26 in their win over Cavan but they won't steamroll through this Mayo defence and getting to 20 points could be a winning score. 

The Connacht final between Mayo and Galway produced 38 points and Donegal's final three matches in Ulster all had fewer than 44 in normal time. 

This could be cagey and it is hard to envisage an open, free-flowing game of attacking football.

Cavan vs Tyrone 

4pm Sunday

Tyrone were terrible in the last round against Mayo, undoing all the good work from their surprise success against Donegal. 

But, what better chance to bounce back than a clash with Cavan, who arrive having suffered a confidence-sapping loss to Donegal on home soil. The Breffni boys were really poor in the second half. 

Tyrone have already beaten Cavan by seven points in the Ulster championship and this could get ugly. Malachy O'Rourke's charges netted twice against Donegal and backing them to go one better is worth a wager.

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