All-Ireland Football predictions and betting tips: Derry to deliver at last and get their season back on track

Best bets

Monaghan under 13.5 points
2pts 13-8 Boylesports 

Roscommon
2pts 11-4 general 

Derry
2pts 15-8 Boylesports 

Cork -2
2pts 11-10 general 

Weekend championship previews

Galway v Monaghan

4pm Saturday - GAAGO

Monaghan have only won two games in 2024 - beating Dublin in the opening round of the league and Meath in the group stages of the All-Ireland series. They looked out on their feet in the latter stages of their victory over the Royals last Sunday and could struggle to keep in touch against Galway. 

Meath scored seven of the last eight points in that game. That's worrying. 

The key to the Tribesmen this year has been their rock solid defensive unit. They have only conceded one goal in five games and haven’t coughed up more than 15 points to any team. Those sides include Derry, Armagh and Mayo so they obviously have solid foundations built. 

This showdown at Pearse Stadium could be cagey so under 13.5 Monaghan points looks a shrewd play. Expect Galway to advance. 

Tyrone v Roscommon

5pm Saturday - GAAGO

Even allowing for the fact they have home advantage and come into this preliminary quarter-final on the back of a win over Cork, Tyrone look much shorter than they should be against Roscommon. 

Conn Kilpatrick is missing after picking up a late red card in their win over the Rebels and he is a big loss. His presence will be badly missed. Roscommon have the potential to frustrate them in the middle third. 

Roscommon’s form in the group stages is quite solid. They were beaten by 12 points by Dublin in round one, but that doesn’t tell the whole story as they conceded a pair of late goals and were still in with a shout with ten minutes remaining and they only lost by two to Mayo. 

They extended their summer with a stylish, attacking display against Cavan and 11-4 seems much too big about Roscommon extending it further and reaching the last eight. There is not as much between the two sides as the betting suggests. 

Mayo v Derry

6.30pm Saturday - GAAGO

There seems to have been an overreaction to Mayo’s recent draw with Dublin. Who would have thought at the end of league, after Derry beat the All-Ireland champions in the Division 1 final, that you would be getting 15-8 about them taking care of Kevin McStay’s men in a preliminary quarter-final.  

The two teams arrive with contrasting confidence. Mayo were 30 seconds away from beating the Dubs, only for a last-gap Cormac Costello point to deprive them of top spot in the group. It was their best performance for about two years and they deserved maximum points. 

But Dublin made them look better than they are. They were lethargic in attack and didn’t move the ball with the pace we have become accustomed to. Mayo’s game plan worked and taking Dublin out of Croke Park proved a masterstroke. 

Derry have stumbled to this stage. They have already been beaten three times, but are still standing. That is a discussion for another day, but there have been excuses for their defeats and they simply cannot have turned into a bad team overnight. 

Derry had five points to spare when these sides met in the final round of the league at this venue. 

You could argue that is a completely different team to the current one, in terms of confidence and game-plan execution, but they conceded four goals to Donegal in Ulster, were reduced to 14 men early against Galway and their kick-out malfunctioned against Armagh. 

They were more workmanlike than anything in edging by Westmeath, but they got the job done in the end and that was all that mattered. 

If Conor Glass can recapture his early season form, and Shane McGuinan is utilised properly, Derry have a real chance here. Mayo are much too short. 

Louth v Cork

3pm Sunday - GAAGO

It has been a superb season for Louth, who have already exceeded expectations, but this could be the end of the road for the Wee County. 

Cork are the only side to have beaten Donegal this year and they have enough ammunition up front to take care of Louth. The Rebels are dangerous and should comfortably defy a two-point handicap. No side will want to meet them in the last eight either, should they get there. 

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