Football Championship match predictions and betting tips: Armagh all set to end silverware drought

Best bets

Offaly -11
2pts 10-11 Paddy Power

Leitrim -9
2pts evs Paddy Power

Dublin under 27.5 points
4pts 5-6 Paddy Power

Armagh
4pts 6-4 Boylesports 

Armagh -4
2pts 5-1 Boylesports, Paddy Power 

Armagh -6
1pt 9-1 Paddy Power

Already advised (April 6)

Armagh to win Ulster Championship
3pts 11-4 general

Weekend Football Championship previews

Offaly v London

2pm Saturday

London conceded 5-21 at home to Galway, losing by 27 points, so confidence will be very low for their Tailteann Cup opener with Offaly who look decent value at 10-11 to defy an 11-point handicap. 

Leitrim v Waterford

6pm Saturday

Leitrim had 15 points to spare over Waterford in their league opener back in January and that game was played in Dungarvan.

Since then, Waterford have claimed a massive championship win over Tipperary but they were brought back to earth by Clare and Leitrim should take care of a pretty generous nine-point handicap. 

Dublin v Louth

1.45pm Sunday - RTE

Dublin have scored 3-19 (28 points) and 3-22 (31 points) in their two Leinster outings en route to yet another provincial final, but they have scored injury-time goals in both games to beef up their scoring totals and Louth are far more defensively assured than both Meath and Offaly so the All-Ireland champions will do well to exceed 27 points this time. 

Louth have yet to concede a goal in Leinster, and only coughed up an average of 0-14 in their two games. They kept a clean sheet against Armagh, Cork, Fermanagh and Kildare in the league too so don't expect the floodgates to open for Dublin. 

Ger Brennan has a well-drilled defensive set-up and Dublin will struggle to get anywhere near 27 points. Also of interest is under 2.5 Dublin goals, but there is no real juice in the price at a shade of odds-on. 

Armagh v Donegal

4pm Sunday - RTE

It is now or never for Armagh, but the advice is to invest in the now. Sixteen years have slid by since the Orchard County last won a provincial title, but they will never get a better chance to make up for lost time than in Sunday's Ulster final where odds of 6-4 look outstanding value to beat an overhyped Donegal side. 

The return of Jim McGuinness was always likely to inject new life into Donegal and a tactical masterclass, where Odhran Lynch's wandering was ruthlessly exposed, saw them shock league champions Derry in the Ulster quarter-final. They failed to scale those heights in crawling over the line against Tyrone last time, and don't deserve to be so short in the 70-minute market for the decider. 

You can point to the fact Donegal beat Armagh in the Division 2 league final but Rian O'Neill was only introduced after 49 minutes of that game. He is now fit, lean and keen and ready for 70 minutes. That is some difference. He is the most talented player either side has to offer. 

The Kieran McGeeney regime is now into its tenth year, whereas the new McGuinness era is in its first. Armagh simply have to deliver in 2024 and they are worth backing to do just that. 

O'Neill adds his scoring weight to an attack that is made up of a red-hot Rory Grugan, Stefan Campbell, Greg McCabe, Oisin Conaty, Andrew Murnin and Conor Turbitt. There should be enough talent among that bunch to beat a Donegal side without Michael Murphy, and lacking a real marquee player of O'Neill's ability. 

Armagh were beaten on penalty kicks by Derry in last year's Ulster final and scrambled over the line by a single point in this year's provincial semi-final. They have played far too many big games by being afraid to lose rather than throwing off the shackles and wanting to win. 

This is the perfect occasion for Armagh to have a go. Why not? An Ulster title is at stake, but there is still an All-Ireland series after it win, lose or draw. It could finally be the time for McGeeney's men to express themselves properly without fear. 

There is a big chance this could be cagey, and all the talk in the lead up to the Ulster final was about how low-scoring it is going to be and that a point or two will be all that separates the sides at the bitter end. I'm not so sure. 

This Armagh side has the potential to win an All-Ireland in 2024. Donegal don't and too much has been read into their Derry display.

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