Gaelic football predictions and GAA betting tips: Dublin worth a wager to get back on track

Best bets

Meath
2pts 3-1 Boylesports

Down -8
4pts evs general

Dublin
3pts 5-4 Boylesports

Cork -2
2pts 10-11 general

Cavan
2pts 100-30 Boylesports

Weekend Gaelic football predictions

Armagh v Meath

6pm Saturday

Armagh's win over Louth in the opening round of Division 2 last week was not very easy on the eye at all and they were lucky to escape unscathed. Despite that underwhelming display, Kieran McGeeney's side are no bigger than 2-5 to bank maximum points when Meath visit the Athletic Grounds. That seems way too short.

Armagh are missing a few of their most influential players, including the exceptional Ethan Rafferty, and Meath look overpriced at 3-1.

Royals boss Colm O'Rourke would have been bitterly disappointed by the way his troops started the campaign. A stalemate with Fermanagh doesn't bode well for the remainder of the season, but Fermanagh parked the bus there after building up a lead with the wind and this sort of an encounter should suit their style better.

Meath have a long way to go to be considered All-Ireland contenders, or even Leinster contenders for that matter, but 3-1 about them beating a depleted Armagh side in early February is worth snapping up.

Down v Limerick

6pm Saturday

After sauntering into a nine-point lead midway through the second half of their Division 3 opener with Wicklow, Down took their foot of the gas and ended up winning by only five, thwarting those who were on them to beat the handicap.

But any losses can be retrieved in round two as Down look a cracking bet to defy an eight-point handicap at home to Limerick. The best side in the division are taking on the worst, plus they have home advantage, so a comfortable winning margin should be well within their reach.

Mayo v Dublin

7.30pm Saturday, RTE2

Mayo kickstarted their defence of Division 1 with an unexpectedly wide-margin win over Galway, but the hosts were absolutely awful in that outing, as were conditions, so it would be foolish to read too much into it.

Kevin McStay's charges are odds-on to make it two from two when Dublin visit McHale Park, but the All-Ireland champions could spoil the party.

Dublin conceded some poor goals in their shock loss to Monaghan at Croke Park last weekend, but some of their transition play from defence to attack was really slick and 5-4 is just too big to resist in the hope Dessie Farrell will rectify those defensive frailties. He usually does.

Louth v Cork

1pm Sunday

The long journey to face Donegal for Jim McGuinness's first game back in charge was always going to be a tough one for Cork and they were readily disposed of, but they ought to outclass a poor Louth side and take care of a two-point handicap.

Cavan v Donegal

4pm Sunday

The layers have taken Donegal's runaway victory over Cork in round one at face value and not given Cavan the respect they deserved for their comfortable victory over Kildare. The Breffni boys have to be worth chancing at home as there isn't a great deal between the two sides.

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