GAA Betting: What Are The National Football League Odds?

The 92nd staging of the National Football League concludes this weekend, two months after its commencement.

What was emphasised once again is the competitiveness of the four divisions and only Derry emerged unscathed from seven rounds, so it’s worth having a perusal of the betting sites to see if there is any value to be found.

League finishing positions determining participation in the Sam Maguire and Tailteann Cups in 2023 did add to the intrigue. 

It all means that Meath folk are biting their fingernails, having finished sixth in Division 2. 

But that’s for the future and this is finals’ weekend – two on Saturday, two on Sunday. 

Having been focusing on the outright market until now, it is time to turn to the results odds, with the possibility of a draw at the end of regulation time an added risk but giving you better prices if you fancy one team especially. 

As we look at the betting apps, there is an obvious trend with my selections.

11th Hour Division 1 Flip-Flop

For the first time in a few weeks, Mayo are not favoured to win Division 1 honours. 

They have been impressive in finishing top of the table, particularly as they are down Oisín Mullin and Lee Keegan from last year. Kevin McStay is getting real returns from Aidan O’Shea by placing him on the edge of the square. 

Jordan Flynn and Bob Tuohy are two younger guns standing out, Ryan O’Donoghue has sparkled after missing last year through injury, while Diarmuid O’Connor and Paddy Durcan are being eased back into the fray after their absences.

Perhaps their loss to Monaghan last week is a factor in them now being available at 6/5 with 10Bet but they were through and the Farneymen were fighting for their lives.

Another factor is that they begin their Championship on Sunday week against Roscommon and while provincial progress has little impact on anything other than seeding when it comes to the All-Ireland, it’s a game that has to be played. 

And then there’s Galway, who are Evens in the betting. They are going well and getting better with Shane Walsh back in the fold and Rob Finnerty has recovered from injury too. 

They haven’t always been convincing but winning games ugly isn’t a bad habit to have at all.

What’s more, Pádraic Joyce’s mob have a longer break after this, having been given a bye to the Connacht semi-final – where they play the winner of Mayo and Roscommon! 

It’s just too much to try determining what they’ll be doing here given they have another potential meeting not too far down the road, so I’m going to look at this as a straight out game that both teams want to win.

A draw is by no means out of the question at 15/2, though that is the last thing Mayo will want.

Derry Price Just Too Tasty

All along, the bookies have been placing Dublin at the top of the market for Division 2, so it’s no surprise that they are 8/13 with William Hill to win this game and you won’t get better anywhere else.

Of course, Stephen Cluxton’s return has been a big talking point though it’s hard to see him being involved on Sunday. 

I have been of the view throughout that the workmanlike Dubs were not the likeliest winners of this title.

That is not because Dessie Farrell’s man aren’t good. They are very good and will be contenders for the All-Ireland with Jack McCaffrey showing he retains his lightning speed and Paul Mannion making his first appearance last weekend against Louth. 

But Sam is their absolute priority and it has shown, particularly in attack.

Derry, in contrast, looked very smooth in the main. They are the Ulster champions and looking at going further than the All-Ireland semi-final they reached last year. 

They only beat Dublin with the last kick in the group phase and that was on home turf. 

This time, the Blues will be on familiar territory in Croke Park and are unlikely to face any significant tests until the group stages of the championship.

But Derry came from five points down at half-time at Celtic Park and Niall Toner and in particular, Shane McGuigan are operating at an elite level.

With Dublin’s attack still stuttering, the 7/4 on Derry to win with GAA betting sites looks very nice to me. Again, 8/1 on the draw might be worth an investment.

Can Breffni County Regain Winning Thread?

Cavan have been favourites for this from early on and remain so, but they go into the final having lost their last two games while Fermanagh (the Houdini merchants of Division 3) have built real momentum on the back of two early games won with last-gasp goals.

On paper, Cavan should have more firepower and certainly Paddy Lynch and Oisín Brady have been scoring well but their Ulster rivals are accustomed to being underdogs and have been known to upset the odds on more than one occasion. 

They emerged from Breffni Park with a two-point win last weekend, when their need was greater but Cavan were coming off the back of a shoddy effort against Antrim. 

With the mercurial Seán Quigley capable of anything, whether he starts or comes off the bench, I believe the 9/4 on Fermanagh to succeed from BoyleSports is worth playing.

It's certainly more enticing than the 8/15 about Cavan. Meanwhile, the draw is available at 8/1.

Sticking With Wicklow Now

With two rounds remaining, I advised that Wicklow represented the best value given the remaining fixtures. 

There has been a bit of luck to that though as it seemed like Oisín McConville’s men had blown it by only drawing in Wexford. Had Leitrim overcome Sligo in the final round, that would have proved costly, but the Yeats men edged that western battle by a point.

That, of course, pits McConville against his old Crossmaglen mucker Tony McEntee, and he does so as underdog.

Certainly, Sligo are the right favourites but a best price of 1/2 with Bet365 isn’t getting me jiggy, even though they were comfortable victors in Aughrim at the beginning of February. 

However, those results are indicative of the volatility of this division and in particular, the unreliability of early form compared to where teams stand now.

Sligo went on a good run, with Seán Carrabine and Niall Murphy driving them forward but Wicklow did likewise. 

They only had a point on the board from the first two ties but after accounting for London, they then defeated Laois and Leitrim and it was the former result that got them through as they finished on 10 points with the O’Moores.

Long-serving Dean Healy, Eoin Darcy and the highest-scoring goalie in the land, Mark Jackson are among those providing inspiration and once more, I feel that in tight games, the price for the outsider (5/2) is more enticing. 

Finally, like most of the other League finals, the draw can be found at 8/1 with betting apps.