Basement battles getting underway
February 4th, 2012 by Kevin EganThe GAA might pride itself on being an all-inclusive organisation, but a quick look at the media coverage for national league games will tell you where their interests really lie. Expect full page spreads on the big battles in division one, plenty of coverage of Mickey Harte and Kieran McGeeney as they attempt to drag their respective teams out of division two, while everyone else fights for the scraps from the Masters’ table!
However here at Starbets, we’re nothing if not pragmatic. A 2/1 winner in a division four basement battle watched by five men, three maor uisce and a dog is just as good as a 2/1 winner at Croke Park or Páirc Uí Chaoimh, so here now is our preview for the first week of division 3 and division 4 action.
Antrim vs Sligo
These two counties have become joined at the hip in recent years and this will be their eighth meeting since 2006 in the league, meaning that they have met each other more often than any other pairing in that time. Whether it’s promotion or relegation, neither county likes to do anything without the other and as such it’s no surprise that the bookies are finding it hard to split them in advance of tonight’s battle at Casement Park. Boylesports make the home side their ever-so-slight favourites, while Hills give the most tentative of nods to the visitors from the North West, but every other layer is right on the fence, offering even money each of two. Initially we were inclined towards sharing the view held by Hills, but the news that David Kelly doesn’t start was enough for us to recant. The Tubbercurry forward has been in fantastic form for DCU so far this season and while we think that Sligo might be able to get a good result without him, unless you’re in Casement Park and you see his distinctive red hair bobbing into the corner for the throw in, this is a no bet game.
London vs Fermanagh
The odds of 1/7 and 1/8 about a Fermanagh win might seem odd in the light of the most recent result between these two teams, but there is no contrast between the Fermanagh team of 2011 and the 2012 version under the tutelege of Peter Canavan. If there was a handicap bet to be had, we’d be suggesting that Fermanagh would cover, but there isn’t, so our hands remain in our pockets for this one too.
Clare vs Waterford
Not many football supporters from north of the Suir river will realise quite how talented the two O’Gorman brothers are, and how much of a blow their defection to the hurling panel is to John Kiely and his selectors. There still are some fine footballers in this Waterford team and they can certainly consider themselves unlucky to have made the drop last year after three of their five league defeats were by a goal or less, but Clare looked decent in preseason competition. Home advantage is worth a couple of points, while the availability of the Kilmurry-Ibrickane players is worth a few more.
Kilkenny vs Wicklow
Kilkenny’s forfeiture against Louth in the O’Byrne Cup could easily turn out to be their best result of the year. Wicklow to win by as much as they like, not that this is any use to us.
Leitrim vs Limerick
Limerick will feel very hard done by to be playing division four football and they now share with Roscommon the remarkable record of having reached an All Ireland quarter final one year only to play basement league football the year after. And no game more typifies division four than a trip to Páirc Séan MacDiarmada to play Leitrim. There is no glamour or glory to be had, but anything less than complete and total commitment will see you coming home empty handed. Limerick to win, but not without a fight.
Longford vs Offaly
The few bits of 8/11 about Longford that were floating around earlier in the week have disappeared a long time ago and now 4/7 is the best that can be had about a home win here. It’s easy to see why those prices were taken – Longford are much further on in their development while Offaly are going into battle without their standout player in Niall McNamee. Longford should win with a bit over a goal to spare.
Roscommon vs Tipperary
Tipperary bring a very strong, seasoned outfit up to Kiltoom for this fixture and against a Roscommon team shorn of their St Brigids players, they will be expected to come home with the points. However it may not turn out to be that simple against a Roscommon team with plenty of scoring still in their team. Logic dictates that the 11/8 from Hills about an away win is the way to go, but we’re going to stay on the fence in this one in terms of the result.
However these are two good goalscoring sides and neither is either team particularly convincing in the full back line. Ladbrokes are offering 3/1 about over 2.5 goals in this game and that’s a decent shout here.
Wexford vs Cavan
Our antepost tip for the division faces what should be their toughest fixture of the entire campaign when they travel to Wexford Park to take on the antepost favourites for this extremely competitive division. Here at Starbets we were all set to recommend Cavan as a live outsider for this fixture, but that was at a time when we expected them to be offered at something around 3/1. 2/1 doesn’t appeal nearly as much and instead the best play is to stick with Cavan on the outright market. Even if they lose here they still have a great chance, while a win will see their outright price slashed right into 7/2 or 4/1.
Division 3 and Division 4 recommendations
Clare vs Waterford: Clare @ 4/5 (Bet365, Boylesports, Powers, Hills)
Leitrim vs Limerick: Limerick to win by 1-3 pts @ 13/5 (Powers)
Longford vs Offaly: Longford -1 pt @ 10/11 (Bet365)
Roscommon vs Tipperary: Over 2.5 goals @ 3/1 (Ladbrokes)
Allianz Leagues get underway – Division 1 preview
February 3rd, 2012 by Kevin EganThe GAA may get a lot of things wrong, but they have mastered the art of starting the National Football League with a bang in recent years and tomorrow night’s double header featuring Kildare vs Tyrone and Dublin vs Kerry is a genuinely mouthwatering attraction, one that should attract a substantial crowd for what will be an incredible night of entertainment. We’ll have a look at Kildare vs Tyrone later today, but for now, let’s have a look at the All Ireland final rematch to kick off our previewing for the week.
Dublin vs Kerry
Last year’s All Ireland final was not unlike an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer for Dublin supporters, since so many demons were killed over the course of the match. They beat Kerry in an All Ireland final, they delivered a fantastic comeback when it looked like they were dead and buried and thus proved their mental fortitude, and above all they bridged the 16 year gap and ensured that the Sam Maguire Cup spent the winter in the nation’s capital city. Their priority for 2012 will of course be to retain that title and while any victory over Kerry is a good day’s work, much like the O’Byrne Cup semi final two weeks ago, this is a game that Dublin would like to win, but yet they have no real need of doing so. Bernard Brogan, Alan Brogan and Paul Flynn are among the significant absentees from the forward line, but Mossy Quinn has been in good form so far this year while Diarmuid Connolly is capable of scoring well, so that’s not really our concern.
Traditionally opposing Kerry in the first round of the league is a good policy to keep. They’ve often come out of the blocks slowly and usually bounce back in week two. That said, it’s never good to underestimate the intensity that a Kerryman can bring to a game if he feels in any way slighted. Last year was supposed to be Colm Cooper’s year to lift the Sam Maguire and while Dublin probably deserved their narrow win in the final, Kerry can certainly feel a little aggrieved with a few marginal decisions that went against them, none more so than the free that was awarded and converted by Stephen Cluxton to win the game. Dublin are a long way off full fitness yet and even without the Dr Crokes players, Kerry look like the more motivated side here.
Down vs Donegal
Last year Donegal hit the ground running, this year so far they’ve been very flat and the general consensus appears to be that a home win is the most likely outcome here. This column is not so sure about that. Derry shut down the highly rated Down attack in the McKenna Cup semi-final and thoughDonegal are missing a few very important players for this game – in the absence of Colm McFadden, Michael Murphy and Mark McHugh, one wonders where their scores will come from – this is a game where both managers will be drawing heavily on their reserves. In that context, the team with the best system, where panel players can slot in and do a job, may have the advantage and that suggests Donegal can be competitive in what could be one of the lowest scoring matches of the weekend. The match odds seem correct, so we’ll side with a shutout here.
Laois vs Mayo
Laois outdid themselves to secure promotion to division one last year, but one wonders if it will seem like a pyrrhic victory after a tough campaign in the top flight this Spring. Games away to Donegal, Kerry and Cork look like lost causes before the start, so they will have to look at taking at least five if not six points from their four home fixtures to have any chance of staying up. Mayo have been moving well so far this Spring and even though Laois tend to go well under lights at O’Moore Park, we suspect an arduous league campaign starts tomorrow night for Justin McNulty’s men.
Armagh vs Cork
Ladbrokes posted up 1/2 about a Cork win earlier this week and they were quickly brought back into line by the weight of money, while even the 2/5 that was generally available is starting to move now, as the punters line up to take on a home side shorn of their Crossmaglen Rangers contingent. Armagh have sometimes surprised us in the past with strong performances at home, but two debutant corner forwards either side of a full forward who is more known for his workrate than his finishing does not suggest that they will score freely this weekend. Now look at the Cork team – arguably stronger than the side that lined out in their last championship match, due to players returning from injury. Taking a global view, it seems wrong not to recommend a single home team to win in a full round of games, but despite an inspecific sense of uneasiness about doing so, logic forces us to back Cork to cover the spread here.
Division One Recommendations
Dublin vs Kerry: Kerry @ 11/10 (Boylesports, Ladbrokes, Bet365)
Down vs Donegal: No Goalscorer @ 10/3 (Ladbrokes)
Laois vs Mayo: Mayo -3pts @ 23/10 (Powers – alternative handicap)
Armagh vs Cork: Cork -3pts @ 11/10 (William Hill)
Morning All…
January 16th, 2012 by EditorNot a bad weekend from the StarBets.ie team with winners at Punchestown, Kempton and the NFL playoffs keeping the wolves at the door. On the site today, the hottest tips from today’s cards at Plumpton and Wolverhampton with 3-1 shot One Way or Another flagged to get the week off to a great start.
We’ll keep an eye on the value to be had as Premier League leaders Manchester City take on bottom feeders Wigan in the televised clash as the DW stadium tonight. Of Irish interest here is Conor Sammon who is around 11/1 to be first goalscorer but it’s hard to see a shock in store for Roberto Mancini’s men.
Michael Hughes believed Roger Federer, at 4/1, looked a good price to claim the spoils of the Australian Open. Both the Swiss legend and Spain’s Rafael Nadal gained easy passage to the second round with comfortable first round victories. It can only get interesting.
Kevin Egan reviews all the provincial GAA action for you and sees if his weekend selections returned a few quid.
If there’s anything the StarBets.ie team can do you for you or if you need a steer on a race, game or event drop us a line @irishstarbets on the Twitter machine or leave a message on the site. You’ll also find us on Facebook!
Rodgers Green Bay march on
November 24th, 2011 by Marcas BrennanWhen it comes to playing in a dome there is none better than Aaron Rodgers. Manning, Brady and Brees are all in the elite of QB’s, but it’s only when he takes to the indoors when you really become to appreciate the class of Rodgers.
Few will forget his dismantling of the Atlanta Falcons in the playoff last year and the previous season it was the Arizona Cardinals that was tore to shreds in a dome.
This Detroit Lions is a good team, but they are a season away from really competing for the Super Bowl. This will be close but the Packers should have enough in a high scoring affair.
I really don’t know what to make of both the Cowboys and the Dolphins at the moment. The Dolphins for me are in excellent shape of late but question marks remain in my opinion of the validity of their recent run. Meanwhile, I’ve a lot of time for the personal in Dallas; it’s just a team I really cannot trust with my hard earned cash. A small bet on a 7-12 point win for the Cowboys could be the way to play.
Finally, San Francisco and the Baltimpre Ravens is a toss of a coin in reality. However, the value lies in the visitors at 6/4. Their defence is the best in the league at the moment, which means it will come down to the arm of Joe Flacco, something I hate seeing with the game on the line.
A tasty treble on the above teams works out at 7/2 and is worth seizing.
NFL Tips
Green Bay Packers -6 @ 10/11
Dallas Cowboys winning margin 7-12 points @ 7/2
San Francisco 49ers @ 6/4
Green Bay, Dallas & San Francisco treble @ 7/2
NFL Week 10 Tips
November 13th, 2011 by Marcas BrennanA quick glance at the handicap spreads is all one needs to know about tonight’s round of matches. With less than a touchdown separating all bar two of the matches we should be in for some nail biting encounters.
One team that will cover the spread with ease is the Baltimore Ravens. John Harbaugh’s men should be brimming with enthusiasm and confidence after last week’s win against the Pittsburgh Steelers and the pass rush of the Seahawks will feel like a gentle whisper in the ear of Joe Flacco compared to the torrent of abuse suffered in steel town.
Baltimore is better on both sides of the ball and the only thing in Seattle’s favour is a raucous home crowd. However, that shouldn’t deter the likes of Flacco, Ed Reed and Ray Rice from hitting the ground running and sprinting to an easy win.
The Buffalo Bills being manhandled last week by the Jets has saw a lot of pundits jumping on the ‘same old Bills’ bandwagon, but that loss is more to do with the Jets playing a team at their peak rather than the Bills losing their swagger. I expect that swagger to return against an inconsistent Dallas outfit. Yes they have a run game and a smashing defence but they have struggled to put games away of late and Sunday’s game should be a close one.
If I was to pick a Super Bowl winner at the moment (apart from Green Bay) it would be the New Orleans Saints. Apart from a stumble here or there they have really impressed me to date, especially on offence where Drew Brees is on course for a record breaking season. This week will test their credentials in Atlanta against a team that is in superb form.
Should the Saints pull through it should be by the minimum of margins.
A number of player bets catch the eye. AJ Green has been a star in his first season and looks the real deal to be honest, especially when it comes to hauling in Touchdown passes. This week however he will be up against Ike Taylor of the Steelers who is having an excellent season at corner. I expect Taylor to rough him up and play some tight coverage on Sunday, limiting Green’s influence on proceedings and his receiving yards.
Two other bets that should be snapped up is Matt Schaub having an excellent outing in Tampa Bay and Reggie Wayne scoring a touchdown against the Jaguars. Wayne has only caught one TD to date but class is permanent and the 9/5 is somewhat big for the wide reciever.
Recommendations:
Baltimore Ravens -6.5 @ 10/11
Buffalo Bills +6 @ 5/6
New Orleans Saints wining margin 1-6 points @ 11/4
Reggie Wayne to score a touchdown @ 9/5
AJ Green under 65.5 receiving yards @ 5/6
Matt Schaub over 235.5 passing yards @ 5/6
NFL passing game in full flight
September 18th, 2011 by Marcas BrennanAs air raids go, week one of the NFL season was right up there with the London blitz. Few enthusiasts can complain as the passing game looks in full flight, in what truly is a quarterback driven league right now.
Tom Brady passed for 517 yards, Cam Newton for 422, Drew Brees for 419 and Chad Henne, yes Chad Henne, passed for an amazing 412 yards.
The architect of any team’s downfall at the moment is the QB. Whether it’s Brady or Aaron Rodgers cultivating a side’s success or Tony Romo and Donovan McNabb carving their own team’s downfall, the winning or losing is in the hands of the gunslinger.
Atop of that list of quarterbacks lies the outstanding Rodgers. The defending champions were impressive in their opening win against the New Orleans Saints with their passing game once again the highlight. Rodgers had the best receiving corp in the league in 2010, yet the 2011 group is an improvement on that group. Randell Cobb looks a good addition while Jermichael Finley is a beast with the potential to be uncontainable in games.
The loss of John Beason will leave a gaping hole for the tight end to exploit on Sunday when the Packers visit the Panthers. There has been quite a reaction to Cam Newton’s performance under centre and who can blame them. But let’s be honest the Cardinals defence and the Packers defence are not in the same vicinity when it comes to talent, pace and blitzing.
The 10/11 on offer for the Green Bay Packers -9 looks a solid bet for the weekend with Newton being officially welcomed to the NFL by Clay Matthews and co.
Despite being the chief villain in the Dallas Cowboys pantomime of 2011, Tony Romo actually displayed flashes of brilliance against the Jets. Cut out the horrible decision making and I actually believe Romo has the potential to be a top-class QB.
He will of course have his horror shows, as witnessed on Sunday night, but he does have the ability to light it up and that’s what I expect when the Cowboys travel to San Francisco this weekend. The 49ers beat the Seahawks due to their special teams, nothing to disregard too easily I know, but they still lack the firepower on offense.
The Cowboys defence is a different proposition under the tutelage of Rob Ryan and their high-tempo blitz scheme could cause Alex Smith problems. The Cowboys offense is under rated by many and they moved the ball on numerous occasions against the Jets, I expect them to do the same on Sunday night and they represent a terrific bet at 5/6 to cover the -3 handicap.
One team that will play tough football all year is the Oakland Raiders. They finally looked to have stumbled upon a formula that should yield some success during the year, an excellent run game combined with a vicious defence. These two combined will make them very hard to beat and should stand them in good stead when they make the long trek to Buffalo on Sunday night.
Buffalo caused the shock of the opening round with a terrific victory in Kansas City and while I like the play of Ryan Fitzpatrick, I think they flattered to deceive somewhat. Their offensive line will be tested on Sunday with the likes of Richard Seymour and Rolando McLain set to wreak havoc.
Take the Raiders to prevail in a close contest with +3 at 20/21 looking a smashing bet.
Having tipped three teams on their travels, it’s about time we focused on a home side and where better to start than the Super Dome and a pumped up Saints crowd.
New Orleans let us down in the opening week but there was a lot to like about their performance. They showed they can match it with the best, Drew Brees is still Drew Brees and Darren Sproles looks a perfect player for Sean Payton’s offense.
A stat that may worry some is the Bears have won their last four games against the Saints. Jay Cutler perfected the screen pass against the Falcons and Jonathan Vilma will need to be at his best from middle linebacker position to counteract his link with Matt Forte.
I expect the Saints to spread the field early and come out with multiple receiver sets. One anticipates the pass will be used to set up the run, particularly with the Chicago defence a tough side to run the ball against.
The extra three days preparation will help the Saints and they are good enough to cover the -6.5 spread at 10/11. Ladbrokes offer a six point teaser on every game and the standout bet this week is a double involving the Pittsburgh Steelers and NY Jets. Both teams will be on home turf against teams that look way short of the best in the league. Without doubt, this is the bet of the weekend.
Tips:
- Green Bay Packers -9 @ 10/11
- Dallas Cowboys -3 @ 5/6
- Oakland Raiders +3 @ 20/21
- New Orleans Saints -6.5 @ 10/11
- Pittsburgh Steelers -8 & NY Jets -2.5 double @ 9/10
Sunday’s GAA Tips
March 13th, 2011 by Marcas BrennanThose of you seeking a swelled betting budget for Cheltenham should look no further as a bumper day of both hurling and football takes place on Sunday.
In Division One of the NFL, Kerry look a good bet to cover the -5 spread at 10/11. Galway have been awful to date and their defence looks there for the taking, particularly if the ‘Gooch’ and Kieran Donaghy find form.
Mayo remain a strong outfit on their home patch and it’s always tough taking them on in Castlebar. Armagh have been competitive in all their outings, yet lacked the killer touch needed in the final quarter of each game.
This will be close but Mayo should have too much to spare and back them to win by 1-3 points at 11/4 and 4-6 points at 7/2.
Dublin will take to the road for the second time in the league and should keep their 100% record when taking on Monaghan. To be honest, Monaghan have surprised me to date and have competed superbly in every game, including the long trip to Cork.
However, Dublin are the bet at 8/15 and for some value take the 10/1 on offer for Diarmuid Connelly scoring the first goal of the match.
There could be goals galore in Navan today and grab the 3/1 on offer for over 2.5 goals between Meath and Donegal. Especially when you consider Michael Murphy and Joe Sheridan occupy the full-forward spots for their respective teams.
Derry will be keen to return to winning ways in the league and the 8/11 on offer represents decent value away to Sligo. Meanwhile, the game of the day takes place in Newbridge between Kildare and Laois, with all the signs pointing to a tight encounter. 15/2 on offer for a draw looks the best option here.
Looking down the leagues Wicklow jumps out at 4/5 at home to Longford, as does the 1/2 about Louth continuing their 100% record at home to Offaly. Finally on the football front Fermanagh look a wee bit overpriced at 7/4 away to Roscommon. This should be close and at those odds you should get a good run for your money.
In hurling only a few tips this week catch my eye. Cork have been excellent so far this campaign and I would be surprised if they don’t keep that run going against Waterford at odds of 4/5, which represents terrific value.
Kilkenny travel to Galway and the best you can get on the Cats is a price around 1/2 or 4/7. However if you combine Tipperary and Limerick (two walkovers) in a treble, you will get a price of around 4/5.
Midweek U21 points the way
February 24th, 2011 by Kevin EganAs any odds compiler will tell you, one of the most difficult games to price up is the match where highly relevant information is going to become available in the future but isn’t to hand just yet. The perfect example is pricing up a weekend sporting event on Monday or Tuesday when that team will be in action on Wednesday or Thursday night.
That was exactly the situation that GAA compilers found themselves in this week, having to issue odds on weekend matches before midweek under 21 games.
In some cases, the results might not seem hugely relevant in that the number of players crossing over could be very few, however that discounts the value of feelgood factor in many counties, particularly when under 21 and senior panels train together as is the case in Westmeath.
Ladbrokes appear to be a lot more on the ball than most bookmakers in this regard and they are best priced at even money about Tipperary, however even so Westmeath should be able to use the renewed enthusiasm in their camp and break their run of sixteen league games without a win.
Neither Wexford nor Louth are heavily dependent on young talent, indeed the Wee and the Wex counties generally vie for the honour of the oldest intercounty football squads on the go. However the comprehensive nature of Wexford’s dismantling of Louth and under 21 level last night, combined with the feelgood factor from securing the only away win so far in this division, means that the offer of 8/11 about a Wexford home win looks like it should definitely pay out this week.
Louth continue to be over-rated generally due to their Leinster Final story last year but they are a division three county who tend to be at their best early in the year – with every passing week they will come back to meet the pack and that process could start this weekend.
Wicklow had a seemingly very strong group of under 21 footballers but they came a cropper against Carlow and now the seniors must face a tricky away trip to Fermanagh this weekend. Again, there isn’t a huge amount of crossover between the seniors and under 21 players in the Garden county, but with both sides having dropped points so far and Roscommon and Longford moving well, the loser of this tie could find themselves in huge trouble at this early stage of the season. At 8/13, Fermanagh look like a solid bet to compound Wicklow’s misery.
With much greater depth in their squads, Meath and Dublin should feel less of an effect, however Meath’s atrocious record away from Páirc Tailteann is reason enough to steer clear of them for their trip to Casement Park, while eighty minutes of football won’t help the cause of players like Shane Gillespie or Paddy Gilsenan, particularly as the match takes place only three days later instead of four.
Tyrone backlash possibly looming
February 24th, 2011 by Kevin EganThe jokes about Mayo footballers getting set to wear blue shirts for the remainder of the 2011 season are currently doing the rounds at pace and if you haven’t heard it yet, rest assured it’s coming soon in text message format to a mobile phone near you.
However whether it’s royal blue or the more traditional green above the red that runs out of the tunnel in Tuam Stadium tomorrow, the money is likely to follow a Mayo win in the first big Connacht derby of the year. Galway vs Mayo in the stadium is a fixture dripping with historical resonance and while this writer might be only a stone’s throw away from Pearse Stadium here in Knocknacarra, it still would take a lot away from this fixture to see it played in the city, amidst a sea of relatively disinterested houses.
Mayo are 8/11 favourites with Ladbrokes for this tie and the formlines clearly indicate that this is a logical enough position. But for a fluke long range goal from Martin Clarke and a very dubious penalty decision last weekend, James Horan’s charges could be in a much better position in the league and despite their ever-growing list of injuries, one could argue that there have never been so many decent forwards available for selection in Mayo. Galway’s teamsheet is hugely underwhelming and a considerable amount of pressure rests on the shoulders of Seán Armstrong to carry a very weak looking attack. Paul Conroy and Eddie Hoare will be combative and competitive at midfield butdefensively, the Tribesmen look dishevelled also.
Nonetheless, this is not the type of game where the formbook always holds. Of course the cliché about form going out the window in local derbies is overdone, but with so much at stake here and a good partisan crowd in Tuam Stadium as opposed to a deathly quiet Pearse crowd, this game could get competitive yet. Tomás Ó’Flaharta is very close to the point where his position will be considered by the Galway county board and the importance of this fixture cannot be overstated.
Division one is full of big rivalries this weekend, with Kerry’s trip to Dublin also featuring strongly in the headlines. This game throws in in only seventy minutes and the money has been for the Dubs. They are now 4/5 favourites but with a strong Kerry team named and Bryan Sheehan there to win frees, this could yet be a good night for the Kingdom.
The battle tomorrow afternoon between Donegal and Kildare is a huge one in the context of who will gain promotion from division two and right now there seems to be a revolution underway in Donegal football. It’s too early to say that Jim McGuinness is set to bring back the glory days of twenty years ago, but he does seem to be getting his players working hard for him and a home win here will leave the Tír Chonaill men in a great position. Even money is very attractive here and while Kildare are a decent side who are moving well, this is a tough fixture at a time of year when their training schedule won’t be putting a huge amount of importance on the league.
Sligo’s battle with Tyrone is another tricky one to figure out, as a quick scan of the media this week would suggest that Tyrone are being written off entirely. They are underperforming and there is no question that senior players like Ryan McMenamin and Phillip Jordan have lost a step, however this is still the side that were 7/4 to win this league at the start of the year. Sligo are an admirable group of footballers with a wonderfully competitive spirit, but they don’t have the class of Tyrone and there is a real danger of a backlash here. Normally we would never advocate even money minus two on a handicap bet when there is 4/7 available about a straight match win, but I expect the Tyrone dressing room prematch to be a genuinely combustible atmosphere and this is one of the most intriguing games of the weekend. A third consecutive bad result for Tyrone and I think we are looking at the end of an era, but my gut feeling is they win in Markievicz Park, and they will win big. Take Ladbrokes handicap bet, but bear in mind that normally, given the choice between 4/7 straight or even money minus two in a football match, it’s 4/7 all day.
Who will win the Allianz Football League?
February 5th, 2011 by EditorIt promises to be an ultra-competitive Allianz League Division 1, so the question for GAA fans is…
