Welcome to the BetPack Blog - BetPack - Your Local Bookmaker Online
GAA Blog (17)
The National Football League continues again this weekend with matches taking place on Saturday and Sunday.
Mayo V Dublin
Saturday night sees Dublin travel west to take on Mayo at Mc Hale Park in Castlebar. Mayo will be full of confidence after their six-point win over Laois in O’Moore Park, where the fit-again Conor Mortimer had to vie for the man-of-the-match award with Alan Freeman. Mortimer’s return after a full season out with a cruciate knee injury has been a major bonus for Horan and Mayo.
Dublin will be without Eamon Fennell for the trip west after his red card minutes after he came on in Croke Park, while Michael Fitzsimons is ruled out through injury and is replaced by Darren Daly. Dublin fans will be hoping that the Brogan brothers, Alan and
We've been starving most weeks with only Armagh v Derry last week and very few high profile battles so far in the championship year but it all explodes into life this weekend. I’ve picked the big 4 matches to preview:
19:00 Louth vs Meath
The Televised game on Saturday and Meath have been in purgatory since that "goal" in last season's Leinster final. They need to throw this game to Louth just to repent to our Lord for stealing that title off poor little Louth. Carlow's win for me was the biggest shock of the championship; Much more so than Leitrim beating Sligo i.e I backed Leitrim and I backedLouth. To lose to Carlow is like Andy Roddick getting caught out by Conor Niland and I wonder can they come back from it so soon. This hype and grudge factor has been overblown and the prices should be closer to Meath 2/7 and Louth 3/1. For that reason Meath have to be the bet and don't forget this match is in Breffni park not in Louth.
Bet: Meath 2/7
14:00 Mayo vs Galway
This may only be the semi final stage but both sides will be treating it like their cup final. Its highly unlikely either side will be challenging in September and in fact most sides from Down, Armagh, Meath, and the losers from Dublin-Kildare and Donegal-Tyrone will be more than happy to go through either of these sides in the qualifers. Mayo were abysmal against London and many believe that shock will have awaken the Westerners for their great rivals. Mayo won easily in the league campaign and have won the last two meetings in Castlebar in the championship but for the life of me I cannot get past a Galway win here. These matches are always notoriously close and the canny punter will side with either side winning the match by 1-3 points at around 10/11 but I'll be greedy and go straight in for the odds against Galway too.
John Mulholland have two employees playing for Galway in Paul Conroy and goalkeeper Adrian Faherty. We've piled the pressure on them by promising money back to all our customers if either Paul scores a goal or Adrian saves a Penalty. No pressure lads!
Bet: Galway 6/5
Winning margin to be by 1-3 points by either side 10/11
16:00 Dublin vs Kildare
Once the western battle is over, we turn our attention to Croke Park for Dublin v Kildare and I cannot wait for this one. Kildare have done it all so easy so far while Dublin have yet to catch light. Dublin's implosion against Cork in the league final will not escape my cranium. It would once again be no harm to Dublin if the lost here as a final against Wexford will not have them hitting the ground running in the 1/4 final stages. At the prices I can see Kildare winning against Dublin for the first time since 2000 in the championship and I'll look to back them in the handicap market just to play it safe.
Bet: Kildare+2 11/10
15:30 Donegal vs Tyrone
In 2007 Donegal was on a high; league champions, then then beat their bogey side Armagh in the first round. They came to meet Tyrone in a Ulster Semi final with serious hope of winning their first title since 1992 but came crashing back to earth with an 11 point hammering. Confidence once again is rising in the hills and the market has been backing Donegal throughout. Tyrone didn't pull away from Monaghan by any stretch but I don't buy this new Donegal puke football tag. Only Cork know how to blow Tyrone away and that's by having men over 6 foot running all over them from deep. Donegal have never been known for height and even with a nastier streak they'll struggle to overcome Mickey Harte's me especially if Michael Murphy loses the appeal.
Bet: Tyrone 4/7
Alan Mulholland's GAA Blog - Live RTE Betting All Weekend
Written by Liam Glynn
Leitrim vs Roscommon-Sunday 2:00
Leitrim's victory over Sligo shocked many but I knew Kevin Walsh was apprehensive before the match. Mickey Moran, another RTE shunner, has Leitrim playing well and their fitness appears higher than any season before. Their trainer,Oliver Cummings is the trainer for Paul McCloskey (the boxer) so baring a stop for cuts, expect Leitrim to motor to the final whistle. Roscommon, last season's surprise champions, overcame New York easily last month but I expect they will be slow out the gate but class will tell in the end.
Back a half time-full time result Leitrim to be leading at half time-Roscommon win at full time at 4/1
Cavan vs Donegal-Sunday 3:30
Donegal play one tough minded game in horrid weather against Aintrim and suddenly the whole world is calling them the ugliest team since Don Reeves' Leeds. I think it's a tad harsh and Donegal need to block out all the media and just play their way. Michael Murphy picked up a leg infection last week but has been passed fit to start while Rory Kavanagh and Michael Hegarty are also shaking off niggles. This test looks harder than the bookies odds suggest and Cavan, with home advantage and a hole host of debutantes from their U-21 Ulster champions team could be absolutely anything. Betting wise the most appealing bet would be Cavan in receipt of a 3 point start.
Cavan +3 at 6/5
Carlow vs Louth & Wexford vs Westmeath
Hard to see anything but a Louth win and will strike as the safest moneybuyer match of the weekend at 1/4 while Wexford hope to carry on the momentum of beating Offaly by seeing past Westmeath. I think the odds though look wrong on this occasion as Wexford will need to improve again from that match and Westmeath were excellent in Division 3 this season up to their loss to Louth.
Louth at 1/4
Westmeath at 6/4
Don't forget that betpack.com will have live in running match betting on all weekend GAA matches shown on RTE.
Alan Mulholland’s Gaa Blog
Fair play to the Ulster folk for coming out in numbers for Armagh v Down. It was a cracker of a match but I still believe it should have been used to open the whole championship as opposed to play second fiddle to the Champions League. Armagh are now 3/1 from 8/1 to win the Ulster championship and 25/1 from 40/1 for All Ireland glory.
Tyrone vs Monaghan Sunday at 3:30
Monaghan meet Tyrone is a repeat of last season’s Ulster final. Back then Monaghan were many people’s favourites that day but were routed by a superior Tyrone outfit. That defeat signalled the end of the Seamus McEaney era and with it some of the panel decided to give in to retirement and emigration. This Monaghan side will bear little resemblance to that side and it would be a manmouth task to go to Amagh and collect the win. Tyrone could start both Brian Dooher and Stephen O Neill so it’s hard to judge where they are at presently but Tyrone deserve to be 4/11 shots and it’s hard seeing an upset here.
Verdict: Tyrone 4/11
Meath vs Kildare Sunday 2:00
Seamus McEnaney' has moved down the road to take charge of Meath and caused great controversy with the call up of Graham Geraghty. Whether he still has the ability to do it at 38 and 3 years out of the game is not my biggest worry. The signal is out; the manager doesn’t believe in this squad and is trying to pull rabbits from a hat. I expect Kildare to destroy Meath and make them my bet of the week.
Verdict Nap: Kildare 8/13
Dublin vs Laois Sunday 2:00
Dublin play their first game since that horror collapse to Cork and it’s really anybody’s guess how they will perform. They could beat Laois out the gate or could start sluggish and nervous and Laois will be attractive on the handicap plus 5 points. I’d stay away altogether for now.
Verdict Nap: No Bet
Limerick vs Kerry Saturday 6:45
One team I will be backing on the handicap is Limerick +7 even with the loss of Stephen Lucey and of John Galvin. Expect Limerick to drop in high balls under a susceptible keeper and I can see Limerick nicking two goals here to beat the spread. Kerry will look to just get the job done and wait a ridiculous 4 weeks to the Munster final.
Verdict Nap: Limerick +7 10/11
Cork have a simple engagement to Waterford and Galway’s foray against Westmeath the hurling are pretty much rubber coated, Shock Proof
One match many assumed was shock proof was last week’s meeting between Mayo and London. I joked at the start of the season that Galway would beat Mayo in the Semi’s IF Mayo could get passed London. They didn’t deserve to and they will amount to little in the backdoor this season. Out to 33/1 and in truth should be double that.
Armagh V Down
It’s a pity this game is going ahead at 7.30pm on Saturday as even the most staunch GAA supporter will find it hard to avoid switching over to the Champions League final 15 minutes after the throw in. Down came a long way last year and history hasn’t been kind to ‘breakthrough’ teams in their 2nd season. Think of Silgo and Fermanagh in recent years.
Down come to Armagh as favourites for the first time since the early nineties but remember that no team other than Armagh or Tyrone have won the Anglo Celtic cup since 1998.
It seems like the we are headed for an upset here but my gut says that there is something in this Down team that wants to prove last year’s form was not a fluke. Ambrose Rogers fitness question mark is countered by James Lavery and Ronan Clarke’s absence from the Orchard County. Looking to league form, it’s hard to see Armagh pulling it off even in their home patch.
The GAA needs Down and Marty Clarke to play a prominent role in this year’s championship and I go for Down at 4/5.
For those wanting a little more value look to Wexford to draw confidence from a strong U21 performance this year to overcome Offaly.
Verdict: Down at 4/5
Double: Down 4/5 and Wexford 11/10
Here we go again. The GAA season, once again kicks off like a damp squib but before we know it the August bank holiday will be upon us and the real fun will begin. Which teams will still be standing by then and who can plan early summers?
Those to Avoid:
Kerry: The county has been badly hit by the recession / emigration, their golden team now gone I’ll be writing them off for another season.
Tyrone: If they make the final in September, every neutral would be cheering them on after what happened to poor Mickey Harte. The man has some character after his great loss and no doubt the players will run through walls for him but for now I just cannot see them being in the final shake up. They too have a squad that hasn't replaced the golden generation with winners quite just yet, however their strong minor team will emerge in the next few seasons but I'll swerve them for now.
Galway, Mayo & Limerick: Our own firm, John Mulholland Bookmaker is based in these three counties but we have not sen too much interest in any of them. In fact more were betting against the Galway side to obvious financial gain in the league. BetPack are best price on all three teams to win the championship at 40/1, 25/1 and 100/1 respectively. For those who don't understand betting that means if you were to put €10 on any of them to win, you'd lose a tenner.
Why so negative on Galway? Granted the U-21's have just secured their third All-Ireland in 10 years, St Jarlaths of Tuam just reached an All Ireland Colleges final and a host of new stars could emerge to add to the panel of Meehan, Armstrong and Hanley. However confidence must be low after relegation to Division 2 and they have shown too much mental frailty in recent years mostly when stepping out of Connacht. Maybe victory against Mayo on the 26th of June in Castlebar would raise the optimism, provided Mayo gets past London first!
Donegal, Sligo, Meath: Donegal confidence is high after their great season in Division 2. However confidence was high after their national league title in 2007 and they flopped badly. Manager McGuiness has instilled greater belief in the side and they have stopped the habit of hand passing along the 45 then losing possession but they have to go the long way round to win Ulster and an All Ireland 1/4 final would be a fair achievement.
Sligo: will fancy upsetting Galway and Mayo in Connacht again but they will not get near their first all Ireland. The standard in Connacht has dipped in recent years. Meath had a horrendous league campaign nearly getting relegated from Division 3. They won a tainted Leinster title last season and it seems to be still weighing heavily on their shoulders. Leinster will be between Kildare and Dublin.
Down: I backed them to win Ulster last season and backed them throughout the season. I love their style of football and they have men all over the park that can gain scores, they don't just rely and Coulter and Clarke. However after the highs of last season, I cannot see them going on back to back runs. A huge meeting against Armagh could see them in the back door before they have even awoken and 16/1 is just no value.
Derry: Bradley is out for the season and with a semi final against the winners of Armagh v Down, I cannot see them making July. Their league campaign has been less impressive from seasons past and perhaps they are trying to time their run better but in the hustle and bustle of Ulster that requires plenty of luck.
Those to consider:
Cork: They are the best side, have an average height of 8 foot and although they don't possess any Gooch in their forward ranks, can overrun any side in Ireland with sheer superior strength. I cannot see them outside the final again with another soft campaign in Munster ahead. I'd expect a better season than last now that their 20 years barren spell is over. Winning breeds confidence and while Dublin should have beaten them twice, the question must be asked: Will Dublin show the psychological scars Cork did for Kerry or Kerry did for Tyrone?
Dublin: I backed Dublin to win the league final against Cork and had the money already spent in my head only to watch in utter disbelief at their collapse. 8 points up, their last 20 minutes reminded me of Osama Bin Laden, All at sea. Perhaps that defeat will be a blessing in disguise as it defuses the hype machine but anything less that a final appearance would be an utter failure this season.
Armagh: My dark horses this season and at a tasty price, 33/1. Last season they were a disgrace against Mongahan but the young blood has now been integrated into the side and the ageing stars looks to have been replaced. No side other than Tyrone or Armagh has won Ulster since 1998 despite it being the hardest province but I can see the orchard men winning this despite the tough draw. Having said that if they do lose to Down that would not be the end of the world especially if they get a soft back door opener and gain momentum from there. This side are completely under the radar hence the price. They finally look ready to put down a challenge in the post Joe Kernan era.
Others to mention: Kildare are still on the up and can reach another 1/4 final and perhaps win Leinster while Monaghan will look to win Ulster for the first time since 1998 but it looks like a year to rebuild this season.
Verdict: Cork 5/2 v Dublin final with Cork to win again
Dublin v Cork Final special with Mulhollands 11/2
Munster: Cork 4/5
Leinster: Kildare 5/1
Connacht: Galway 15/8
Ulster: Armagh 8/1
Alan Mulholland.
All Ireland U21/U18 winning manager.
Ireland head into game two of the International Rules series off the back of a 47-40 defeat against Australia in Limerick last Saturday. It could have been a lot worse, however, as Australia dominated for long periods and only a number of late Irish scores, combined with an excellent goal from footballer of the year Bernard Brogan, left Ireland within touching distance of the Australians at the final whistle.
The professional status of the opposition meant Ireland were on the back foot for long periods of the match, Australia looking far more assured in possession and in their kick-passes to one another. The difference in physiques was also very evident with most of the Australian team looking taller and heavier than their Irish opponents.
Ireland, however, are still in with a chance and are priced at 5/2 to win the series. They'll need a strong start and will be hoping for a good turnout at Croke Park on Saturday evening. One wonders, however, if Australia can step up a gear and rack up a number of scores to keep Ireland at arms length.
Kickoff at Croke Park this Saturday is at 7pm
Some Thoughts on Ricky Ponting and Skippy
Written by Patrick D O"BrienFresh from kicking lumps out of eachother in this season's AFL Championship, the Aussies roll into town ahead of the 1st International Rules test between Ireland and Australia in Limerick this weekend. Now Australia is as famous for its glorious climate and Skippy the Kangaroo as it is for needlessly abbreviating words, a dreadful sense of humour and for a fondness for getting into fights. One thing they can, however, claim bragging rights over us Irish is their absolute hatred of all things "Pommie". Yes, Ireland and England has a long standing rivalry but we are trumped in our cross channel bickering by the lads down below. They simply detest the ground that English people walk on, and the fact that England currently holds the upper hand in their mutually agreed premium rivalry sport of choice - cricket - winds up our Aussie friends no end.
Enter the English. Your average English person has little idea where this level of abuse originates from, particularly where we are concerned. In their eyes, we're just the small-time, happy-go-lucky boys from across the pond who are good for a laugh and the odd stag weekend in Coppers. And that's where the English get confused; they're so busy engaging in a number of battles of their own - an extended post-war battle with the Germans, Napoleon certainly did little to improve Anglo-French relations, Scotland just fumes with all the hatred of Begby trying to play pool - that we Paddies are a very small drop in a very large Irish Sea.
So can we rely on the support of our newly found English friends in the International Rules? Probably, as with the Ashes beginning next month, all things Aussie are currently removed from the English palette. Enemy Number 1 Ricky Ponting will know all about that, having been involved in a furious battle in the last Ashes series over time-wasting, and it is also common knowledge that old Rick was heard cursing wildly at English cricketer Graeme Swann during one of the Tests.
Support we may not need, however, as we currently hold the International Rules title/trophy/whatever is awarded after victory on Australian soil last time out. The second test lands in Dublin next weekend and the scores will be averaged out to determine the winner. Be warned though if you're planning on heading to either of the games: in 2006 both Croke Park and Pearse Stadium, Galway were sell-outs. Although this time we'll have to make room for some of our English cousins who want to join the party.
Many of the sides still involved resumed training last February, or perhaps as soon as they got knocked out last year, and it's a long time to wait for the club player to get the chance to play
Enough has been written about this week's final for me to contribute any more about Down not having lost a final, doubts about Canty's fitness or Cork's apparently dubious form thus far. So, I'll get straight to it.....Cork will win. All year I have been hoping for them to stumble having layed them before the start and so Sunday gives us our final chance. Down have done well so far but in all reality
Twitter Updates
