League of Ireland Betting Column
LOI TV Commentator & the host of League of Ireland Lowdown, Kieran Burke picks out the best bets of the week in the LOI.
St.Patrick’s Athletic v Bohemians, Fri, 7.45, LOI TV
Two Dublin rivals, both trying to keep in touch with league leaders and fellow Dubliners Shamrock Rovers, meet at Richmond Park on Friday night. St.Pat’s had hit the top prior to consecutive defeats to Dundalk and Rovers, but they bounced back with a convincing win in Drogheda.
Bohemians will be hoping for a recovery of their own after losses to the two Rovers, Sligo, and Shamrock Rovers. Those defeats saw the Gypsies winless run extend to six matches, but their second half showing in last week’s Dublin derby in Tallaght was encouraging.
Alan Reynolds side had over 20 shots and were also on the wrong end of a terrible penalty decision. Should Bohemians carry the same level of intensity into this latest all-Dublin clash, they may be rewarded with a change in fortunes.
St.Pat’s haven’t kept a clean sheet in any of their last five games, while Bohs have only secured one shutout in that same timeframe. A word of warning, the last three meetings between these two sides have all ended scoreless, but that trend should end on Friday.
BEST BET: BTTS (93/100) +1pt
Waterford FC v Galway United, Fri, 7.45, LOI TV
Personally, I’m surprised that we haven’t had some news out of the RSC this week. Last Saturday’s 2-0 defeat in Sligo saw a seven-point gap open up between the two relegation rivals with Waterford the only team across both divisions of the League of Ireland without a win this season.
Holding the unwanted record of being the team with the joint-worst attack and the worst defensive record in the league, it’s difficult to see where Waterford go from here. Jon Daly’s Blues look unorganised and easy to play against, and pressure is mounting on the former Dundalk boss as a result.
John Caulfield’s Galway are a stark contrast with the Tribesmen being an extremely well drilled and hard working outfit. Tipped for relegation by many before a ball was kicked, United have been one of the surprise packages of the season and currently sit sixth in the table.
With two wins from their last three games and three victories from their last five, I expect Galway to outwork Waterford and grind out another well-earned win.
BEST BET: Galway United (6/5) +1pt
Bray Wanderers v Cork City, Fri, 7.45, LOI TV
As expected, Cork City are cruising at the top of the First Division, and the Rebels should extend their unbeaten start to the season as they go up against an out of sorts Bray Wanderers. The Seagulls would have been flagged up as one of City’s potential challengers this year, having reached the promotion/relegation final last season, but a winless run of four matches, including back-to-back defeats has seen the Wicklow outfit drop out of the play-off places.
Cork City won the reverse fixture 1-0 in February thanks to a first-half strike from former Ireland forward Seani Maguire. The ex-Preston man is levels above any other player in this division and with Bray without a clean sheet in nine matches, Maguire will be licking his lips for the trip to the Carlisle Ground.
BEST BET: Cork City (7/10) +2pt
Treaty United v UCD AFC, Fri, 7.45, LOI TV
Bottom of the table Treaty United have a tough task in front of them if they are to lift themselves from the foot of the standings, with second-placed UCD the visitors to Limerick on Friday. The Students are looking good to be best of the rest behind Cork City with the College unbeaten in five games, winning three of those.
Treaty United’s only win of the season came last month against a depleted Athlone Town team. Since then, Treaty have lost twice, including a heavy 4-0 loss in Cobh, and have drawn with the two fellow bottom half strugglers in Longford Town and Kerry FC.
When you look at the Treaty United squad on paper, it’s perhaps no great shock to see them struggling this season. UCD have kept a hold of some of their best players from recent years such as Ciaran Behan and Mikey McCullagh and they should have too much quality for the hosts.
BEST BET: UCD AFC (6/5) +1pt
Longford Town v Kerry FC, Sat, 7.30, LOI TV
Kerry FC have not lived up to the billing this season with the Kingdom currently second from bottom and with only one win all season. Big name signings were brought in during the off-season with former Cork City manager Colin Healy having a full pre-season with his players having been appointed mid-season last year.
Predictions of a promotion push widely circulated among pundits and the media but defeat on Saturday would see the Kingdom cut adrift already from the play-off places.
There was less expectation attached to Longford this year, given the Midlander’s operate with one of the lowest budgets in the entire country, but Wayne Groves has made De Town competitive and hard to beat.
Longford only recorded six clean sheets in all of last season, but they’ve already put together five shutouts from 11 matches.
Scoring goals has been tough with just seven, the lowest return in the division, but Longford have been strong at home under Groves and will be eyeing up this fixture as a chance to claim three points and keep their own play-off hopes ticking over.
Kerry FC have never won in Longford (5L1D), and the hosts claimed a very credible point away to Cobh last week, while Kerry struggled to a point against bottom of the table Treaty United.
BEST BET: Longford Town (6/4) +1pt
Kieran’s League of Ireland ACCA
- BTTS Pats v Bohs
- Galway United
- Cork City
- UCD
- Odds: 11.03/1 (+1pt)
