In this post, you can find our League of Ireland tips, odds plus a weekly acca as we look forward to the 3rd round of action.
The League of Ireland season is back! Last weekend continued in dramatic fashion with 11 goals, 22 yellow cards and most remarkably not a single home victory with 4 away wins and a draw with the “outsider” winning in each of the matches.
This season we will be continuing our domestic coverage previewing the weekly action along with a weekly acca for all readers to consider!
League of Ireland Matchday 3 Acca Selections
Derry City vs St Patrick’s Athletic - Draw + Under 3.5 Goals 16/5
Bohemians vs Dundalk – Draw 13/5
Sligo Rovers vs Shelbourne – Shelbourne Win + Under 2.5 Goals 15/4
Galway United vs Waterford - Draw 12/5
An accumulator with these selections pays at approximately 243/1 with BoyleSports
Derry City v St Patrick’s Athletic – Friday 7.45 pm, RTÉ2
Odds
Derry City @ 8/13
St Patrick’s Athletic @ 9/2
Draw @ 13/5
Preview
Derry City are unbeaten two games into the season following their opening night victory against Drogheda and their 0-0 draw against Sligo Rovers last Saturday. Derry has been the bridesmaid to Shamrock Rovers in two successive seasons and their major addition Hoban went from being on the scoresheet on the opening night to cutting an isolated figure against Sligo Rovers not having a single shot on goal. “Success” for Derry this season could come down to providing Hoban with appropriate service and with the likes of Duffy and Patching on the side they really should be expected to do so.
Plenty predicted St Patrick’s Athletic (including myself) to come close and challenge Shamrock Rovers for the Premier Division title this season and while that could prove to be the case their start to the season doesn’t inspire confidence. They opened it away to Galway in a low-quality affair; they earned a 0-1 victory before losing to Bohemians by the same scoreline last weekend. Pats finished 3 points behind Derry City last season and a surprise victory here could prove pivotal come the end of the season.
Prediction: Derry City 1-1 St Patrick’s Athletic
This is usually a competitive fixture with both sides having similar fortunes and expectations in recent years. From their last five games they’re level with 2 wins a piece and 1 draw taking place so all results are on the cards. If either side can win this it would be huge to their early season title aspirations, but I don’t think it’ll happen.
Best Bet: Draw + Under 3.5 Goals 16/5
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Bohemians v Dundalk – Friday 7.45 pm, LOI TV
Odds
Bohemians @ 5/6
Dundalk @ 3/1
Draw @ 13/5
Preview
Following a contentious off-season for Bohemians where the club seemingly struggled to recruit new players or at the very least proved to be “super selective” in their choices. This culminated in a Deadline Day where they brought in players who could prove brilliant Keith from the MLS, Matheson who scored against Man United when he was just 16 and Jevon Mills from Hull City. They’ve started the season well though with a draw in Dalymount against Sligo Rovers and a big victory in Richmond last weekend 0-1. Time will tell but with their late signings to come in they could be in a better place than some first expected.
Dundalk opened their Premier Division campaign with a relatively respectable showing against “The Champions” in Tallaght earning themselves a draw on opening night which was particularly promising given the amount of new players being bedded into the club. However, last Friday Night they were battered 0-2 at home against newly promoted Galway United which is concerning for their new season hopes. Dundalk are also bottom of the table based on the XG difference this season at -2.04.
Prediction: Bohemians 1-1 Dundalk
Bohemians have proven their doubters wrong so far this season, albeit they’ll know it’s very much early days considering what happened last season. Dundalk are blowing hot and cold, and their overall stats suggest cause for concern. I can see this game being a draw though with more to be learned about each side.
Best Bet: Draw 13/5
Click Below For Our LIVE League of Ireland Odds
Sligo Rovers v Shelbourne – Friday 7.45 pm, LOI TV
Odds
Sligo Rovers @ 19/10
Shelbourne @ 7/5
Draw @ 21/10
Preview
The Bit O’Red by all accounts have had a solid start to their Premier Division season following a 2-2 draw in Dalymount on the opening night of the season, which was followed by a 0-0 draw against Derry City last Saturday where arguably most impressively they prevented Patrick Hoban from having a single shot on goal. Their squad may be a little threadbare outside of the first 11 but the performances of Hutchinson, Power and the return of Mata and McGinty suggest they could be better positioned this season than they were last season.
Shelbourne drew 1-1 against Waterford at the RSC on the opening night despite the initial disappointment, which was followed by a brilliant 2-1 victory over Shamrock Rovers continuing their unbeaten start to the season. Duff has established this Shelbourne side as extremely tough to beat even when they’re not at their best but when on form they’re extremely strong, especially at home.
Prediction: Sligo Rovers 0-1 Shelbourne
Both sides have started the season unbeaten and well considering their diverging expectations for the seasons ahead. While Rovers are always solid at home, Shelbourne should be able to do enough in this game to win.
Best Bet: Shelbourne Win + Under 2.5 Goals 15/4
Click Below For Our Live League Of Ireland Odds
Galway United v Waterford – Saturday 7.45 pm, LOI TV
Odds
Galway United @ 16/5
Waterford @ 3/1
Draw @ 12/5
Preview
Galway United romped the First Division last season, coming 25 points ahead of runner-up Waterford, it was clear they were on a different level to everyone else in the division that season. However, the step up to the Premier Division was always going to prove difficult, but they started relatively well, losing 0-1 to St Patrick’s Athletic before battering Dundalk in Oriel Park 0-2 last Friday Night. How productive their season will prove to be will come in time but there will be an air of familiarity about their opponents this weekend.
Waterford managed by Keith Long were ridden off by this author at the beginning of the season based on them falling over the line for First Division promotion last season. However, to their credit they earned a credible 1-1 draw against Shelbourne on opening night before battering Drogheda 1-4 last Friday Night, the early signs of their season look to be shockingly good but it's early days yet.
Prediction: Galway United 1-1 Waterford
Galway won 3 of their 4 encounters last season with the other game being a draw to the aggregate score of 8-4 last season. However, Waterford have arguably recruited stronger so it’ll be interesting to see what the gap will be between both on Friday, but I’m expecting a draw.
Best Bet: Draw @ 12/5
Click Below For Our LIVE League of Ireland Odds
*Prices subject to fluctuation.
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