Check out our Mayo v Galway prediction plus the betting odds as we preview this Sunday’s Division One league final between two local rivals.
Where? Croke Park, Dublin
TV Channel? TG4
The draw can be had at 7/1 which doesn’t look like a bad price considering these two teams played to a draw in the first round of this competition and were only separated by a point in their last Championship clash.
What do these odds tell us about the two teams? Well they tell us that the odds makers aren’t buying too much into the hype surrounding Mayo right now and that they think Galway, last year’s All-Ireland finalists are still a slightly better team.
Since their draws against Sunday’s opponents Galway in Castlebar and Armagh in the second round the westerners have been in imperious form.
Kerry travelled to McHale Park on a Saturday evening in February and were favoured to beat the home side but in the end The Kingdom were humiliated by the team they had beaten three times in 2022. The final scoreline read Mayo 2-14 1-10 Kerry although that margin of 7 points flattered Kerry which tells you just how much superior Mayo were.
That victory against the 2022 All-Ireland champions really ignited this Mayo side and they went about putting Tyrone to the sword in the next round with the help of four goals. More impressive performances against Roscommon and Donegal followed which saw Kevin McStay’s side book their place in the Division One league final for a second consecutive year.
Mayo have been the top scorers in Division 1 of this year’s league with 126 points put up over the course of their seven games, an average of 18 points per game. That tally is 13 points better than the next highest scoring team in the top division (Tyrone). They also have the best scoring differential with +24 points.
The Tribesmen would then be unable to beat another Connacht team as Roscommon went to Pearse Stadium and beat them by the narrowest of margins in round 2. However, since that loss to Roscommon this team have not lost a game in five outings in Division 1 with four wins and one draw over that time. The most impressive of those wins came against Monaghan when they won by six points on a scoreline of 1-13 to 0-10.
Going into round 7 of the league Padraic Joyce’s team still needed a win to ensure qualification to the Division 1 final against rivals Mayo. They were assigned the tough task of besting 2022 League and All-Ireland champions Kerry to book that final spot but they were able to do what they needed to.
In the end Galway beat The Kingdom by two points which sets up a fascinating clash between two teams that could meet in the Connacht Championship in two weeks time.
Galway have not been lighting up the scoreboards en route to their spot in this year’s league final having only put up 93 points over their seven rounds of league games. That total only averages out to 13.3 points per game which is the second worst in Division 2 with only relegated Donegal having scored less.
The 32-year-old has done untold work in the middle of the field for his county over the course of his career with his brilliant fetching, tackling and playmaking abilities. The concern in recent years as O’Shea has gotten older is his ability to track runners when playing in midfield. Many are of the opinion that he is more effective when playing the traditional full-forward role.
O’Shea has had some of the best years of his career when playing at full-forward and McStay during his time as an analyst on RTÉ’s The Sunday Game has persistently advocated that full-forward is his best position.
The Breaffy man’s performances since McStay has taken over the team look to have vindicated the Mayo manager’s opinions over the years and he is in a great position to cause havoc this Sunday against a Galway team that has really struggled against the high ball since last year.
Walsh was also a key player for the Tribesmen in their run to the 2022 All-Ireland final where they would ultimately come up short against a brilliant Kerry side.
The now Kilmacud clubman was often the star of the show for the westerners throughout that campaign and earned himself a nomination for the Footballer of the Year award and also put in a performance that many believed should have earned him the man of the match award in the All-Ireland final.
The prolific Galway forward will look to give all sorts of trouble to what is an inexperienced Mayo full-back line this Sunday and if he performs like we know he can then Galway will be hard beaten.
2022 Connacht Championship | Mayo 0-16 1-14 Galway
2021 Connacht Championship | Mayo 2-14 2-08 Galway
I think Mayo will have one eye on the Connacht Championship next week with a quarter-final clash against Roscommon being a massive game in their quest for an All-Ireland.
Galway on the other hand will have two weeks of rest before their Connacht semi-final against either Mayo or Roscommon so they can really just focus on this game and winning their first national honours since the 2001 All-Ireland.
Prediction: Mayo 1-13 1-15 Galway
Best Bet: Galway to win by 1-3 points @ 3/1
Click Below For All Our Mayo v Galway Betting Odds
*Prices subject to fluctuation
Mayo v Galway Match Info
When? 4.00pm, Sunday, April 2ndWhere? Croke Park, Dublin
TV Channel? TG4
Mayo v Galway Betting Odds
The betting going into this game makes for interesting reading. Galway have been installed as the very slight favourites at Evens. Mayo on the other hand, despite a stronger league campaign than the Tribesmen, go into this Division 1 league final as the 11/10 underdogs.The draw can be had at 7/1 which doesn’t look like a bad price considering these two teams played to a draw in the first round of this competition and were only separated by a point in their last Championship clash.
What do these odds tell us about the two teams? Well they tell us that the odds makers aren’t buying too much into the hype surrounding Mayo right now and that they think Galway, last year’s All-Ireland finalists are still a slightly better team.
Mayo v Galway Preview
Mayo’s Form
Mayo have been the form team in the country this spring following a fantastic league campaign. They showed promising signs in the first two rounds of the league but couldn’t quite put strong performances together for the full 70 minutes which saw the team draw their opening two games.Since their draws against Sunday’s opponents Galway in Castlebar and Armagh in the second round the westerners have been in imperious form.
Kerry travelled to McHale Park on a Saturday evening in February and were favoured to beat the home side but in the end The Kingdom were humiliated by the team they had beaten three times in 2022. The final scoreline read Mayo 2-14 1-10 Kerry although that margin of 7 points flattered Kerry which tells you just how much superior Mayo were.
That victory against the 2022 All-Ireland champions really ignited this Mayo side and they went about putting Tyrone to the sword in the next round with the help of four goals. More impressive performances against Roscommon and Donegal followed which saw Kevin McStay’s side book their place in the Division One league final for a second consecutive year.
Mayo have been the top scorers in Division 1 of this year’s league with 126 points put up over the course of their seven games, an average of 18 points per game. That tally is 13 points better than the next highest scoring team in the top division (Tyrone). They also have the best scoring differential with +24 points.
Galway’s Form
Galway started their league campaign, as mentioned earlier, against Mayo in Castlebar. They played most of the football in that game and were unlucky to not leave McHale Park with all two points after Ryan O’Donoghue’s late equaliser.The Tribesmen would then be unable to beat another Connacht team as Roscommon went to Pearse Stadium and beat them by the narrowest of margins in round 2. However, since that loss to Roscommon this team have not lost a game in five outings in Division 1 with four wins and one draw over that time. The most impressive of those wins came against Monaghan when they won by six points on a scoreline of 1-13 to 0-10.
Going into round 7 of the league Padraic Joyce’s team still needed a win to ensure qualification to the Division 1 final against rivals Mayo. They were assigned the tough task of besting 2022 League and All-Ireland champions Kerry to book that final spot but they were able to do what they needed to.
In the end Galway beat The Kingdom by two points which sets up a fascinating clash between two teams that could meet in the Connacht Championship in two weeks time.
Galway have not been lighting up the scoreboards en route to their spot in this year’s league final having only put up 93 points over their seven rounds of league games. That total only averages out to 13.3 points per game which is the second worst in Division 2 with only relegated Donegal having scored less.
Key Players To Watch
Aidan O’Shea
Aidan O’Shea has looked like a man transformed this year after the arrival of new manager Kevin McStay has seen the Breaffy man play his football from the full-forward line. O’Shea’s position in the Mayo team has been a much discussed topic around the county and country throughout his career.The 32-year-old has done untold work in the middle of the field for his county over the course of his career with his brilliant fetching, tackling and playmaking abilities. The concern in recent years as O’Shea has gotten older is his ability to track runners when playing in midfield. Many are of the opinion that he is more effective when playing the traditional full-forward role.
O’Shea has had some of the best years of his career when playing at full-forward and McStay during his time as an analyst on RTÉ’s The Sunday Game has persistently advocated that full-forward is his best position.
The Breaffy man’s performances since McStay has taken over the team look to have vindicated the Mayo manager’s opinions over the years and he is in a great position to cause havoc this Sunday against a Galway team that has really struggled against the high ball since last year.
Shane Walsh
There was a lot of controversy surrounding Shane Walsh last year after he completed a transfer to Dublin giant Kilmacud Crokes from his home club in Galway Kilkerrin-Clonberne. Walsh’s addition to Crokes ended up being a massive boost to the team as they went on to (controversially) win the 2023 All-Ireland Club Championship with the Galway man as a key player.Walsh was also a key player for the Tribesmen in their run to the 2022 All-Ireland final where they would ultimately come up short against a brilliant Kerry side.
The now Kilmacud clubman was often the star of the show for the westerners throughout that campaign and earned himself a nomination for the Footballer of the Year award and also put in a performance that many believed should have earned him the man of the match award in the All-Ireland final.
The prolific Galway forward will look to give all sorts of trouble to what is an inexperienced Mayo full-back line this Sunday and if he performs like we know he can then Galway will be hard beaten.
Mayo v Galway Head-To-Head Results
2023 National League | Mayo 1-11 2-08 Galway2022 Connacht Championship | Mayo 0-16 1-14 Galway
2021 Connacht Championship | Mayo 2-14 2-08 Galway
Mayo v Galway Prediction & Best Bet
This is a hard one to call as the betting odds suggest. These teams are so evenly matched as we have seen from their most recent meetings against each other plus there is an incredible level of familiarity between the two sets of players.I think Mayo will have one eye on the Connacht Championship next week with a quarter-final clash against Roscommon being a massive game in their quest for an All-Ireland.
Galway on the other hand will have two weeks of rest before their Connacht semi-final against either Mayo or Roscommon so they can really just focus on this game and winning their first national honours since the 2001 All-Ireland.
Prediction: Mayo 1-13 1-15 Galway
Best Bet: Galway to win by 1-3 points @ 3/1
Click Below For All Our Mayo v Galway Betting Odds
*Prices subject to fluctuation
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