*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change
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13:45 Sunday – Cavan v Sligo: Cavan (-5) & Thomas Galligan to score first
TV: Premier Sports 1
If you look at Cavan and their players, they’re a championship outfit and they’d have been very disappointed that their season was cut short. This can be a building block. I think a lot of teams would have questioned the Tailteann Cup and maybe have gone travelling or gone stateside now the J1’s are back. They seem to have kept all their players and they’re the inform team at the moment, putting up a big score again against Fermanagh.
Sligo have done unbelievably well, they overcame London and then won a penalty shootout against Leitrim but I just think this game is a step too far. Cavan would have looked at this and said ‘let’s be the first to win the Tailteann Cup’ and they’ll be really pushing for this. They could win by five or six points and cover the Cavan (-5) handicap easily.
If you’re looking for a first goalscorer, then Thomas Galligan is the in-form player in the Tailteann Cup. Sligo will probably look to limit the damage and play defensively but the Croke Park pitch has big dimensions, they’ll look to stay in the game as long as possible but I just think Cavan will ultimately win this.
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16:00 Sunday – Westmeath v Offaly: Westmeath to win, John Heslin to score first
TV: Premier Sports 1
This one could be tight. A lot will depend on who Westmeath will have in their lineup and whether Ray Connellan will be back and John Heslin who’s been one of their marquee forwards for the last 10 years.
For Offaly, they’ll be very disappointed with the league, they were shipping big scores and the Tailteann Cup seems to have really turned in their favour. They’ve had some good wins, a 15-point win over New York but they still rely on their big players like Niall McNamee, Jack Bryant and Anton Sullivan.
I think it’ll be a really tight game and a lot could come down to how defensively Offaly set-up. Westmeath have got some big players who can hurt them on the day and I think Croke Park will suit them, so I think Westmeath will just get over the line.
Offaly were poor in the league and there was a lot of talk about how they were set-up defensively. I think they’ll see this as the ideal building block. If they do beat Westmeath, anything goes in a final and they could win that game. I just think on the day Westmeath will be very hard to stop.
If you’re looking for a goal John Heslin should be top of the list. He’s been one of their go-to players the last couple of years and every game he seems to perform. Westmeath have been playing Championship teams and putting up big scores and their whole team as a unit are very strong.
Aidan O’Mahony’s tips
Sunday 1:45pm: Cavan v Sligo
Cavan (-5)
Thomas Galligan first goalscorer
Sunday 4pm: Westmeath v Offaly
Westmeath to win
John Heslin first goalscorer
*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change
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