Last weekend was a relief for your writer - after last minute goals and close calls had gone against us for a few weeks in a row, yours truly was beginning to look nervously at passers by in case they might have been disgruntled punters waiting to pounce. Even little old ladies were treated with caution because even the nicest people around don't like losing money, and a quick swipe of a handbag can bring a man down to earth pretty quickly. But Antrim, Monaghan and Mayo all obliged for us last week, so hopefully column readers will have a few more shillings to play with and will be keen to compound their local Ladbrokes' misery with a few more carefully chosen selections. "Careful" is definitely the watchword this week, because the fixtures are such that they could very easily lure in casual observers who believe that games tend to go the way of teams that have more to play for. Certainly fixtures like Galway versus Down and Tyrone versus Mayo will see punters queuing up to back the home sides as they entertain visitors with nothing to gain from getting a result. These games are generally to be avoided like the plague - bookmakers know this just as much as you, and will have factored this into the price, while it's amazing how different teams can react to these circumstances. Anyone still convinced that these sides are bankers need only look at last Sunday's clash in Walsh Park between Waterford and Offaly, where a full strength Waterford needed the win to clinch an automatic semi final slot, while the visitors had nothing to play for and were guaranteed to be involved in a relegation playoff either way. Waterford went off at a prohibitively short 1/7 and got beaten by an Offaly team who played with great freedom and abandon, scoring 3-15. With that in mind, we recommend the Dubs this week in the winner-takes-all game against Kerry at even money. Dublin's away form has been ropey for many years now, but in Parnell Park they are very solid. Frontliners Ciarán Whelan, Jason Sherlock and Shane Ryan have all been re-introduced into the lineup and but for Conal Keaney's red card last week they would be coming into this game on the back of two great results. Kerry haven't played to form once so far in this league campaign (if you had backed them to cover Ladbrokes' handicap in every game so far you'd have lost all six bets) and unless they improve Dublin hold the upper hand. To multiple backers, we suggest adding in Armagh to beat Westmeath (football) and Galway to beat Wexford (hurling) at 2/7 and 1/5 respectively. Those odds might sound prohibitive, but the treble will pay out over 2/1 and both of these teams are a class above their opponents and should prove it this weekend. The weakness of the Armagh attack and the stubborn-ness of Wexford means that neither side will win with much to spare, but it's too much of a stretch to imagine either team not actually winning, thus leaving the Dubs as the key to trebling our money. TO PLACE YOUR BETS, CLICK HERE NOW LADBROKES Tweet

Most Read Stories