Through Irish Eyes: Dundalk look set to crush their local rivals

With an extremely tight round of fixtures ahead in the League of Ireland Premier Division, this piece nearly contained a 116/1 accumulator of four games ending with honours even. 

But after a forgettable few days of international stalemates and very little goalmouth action, I figured the Irish needed a break from draws.

Instead, I’ve looked to find value in two of the more one-sided games.

Champions will show their class in local derby

The league’s main event this week is the Louth derby between last season’s champions Dundalk and newly-promoted Drogheda United.

I’m expecting this to be quite a spectacle given that this is the first time these two have played since the 2015 season that saw Drogheda relegated.

Sadly though, it won’t be much of a contest.

The gulf in class between these two teams shouldn’t be underestimated. The top two teams in the division, Cork and Derry, both stuck four goals past The Drogs, who are also on a four game losing streak.

Off the back of defeat to title rivals Cork, Dundalk will be keen to get back to winning ways and thrashing their local rivals will prove the perfect medicine.

Therefore, the 6/4 for Dundalk -2 is a great bet.

Rovers can return to form against Harps

Shamrock Rovers will be another team licking their wounds after last week’s defeat to fierce rivals St. Patrick’s Athletic.

Rovers dominated the first half but once again indiscipline set in. Sean Heaney’s two yellow cards in four minutes left them down to ten for the third time this season and left manager Stephen Bradley bemoaning his team’s sloppy mistakes.

You can rationalise the four defeats for Rovers so far. They’ve only lost to the previously mentioned top three and away in a derby game to St.Pats.

And at home to Finn Harps this weekend they will have no excuses and will have to keep their heads to beat a team who are unbeaten in four games.

Overachievement is a dangerous term to use six games into the season but with the doom and gloom in reports surrounding Finn Harps at the beginning of the season, you’d have been forgiven for thinking they’d lose every game 3-0.

Instead, the Harps are thriving as underdogs having picked up some valuable wins against other likely relegation battlers and currently sit two points above Rovers in the table.

I’d expect them to be resilient and tough to beat but injuries to some key players will make this a very difficult away trip.

Neither team has kept a clean sheet this season, so Shamrock Rovers to win & Both Teams to Score at 11/4 looks like excellent value.

League of Ireland Premier Division 

Week 7 Best Bets

Shamrock Rovers win & BTTS @ 11/4

Dundalk -2 @ 6/4

The double pays out at 8/1!

Enjoy the action.

Declan

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing