Kerry vs Derry Preview
The National Football League begins this week with Kerry vs Derry. The two sides have produced some memorable matches over the years, including an All-Ireland semi-final six months ago. This time, the match will take place at Austin Stack Park on Saturday, January 27 at 5:30 pm. Derry is back in Division One of the NFL for the first time since 2015, and Kerry hopes to improve their fifth place last season.
Derry finished one point ahead of Dublin to secure promotion back to the top flight last campaign. After seven matches, the Oak Leafers were the only unbeaten side across the entire National Football League. Kerry had a season to forget, finishing one point above the relegation zone. While there is no way of knowing how this season of Gaelic Football will pan out, we are sure it will be a cracker.
Kerry vs Derry Head-To-Head and Key Stats
The two sides last met in the 2023 GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Championship semi-final. Kerry came out on top in July 2023 in a closely contested match. The score finished 1-17 to Kerry and 1-15 to Derry in front of a superb atmosphere at Croke Park. While only two points separated the clubs last time, Kerry’s undeniable quality helped prove the difference on game day.
Kerry got the first point of the match, but Derry got the first goal. They struck inside five minutes with a well-worked team goal finished by Gareth McKinless. McKinless went on a fantastic run, setting up Brendan Rogers for a goal attempt. A Kerry defender saved the shot on the line, but it fell kindly to McKinless, who finished neatly. Kerry responded with a goal of their own by Gavin White. White started and finished the move into an empty net thanks to some neat passing. The first half was electric, with David Clifford looking bright and points from both goalkeepers.
Watch the Full-Time Highlights of Kerry v Derry in the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Semi-Final here on #GAANOW pic.twitter.com/H02NS1nuzz
— The GAA (@officialgaa) July 16, 2023
At the break, Kerry trailed Derry 1-08 to 1-11. Kerry started the brighter in the second period, getting within one point before Derry responded. With 68 minutes played, the score was level 1-14 apiece. Substitute Stephen O’Brien changed the game, providing a decisive kick for the Green and Gold to take the lead in the match. Kerry settled the match in the 69th minute when Rodgers gave the ball away in the midfield. Clifford leapt at the chance and put the game to bed. It finished 1-17 to 1-15 in favour of Kerry.
Derry last played Donegal a week ago to claim the McKenna Cup. The highlight of the game came in the 52nd minute when both teams went down to 14 men. It all started with Brendan Rogers stamping on a Donegal player on the floor. The referee spotted it and rightly sent the dual player off, but that was not the end of the tiff. Donegal captain Patrick McBrearty took disciplinary action into his own hands and received a red card for starting another scuffle. Neither suspension will carry over into this week’s competition. Derry cruised for most of the match in a game that finished 0-12 to 0-6.
Kerry was unsuccessful in their last match against Cork in the McGrath Cup. The match went to penalties after the full-time score finished 1-14 to 1-14. In the penalty shootout, Kerry was lucky to get two on the board after squeezing the ball under goalkeeper Patrick Doyle. After that, Cork missed their next penalty, giving Kerry the advantage. Kerry squandered the chance, and Cork levelled it at 2-2. This time, Doyle made a wonderful save, and Cork took the lead. The Rebels won the shootout by scoring all their remaining penalties, resulting in a 4-3 scoreline.
Kerry might be the obvious choice in this fixture over the past few seasons, but the gap is closing between these clubs. Derry won their last match to claim the McKenna Cup. Whereas, Kerry lost to Cork in the McGrath Cup. If you are betting on Gaelic Football just by looking at the form, Derry could be an option many overlook.
Kerry vs Derry Predictions
Predicting the outcome of Gaelic football matches is never easy, and the first games are often the most difficult to get right. You can never be sure how the players have fared since their last competitive match. Some might be right at it, firing on all cylinders. Others might need a game or two before they are up to speed. However, it feels like there is only one outcome for the first match in group one of the NFL this season.
We predict Kerry will beat Derry on Saturday, January 27th. As impressive as Derry was last season, this Kerry side has great depth and quality, as we saw last July. The players Kerry brought on helped change the game. Plus, when you consider they have one of the best GAA footballers of all time, David Clifford, Derry always looked like the underdog on the day.
Unfortunately, Derry is still the underdogs this weekend at most bookies. Looking at the odds available at online sports betting sites, Kerry is the clear favourite with odds of 4/9. A €20 bet on the Green and Gold will only return €28.89 if they win the contest. Placing the same value wager for Derry has greater odds worth 9/4, yielding €65 if they can pull off a miracle.
Whenever you bet on GAA events, you can never rule out an underdog. Last season, Derry was fantastic in the NFL. They came on top of division two, winning six out of the seven games and drawing once. They had a fantastic point difference of +51 and only conceded 69 all season. Kerry only won three matches in the Allianz Football League Roinn one, including a first-round defeat to relegated side Donegal. That was Donegal’s only win of the season.
While we still think Kerry is the team to bet on, Derry could be good for a small wager this weekend. With much higher odds than most underdogs will see this season, a bet on the Oak Leafers could end up being a good move.
Kerry vs Derry Betting Tips
This season, Kerry is the bookies favourite to win the GAA Championship. If you were looking to bet on the NFL winner or even the Munster Championship, Kerry has the lowest odds across the board. Sport is never predictable, but it seems there is a growing consensus around Kerry this year. Betting against them for the opening Allianz Football League group match is probably not a wise move. Sure, the returns on Kerry winning this weekend aren’t great, but it’s the most likely event.
If you want to increase your potential returns on this match, you can investigate handicap betting. Placing a bet on Kerry at -2 means they need to win by two points or more. A €25 wager on Kerry has odds of 10/11, which returns €47.73 if they can defeat Derry by over two points. If you think it will be a close game, then a handicap bet on Derry is a great option. With odds of 11/10, you will double your stake if they can keep within the spread.
Since this could be your first bet of the season, it’s time to enjoy a welcome bonus. Most online betting platforms will give players free bets when they sign up. This match is a great candidate for a free bet, as you have two options. Play it safe and try turning a promotion into actual cash. Or you can place a risky bet to see if you can win big. Either way, if you lose, you do not risk your deposited funds.
GAA betting odds change on the fly, which is why you must be careful if you are considering live betting for this match. If Derry starts as brightly as they did last July, the odds for a result in Kerry’s favour will rise. Being too slow will see the odds swing back again. If you’re too fast, then you might end up betting on the wrong horse, so to speak. If no bet stands out in the sportsbook, just enjoy the game. We have an entire season to enjoy, so there is no pressure to bet this week.
