Laois vs Offaly Preview
With the conclusion of the Allianz Football League, the Gaelic football season is well and truly underway. Next up on the horizon is the Leinster Senior Football Championship, closely followed by the All-Ireland SFC. Laois vs Offaly is one of the most exciting games this weekend. The midlands derby is often a fiery contest, but can either team make it to the Leinster SFC Final?
Laois welcomes Offaly to O’Moore Park this Sunday, April 13th, for an exciting match at 7:00 pm. The sides have not met in this competition in over 14 years, and it has been several years since they were in the same NFL Division. This week will be an accurate test for both sides as Laois will play in their Gaelic football in Division Three next season, alongside Offaly. However, before we get ahead of ourselves, who will progress to the semi-finals on Sunday?
Laois vs Offaly Head-To-Head and Key Stats
As mentioned, these two Gaelic football teams have avoided each other in major competitions for some time. However, they faced off in the Tailteann Cup group stage in 2023. Offaly travelled to Portlaoise in a thrilling match that ended as a draw. Both sides registered 1-11 on the scoreboard, with Kieran Lillis scoring for Laois and Joe Maher finding the back of the net for the away side. The draw sent Offaly to the preliminary quarterfinals, while Laois had to play in a third-placed competition. Wexford knocked Offaly out, whereas Laois made it to the semi-finals of the Tailteann Cup.
Besides last year’s showdown, the sides will meet again this weekend and next year. After the National Football League ended, Offaly secured their place in Division Three, while Laois dominated Division Four by finishing first. Both teams will face off against each other next season during the group stage, so this match is the perfect time to test the waters.
The other previous meeting between Laois and Offaly came in 2019 when both teams were in the same NFL division. The clubs competed in Division Three and had profoundly different seasons. Offaly won two games and only avoided relegation by defeating Carlow earlier in the season. The Faithful County was incredibly lucky to stay in the division, given they had an inferior point difference over Carlow. Laois was also fortunate, securing the second spot in the division by point difference. The O’Moore County finished level on points with Westmeath and Down. Westmeath topped the table with +15, Laois had +14, and Down missed promotion because of a +13 point difference.
CONFIRMED: Our Senior Footballers will meet Meath in the Leinster Quarter Final next Sunday 👕#UpTheDubs pic.twitter.com/TVzxq2dVWd
— Dublin GAA (@DubGAAOfficial) April 7, 2024
Even with the advantage of the home crowd, Offaly fell short of the win by three points at the final whistle in 2019. The cup meeting in 2023 is a much better sign of where both GAA clubs are at this current moment in time. Laois looked in control of the game for well over an hour. The home side had a comfortable lead with three minutes of regulation time to play. However, a late comeback from Offaly snatched a draw in the midlands derby by scoring one goal and three unanswered points to level the match.
While the two sides have failed to meet in the Leinster Senior Football Championship for some time and have competed in different NFL Divisions, the teams look evenly matched on paper. Will this derby live up to expectations, or is there one side that will walk away with the bragging rights this weekend?
Laois vs Offaly Predictions
Prediction: Laois 1-18 to 0-15 Offaly
The Leinster Senior Football Championship always delivers excitement. However, this quarter-final will be a formality as Laois will win the game. The home side will score the only goal of the contest and will register more points. Offaly will stay within touching distance throughout the match but won’t be able to secure the win.
Predicting GAA matches has been our speciality this season, and we paid close attention to the NFL. Laois only lost one game all season, and that was against second-placed Leitrim. Offaly started the Allianz Football League poorly, losing the first four matches. They finished the campaign on a high, securing two victories and a draw to stay in the division. Offaly will take some confidence into this fixture, but we expect Laois to win this game.
The last time these two sides faced off was in 2023. It was a one-sided game until the dying embers of the match. Laois led most of the game, as they looked like the better side. At halftime, the home team had a 1-08 to 0-05 lead after Kieran Lillis was the first to react to a mistake by the Offaly goalkeeper. Laois ran out of steam and missed too many chances, allowing Offaly back into the game. While there is cause for concern in this performance, there have been many positive signs that Laois has learnt from any mistakes. We predict aspects of this game to reoccur. However, the defence will hold up this time in the final stages to see out a win by six points or more.
If Offaly starts the game on the front foot and builds an early lead, we still forecast a Laois comeback. Live betting on the home side to recover from a slow start or to maintain an early lead feels like the best wager. There are plenty of other options to consider when live betting. Ensure you take your time to look through our sports betting site before you decide on a wager.
Laois vs Offaly Betting Tips
Betting on any GAA event this year has been difficult as the teams struggled to find form. However, now that the National Football League is over, we have a better idea of where each team is. Betting on Laois is the sensible option, given they had a stellar NFL campaign. They topped the group and secured promotion back into Division Three. However, the Faithful County had a season to forget, just about warding off relegation.
Based on form alone, betting on Laois is the best move this weekend. Nevertheless, our online sports betting site offers a range of other markets to explore. You can examine bets on individual players and performances, plus other aspects that do not rely on a full-time result. The recent game between the sides was low-scoring compared to the average game of Gaelic Football. With one goal and 11 points apiece, betting on an even number of points this weekend could be a winning wager.
Another market to investigate is betting on the half with the most goals. In the last two meetings between the sides, most of the points have come in the second half. A late comeback in the 2023 Tailteann Cup secured Offaly an undeserved draw. We predict a late charge of points from both sides this weekend, but Laois will stay out of the danger zone throughout. Betting on Offaly to score the most points in the second half is a risky but potentially rewarding wager.
One last option to consider is betting on the outright winner of the Leinster Senior Football Championship. As this is the quarterfinals, making a bet early in the competition will have good returns for most teams. If you are backing Laois to go all the way, they will have to beat Dublin or Meath in the next round. The other side of the tournament tree looks promising if they can get through the next two games.
If you want to get into GAA betting, you can sign up for Novibet. New players will receive a welcome bonus when they register, and you can use the offer across different sports and markets. Plus, if you sign up this week, you can claim your bonus to use in time for the Grand National!
