Armagh v Derry Prediction, Preview & Odds – Ulster Championship Final
We have an Armagh v Derry prediction plus all the betting odds for you ahead of their clash in the Ulster Championship Final Sunday afternoon.
How To Watch Armagh v Derry
When? 4.00 pm, Sunday, May 14th
Where? St Tiernach’s Park, Clones, Co. Monaghan
TV Channel? RTÉ 2 & BBC 2 NI
Derry v Armagh Preview
Derry’s Form
League Form
Derry had an excellent 2023 League Campaign where they didn’t lose a single game in the round robin stage of the competition.
They won all six games dispatching Limerick, Louth, Meath, Kildare, Dublin and Clare in their opening six weeks before drawing with Cork 1-14 to 1-14 to secure the top spot and their Division 2 Final place against Dublin.
Derry has the third-best attack in the league with 120 points scored which is an average of 17.14 points per match, only Dublin (125) and Cork (137) have more. Derry’s most impressive stat is their mean defence with only 69 points conceded which is only an average of 9.85 points per match and 26 points better than the next-best defence Dublin.
That Division 2 Final didn’t go to plan for the Oak Leaf County’s men despite a strong first half which saw them put Dublin on the ropes. In the second half they were blitzed by a Dublin attack that scored four goals and put serious question marks around the Ulster Champions heading into the Championship.
Championship Form
As mentioned earlier Derry went into the Ulster Championship with question marks looming over them around their status as serious All-Ireland contenders due to the nature of their league final loss to Dublin.
Rory Gallagher’s men made a mockery of many of those doubts as they started their Ulster Championship defence by destroying Monaghan on a scoreline of 3-17 to 2-08, a 12-point margin of victory.
That victory over Fermanagh booked Derry a spot in the Ulster Semi-Final against Monaghan who had just beaten Tyrone in an epic Championship battle. This was to be Derry’s first true test in the 2023 Championship and they were impressive once again as they dispatched Monaghan by 8 points on a scoreline of 1-21 to 2-10.
While the Division 2 League Final result against Dublin does still leave a sour taste in the mouth when talking about Derry’s prospects later this summer you have to admit they have bounced back in spectacular fashion with their first two outings in this year’s Championship. They are set up very well for this Ulster Final against Armagh.
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Armagh’s Form
League Form
Armagh will be playing their league football in Division 2 next year following a narrow relegation in the final round of games in a 0-18 – 0-16 defeat from Tyrone. Kieran McGeeney’s side finished seventh in the eight-team table, with a record of two wins one draw and four defeats.
Their two victories came over Ulster rivals Monaghan and Donegal while their draw came at home against Mayo. While Armagh had the third-worst attack in their division with 95 points scored they also had the third-best defence with only 98 points conceded.
Championship Form
Armagh have been in flying form on their way to booking an Ulster Championship Final date against Derry. They made light work of Antrim in the preliminary round where they ran out comfortable winners on a scoreline of 0-20 to 1-08.
Cavan were next up in the Quarter-Final and while it was another game that you would have expected the Orchard County to win they did so with relative ease on a scoreline of 1-14 to 0-12 to further reassure the gaelic football world that they are still a force to be reckoned with despite their relegation in the league.
Down, who beat Donegal in the previous round, were the opposition in the Ulster Semi-Final and Armagh blitzed them 4-10 to 0-12 to earn their place in the Ulster Final.
To be truthful, Armagh had one of the easiest runs you will see to an Ulster Final. However, the manner of their victories and the way that they played in those games shows that they are very worthy of their spot and have everything it takes to best Derry.
Key Players To Watch
Conor Glass
Since returning from the AFL in 2020, the midfielder has been credited with helping to “Change the whole landscape of Gaelic Football in Derry” there are not many compliments if any greater than you could give a footballer. But that is exactly what is being argued about the 25-year-old who recently assumed the captaincy of his county.
2022 was a great year for Conor, Ulster Champion with Derry, Derry County Champion with Glen, Ulster Club Champion and an All-Star Award. He missed out on the Division 2 title but will have the opportunity to add another Ulster Championship to his successes on Sunday.
Rian O’Neil
Many thought that Armagh’s Rian O’Neil was deserving of an All-Star inclusion for his performances in the 2022 season, but it did not come. Nevertheless, he has put that disappointment behind him and has been his counties star-performer in the league who’s score of 0-25 was only beaten by Damien McCurry of Tyrone and Ryan O’Donoghue of Mayo for an average of 4.16 points across his six matches.
Rian missed the first two rounds of the Ulster Championship but returned for the Semi-Final and scored a goal against Down on 47 minutes to kill the match. His impact will be huge again on Sunday.
Armagh v Derry Head-to-Head Results
Derry 0-15 Armagh 0-17 | 2020 Ulster Championship Semi-Final
Derry 3-14 Armagh 1-11 | 2011 Ulster Championship Semi-Final
Derry 1-07 Armagh 1-10 | 2010 Ulster Championship Preliminary Round
Armagh v Derry Betting Odds
Derry are favourites at 4/6.
Armagh are underdogs at 13/8.
The draw is 13/2.
The handicap for the game is Derry -2 at 6/5.
Armagh v Derry Prediction & Best Bet
Prediction: Armagh 1-11 Derry 0-12
This’ll be a tight tie, but Armagh have built up a head of steam of late and I expect them to pull off a minor shock here.
Best Bet: Armagh Winning Margin 1-3 Points @ 7/2
For all the latest betting odds on the race for Sam Maguire check out our All-Ireland Odds post where we breakdown the chances of all the top contenders.
Click Below For All Our Armagh v Derry Odds
*Prices subject to fluctuation
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