Stephen Walsh Betting Column (Feb 24, 2017)

As ever extratime.ie are looking for ideas to further improve this site and it was decided over the off season to look at raising a few quid for a charity by way of a small bet each week.

Firstly with all these columns one must set the permutations and it will be a bet of five euro a week on three games with all the profits going to a charity.

(The charity has yet to be decided, so if anybody can think of a worthy cause they would like the money to go towards then please contact Extratime Towers for more information.)

Paddy Power will be the bookmaker used for these bets to start off with as with all previews the odds come from this firm.

The stake will only be a fiver as it is intended to be a small bet so as to keep things sensible.

Now down to the business of what games we've decided on the weekend bets. Wow, isn't nice to be able to write those words after a very long off season, one that ended back on Halloween weekend last year?

The first selection in the three team accumulator will be the televised clash of Dundalk and Shamrock Rovers, with all signs indicating towards a sold-out Oriel Park.

Dundalk have got a new pitch laid down this week and I believe the Dundalk players will require a few games to adapt to the new surface.

Rovers, on the other hand, have been training on a similar surface and having had a very good pre season along with a host of new players they in my opinion look overpriced for this tie at 10/3.

Dundalk will be missing a host of key players and they look vulnerable in my opinion at 5/6.

Next up in my selection will be Limerick, who play host to Sligo Rovers tomorrow night. Limerick have recruited well in the off season bringing in a host of players from abroad to improve their team.

Sligo have improved as well but, with it being a return to the Market’s Field for a Premier Division game after last season in the First Division, I believe Limerick will win at a price of evens.

Lastly in the accumulator, I will include a First Division clash of Athlone Town and Waterford.

Waterford are definitely the rich boys of the First Division this year owing to their ability to splash the cash on a number of high profile signings, including Kenny Browne, Kenny McEvoy and Mark O’Sullivan.

Athlone, on the other hand, are a team of unknowns with new Portugese coaches arriving to improve things but there appears to be only one result that is going to happen in this game.

Waterford are 1/3 to win at the moment but they are 2/1 to win both halves, so that will be the value bet for this weekend.

Bets:

Shamrock Rovers (Win) 10/3

Limerick (Win) Evens

Waterford (Win both halves) 2/1

€5 stake= €130.00