Kerry vs Athlone tips and predictions

Huge task for Kerry

If the home side has a little bit of luck on their side they could make the odds look silly.

Kerry can look at some of the vulnerabilities in Athlone's recent results. The visitors come into the match with 13 losses from their last 20 away campaigns. For a team so short in the betting, perhaps they'd be expected to have done better than this.

They're the superior team but that doesn't mean they can't be beaten.

Kerry need to be at their absolute best and even then they face a huge challenge. If the hosts pull this off they will need to build on their recent performances. The hosts are making the most of a recent run of form. It has been clear to see what they are capable of on their day. They scored three or more goals in 1 of their recent 5 matches and that approach has gelled nicely at the back where they have conceded no more than once in 1 of their last 3 games.

Away from home Athlone have conceded an average of 2.4 goals in their last 20 matches. And their problems aren't only in the first-third of the field. The visitors haven't really been able to rely on their forwards in their latest engagements. They've scored one or less goals in 2 of their last 3 matches.

The visitors are obviously legitimate favourites but they are just too short to back. Ultimately football matches come down to which squad takes their chances. There could be some evidence that the gap between the two sides isn't as significant as you think. A decent half-chance could be all it takes. At the price on offer Kerry are the value play.

If Athlone are to justify their short price they may come out eager to maintain a clean sheet. The BTTS No could be a perfectly smart play. And taking a look at the goal line, it's four goals or more picked as the best play given the current prices.