Derry City welcome Waterford to the Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium on Friday evening in a League of Ireland clash.
The home side occupy sixth place in the table having taken 29 points across 24 matches so far this season.
Derry have not won the League of Ireland title since 1997 and this drought will continue into a 30th year after a poor campaign thus far.
Waterford are enduring an even worse season. With just three league victories all season, the Blues are rock bottom of the League of Ireland table, three points clear of safety.
The club have bounced between the first and second tiers in recent years, but it looks as though Waterford will be relegated for the first time since 2021 unless they improve.
Derry City v Waterford Tips Summary
Best Bet - Over 2.5 goals @ 4/6
Alternative Bet - Derry City to score in both halves @ 6/5
Bet Builder - Derry City to win, Michael Duffy to score anytime & Derry to win more corners @ 16/5
Derry City v Waterford Prediction
Best Bet: Over 2.5 goals @ 4/6
While four of Derry City's previous eight games have finished with three or more goals being scored, eight of Waterford's last nine games would have seen this bet land.
The away side have the worst defensive record in the League of Ireland, conceding 44 goals across their 22 matches so far. That works out as two per game and this is something that Derry can take full advantage of.
Derry have scored at least once in each of their previous five games, but against a leaky Waterford defence, expect them to improve their own attacking record during this match.
Three or more goals have been scored in the last six matchups between these teams, while nine of the last 11 games would have seen this bet come in dating back to November 2021.
Alternative Bet: Derry City to score in both halves @ 6/5
Although it hasn't exactly been the greatest of seasons for Derry City, a win here could potentially see them leapfrog Shelbourne, depending on other results.
In three of their previous four League of Ireland victories, Derry City have scored in both halves.
When the two sides last met in May, the final score was 2-2. Derry, however, did find the net in both halves, which offers encouragement that they could repeat that feat this time around.
In Waterford's last three league defeats, the side have conceded a goal in both halves across all three matches.
Given how poor Waterford have been defensively this season, combined with Derry City’s decent home record of late, expect there to be scoring chances in both halves on Friday evening.
Derry City v Waterford Be Builder Tip
Derry City to win
Michael Duffy to score anytime
Derry City to win the most corners
Pays 16/5
Derry City have enjoyed the better of the recent head-to-head record between these two sides, winning nine of the previous 13 clashes dating back to 2021.
Waterford haven't defeated Derry since April 2025, although the two teams battled out a 2-2 draw last time out.
Derry have won two of their last four fixtures, though, losing just once and Tiernan Lynch will be eager to seal another three points.
One player who Lynch will be looking to cause plenty of chaos is Michael Duffy. The winger has scored six goals in 17 league matches this term plus a wonderful record against Waterford.
Indeed, the 31-year-old has played 25 times against the Blues throughout his career, scoring nine goals and grabbing 13 assists. As such, expect him to get on the scoresheet once again.
Derry will likely be the team in the ascendency throughout the game, especially given recent home form. That suggests they could win plenty of corners.
Indeed, in two of their previous three matches, Derry have won more corners than their opponents.
For Waterford, the Blues have won fewer corners than their opponents across the last three league matches. As such, expect the home side to win more in this clash.
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Key Match Stats
Derry City are unbeaten against Waterford across the previous four matchups
Waterford have the worst defensive record in the League of Ireland, conceding 44 goals this season
Michael Duffy has registered 22 goal contributions against Waterford throughout his career
Derry City have not won the League of Ireland title since 1997
Waterford were last relegated at the end of the 2020/21 campaign
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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
