A massive Dublin derby takes place at Tallaght Stadium on Friday as Premier Division pacesetters Shamrock Rovers welcome their nearest pursuers St Patrick's Athletic.
Champions Rovers are fresh off a last-gasp winner at Bohemians on Monday night that stretched their advantage over the third-placed Gypsies to six points.
St Pats sit between the pair, five adrift of the Hoops but with a game in hand on Stephen Bradley's side.
A home win for Rovers in Tallaght could be a major pivot in the League of Ireland season as the three capital clubs have been trading blows so far.
Shamrock Rovers v St Patrick's Athletic Tips Summary
Best Bet - Draw @ 21/10
Alternative Bet - Both teams to score @ 10/11
Bet Builder - Over 1 goal, Ryan Edmondson to score anytime & Under 9 corners @ 7/1
Shamrock Rovers v St Patrick's Athletic Prediction
Best Bet: Draw @ 21/10
Bradley felt his Rovers side merited their last gasp 2-1 win at Bohs on Monday as former Republic of Ireland international Enda Stevens headed in a 95th-minute winner at Dalymount Park.
"Both had chances, I thought. But I did think we were the better team," was the assessment of the Rovers boss when it was suggested that Bohs had created a lot of chances in the game.
The win ended a run of two straight losses for the champions, the second of those coming via a stoppage time sinker against Sligo Rovers here in Tallaght - their first home reverse in nine this season.
They now face their nearest pursuers in St Pats and Stephen Kenny's side will travel from Inchicore with some hope given Rovers' unconvincing recent run.
St Pats have lost just one of their last seven on the road in the league and could land a fourth successive away draw.
These sides have twice played out 2-2 draws since 2023 and the visitors are capable of taking a point based on the regularity with which Bohs were able to open up the Hoops defence on Monday.
Alternative Bet: Both teams to score @ 10/11
St Pats come here after blanking in their games at home to Shelbourne and away in Derry. Before that both teams had scored in their previous five outings.
Both teams have scored, meanwhile, in four of Rovers' last five, the exception being their 1-0 loss at ten-man Dundalk when the visiting side recorded an xG of 1.44.
St Pats played out a dull draw at Derry last week, with chances at a premium, but this Dublin derby is likely to follow a different pattern.
Shamrock Rovers v St Patrick's Athletic Bet Builder Tip
Over 1 goal
Ryan Edmondson to score anytime
Under 9 corners
Pays 7/1
These two sides have clashed nine times in Tallaght since September 2022 and those games have averaged over 3.5 goals-per-game. Just one, Rovers' 1-0 win in March last year, failed to produce multiple goals.
If Pats are to get something then Ryan Edmondson should be key. The 25-year-old Englishman is enjoying a fine first season after returning from a successful stint in the A-League in Australia.
Edmondson rattled the woodwork when these sides clashed here in February and has earned praise from boss Kenny for 'embracing' the League of Ireland.
Prior to Pats coming up dry in their last two games, Edmondson had scored four in four and he could land another now.
A relatively low corner count completes this bet builder. Rovers have managed just 15 across their last four games, while for St Pats it's eight in the last two.
When the sides met in Richmond Park last month there were just five corners over 90 minutes in a game of high intensity.
Learn more about how Bet Builders work in our Bet Builder guide.
Key Match Stats
Shamrock Rovers went clear at the top of the League of Ireland Premier Division after Monday's last-gasp 2-1 win at Bohemians
The Hoops had previously lost two in a row and have won 11 of 19 so far
St Pats sit in second spot, five points behind Rovers having played a game less
Stephen Kenny's visitors have lost one of the last seven away from home and are the league's leading scorers with 31 goals in 18 games
The nine meetings at Tallaght Stadium between these two teams since September 2022 have averaged over 3.5 goals per game
Both teams have scored in four of Shamrock Rovers' last five games
Read more football betting tips and predictions on site.
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.
