OFFALY v TYRONE (Tullamore, Today, 3.0)
IF anyone knows how to engineer a meaningful season through the back door, it's Mickey Harte, and with three debutants in Tullamore today – Ryan McKenna, Danny McBride and Ciarán McGinley – it seems he is using the early opportunity to regenerate the team.
This is the worst possible draw Offaly could have received.
p ODDS: Offaly 9/1, Draw 16/1, Tyrone 1/14
p VERDICT: Tyrone
MAROONS CAN ERNE' WIN
WESTMEATH v FERMANAGH (Mullingar, Today, 3.0)
AFTER all the gloomy prognoses from Pat Flanagan following Westmeath's Croke Park humbling by Dublin, he at least succeeded where plenty of managers have failed by keeping his squad together. Denis Corroon and Lorcan Smyth return for the Lakelanders.
p ODDS: Westmeath 4/9, Draw 15/2, Fermanagh 5/2
p VERDICT: Westmeath
SAFFRON SCALP A WEE LIFT
LOUTH v ANTRIM (Drogheda, Today, 3.0)
FAILING to follow up that win over Laois with a second against Wexford will have stung Aidan O'Rourke, but a home draw against Antrim opens up the possibility of kicking on this year. Conor McGuinness and veteran Colm Judge come into the Louth team.
p ODDS: Louth 2/9, Draw 9/1, Antrim 9/2
p VERDICT: Louth
TRIBESMEN TO TOP TIPP
GALWAY v TIPPERARY (Pearse Stadium, Tonight, 7.0)
WOULD you bank on Galway winning any game just now? Probably not, although Tipperary probably just about fall into the bracket of manageable. No surprise that there are six changes to the team humiliated by Mayo, Finian Hanley being the most experienced.
p ODDS: Galway 3/10, Draw 15/2, Tipperary 7/2
pVERDICT: Galway
TREATY TO GO LONG' WAY
LONGFORD v LIMERICK (Pearse Park, Tonight, 7.0)
A heel injury will deprive Glenn Ryan of his own centre-back colossus Michael Quinn for what could be the closest-fought of the qualifiers.
pODDS: Longford 5/6, Draw 15/2, Limerick 13/10
pVERDICT: Limerick
ORCHARD TO TRIM GARDEN
ARMAGH v WICKLOW (Athletic Grounds, Tomorrow, 3.0)
ARMAGH fall into the Galway category of teams you wouldn't trust with your last fiver but they should beat Wicklow.
pODDS: Armagh 2/7, Draw 9/1, Wicklow 7/2
pVERDICT: Armagh
DERRY SET TO DITCH SLIGO
DERRY v SLIGO (Celtic Park, Tomorrow, 5.0)
EOIN Bradley is named among the Derry subs, despite dislocating his shoulder in a club match three weeks ago. This could be Kevin Walsh's last stand.
pODDS: Derry 1/6, Draw 10/1, Sligo 11/2
pVERDICT: Derry