League of Ireland - First Division ⚽ Previews & Odds

Bet on SSE Airtricity League First Division ⚽

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Table of Contents

🧾 How to Get Started
💸 Popular Bet Types
⚽ Title Winners
⚽ Top Teams
🏃 Best Players
❓ FAQs

How To Get Started

At Irishluck, we prioritize expertise, making us as your first destination for League of Ireland First Division betting.

We made our guides to maximize your success in sports betting, backed by research and experience. Prior to placing any wagers, it's advisable to register with multiple betting sites. This involves 3 steps:

entering your personal information
reviewing the privacy policy
accepting the terms and conditions.

Links to our preferred bookmakers can be found at the top of this page, and we'll explain later why diversifying your accounts is advantageous.

Once registered, simply deposit funds into your account to begin your betting journey.

Popular Bet Types

In this section, we will introduce some key terminology and explain some of the most popular bet types available to punters.

This guide focuses on the League of Ireland First Division, but much of the underlying information is also applicable to other football tournaments. such as the Bundesliga in Germany, La Liga in Spain, Ligue 1 in France or Serie A in Italy. Most modern sportsbooks even cover other leagues like those in Bulgaria, Georgia, Armenia, Finland and the UAE.

Match Betting

Match betting refers to any wager which is placed on a particular game or events within it. 2 of the most common examples are which team will triumph and how many goals there will be. These selections are pretty self-explanatory. Below we have provided some definitions for terms you don't know so much about.

1x2

This is simpler than it looks: 1 refers to a home win, X is a draw and 2 is an away win.

Cash Out

If you place a bet before a match, you might be given the chance to cash out before the 90 minutes are up. This is when you settle a bet for an agreed price prior to the final whistle.

Double Chance

An example of a double chance bet would be 'St. Patrick's Athletic or draw' - it is essentially a chance to hedge your bets by picking 2 out of 3 possible outcomes.

Football Accumulators

An accumulator is a combination of 4 or more singles bets into one. Be warned, though: if one of your choices is wrong, the whole bet loses.

In-Play Betting

You do not have to just place bets before the game. Live odds are available, so in-play betting is something worth exploring if you are watching a match unfold.

Scorecast

A scorecast is a type of combination bet where you predict a goalscorer and the final score.

Wincast

A wincast is a type of combination bet where you predict a goalscorer and which team will win.

Team Outrights

An outright betting market is where customers put money on the eventual outcome of an event like the League of Ireland First Division. We have explored the most popular team outright markets below.

League of Ireland First Division Title Winners

The team that tops the League of Ireland First Division table is crowned the title winner, earning a trophy and promotion to the Premier Division for the next season.

Betting on the title winner is common, with odds typically available from preseason until one team establishes a significant lead. Currently, Cork City leads the standings, closely followed by Galway.

League of Ireland First Division Promotion

Four teams participate in the end-of-season playoffs in the First Division. If you wager on a team to earn promotion and they do so through the playoffs, your bet will be successful. Additionally, you can predict the teams that will finish in the playoff positions from second to fifth.

League of Ireland First Division Relegation

There is no relegation in the League of Ireland First Division. However, some bookmakers may provide the opportunity to bet on the team that will finish bottom of the league. In the 2022 season, Athlone Town, with just two points from their first 13 matches, appear likely to finish 9th out of 9.

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Tips and Tricks

At Irishluck, our authors and tipsters are experts in their fields, often successful sports bettors themselves. Here are some tips and tricks to help you get started in the world of League of Ireland First Division betting.

What To Do
Compare Sportsbooks	You should have accounts with more than one sportsbook. While the odds they offer for the same event may not vary significantly, shopping around can often help you find the best possible price, similar to how you would compare prices for groceries or flights.
Keep Calm	It's essential to recognize that many of your bets may not be successful. Even professional sports bettors experience losses. However, don't panic. With a smart strategy and a long-term outlook, you should be able to generate a profit over time.
Dig Into the Data	While data on the League of Ireland First Division may not be as abundant as that for the English Premier League, the Champions League, or La Liga, it's still crucial to seek out detailed information. Before placing a bet, examine a team's away record, recent results, head-to-head performance against the opponent, scoring patterns against strong teams, and more. Extra preparation, such as checking news updates and utilizing statistics, can significantly impact your betting success.

What Not To Do
Spread Yourself Too Thin	It's advisable to prioritize one thoroughly researched bet over spreading yourself thin with five wagers based on whim. Focus on what you know best. If you're more familiar with Bray Wanderers and Waterford than Shamrock Rovers or Shelbourne, concentrate your betting efforts accordingly.
Expect Instant Success	Do not feel too low if you do not have instant success. Learn from your mistakes and constantly strive for improvement - that way, you are likely to be in the green in the long-term.
Chase Your Losses	Avoid the temptation to chase losses. If you encounter a string of unsuccessful bets, resist the urge to recoup losses hastily. Making impulsive decisions in an attempt to recover losses is more likely to result in further setbacks rather than success.

League of Ireland First Division Top Teams

History of the League of Ireland First Division

The League of Ireland First Division was formed in 1985, along with the Premier Division. It came about as the FAI embarked on restructuring the domestic game in the Republic of Ireland. The inaugural campaign featured 10 teams, with two winning automatic promotions to the top flight. The promotion/relegation play-off was introduced in 1992/93.

Most Successful Sides

Drogheda United are the most successful side in the history of the League of Ireland First Division, having finished on top of the pile on five occasions.

They are followed in the all-time rankings by Waterford, who have won the league four times. UCD, Limerick and Bray Wanderers have been crowned First Division champions three times each. Athlone Town, Dundalk, Derry City, Shelbourne, and Sligo Rovers have each triumphed twice. Longford Town, Wexford Youths, Cork City, Cobh Ramblers, Shamrock Rovers, Finn Harps, Dublin City, Kilkenny City and Galway United have all finished top of the league table once.

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League of Ireland First Division Best Players

Best Current Players

Cork City and Galway United are the two teams flying high towards the top of the table this season. Ally Gilchrist, Aaron Bolger and Matthew Srbely have been stalwarts for Cork, while Galway has relied on Diego Portillo, Conor O'Keeffe and Manu Dimas.

In historical terms, Con McLoughlin of Finn Harps finished as the League of Ireland First Division top scorer on no fewer than four occasions. Longford Town's David O'Sullivan notched 42 goals in 2013 and 2014 combined, while the Serbian striker Aleksandar Krstic became a cult hero at Derry City after scoring 18 goals in the First Division in 1986/87.

Betting on League of Ireland First Division Players

Match Betting

Football primarily revolves around team dynamics, leading to popular markets focusing on team performance such as match winner, total goals, both teams to score, and handicap scoreline.

However, there are also betting opportunities centered around individual players. Predicting a goalscorer is a prevalent choice, typically categorized into 'first', 'last', and 'anytime' goalscorer. Additionally, options may include player assists, hat-tricks, shots, and cards, although availability may vary for the League of Ireland First Division. Combination wagers, like betting on Finn Harps to win against Longford Town with David Webster scoring anytime, provide further betting options.

Player Outrights

We had a look at team outright markets above. It is also possible to place similarly long-term bets on individual footballers. One of the most popular choices revolves around the top scorer prize, which is given to the player that ends the season with the most goals.

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League of Ireland First Division FAQs

Is the League of Ireland First Division Professional?

The League of Ireland First Division is not professional. Even the Premier Division, the top flight of Irish football, contains part-time clubs. It is certainly possible for professional sides to play in the First Division, with at least one team relegated from the Premier Division every year. However, the relatively minimal finances on offer in the First Division mean that the vast majority of its sides will always be part-timers.

How Many Teams Get Promoted From the League of Ireland First Division?

The team that finishes top of the League of Ireland First Division is automatically promoted to the Premier Division. The sides that finish second, third, fourth and fifth enter the promotion play-offs, which begin with two-legged semi-finals followed by a one-off final.

The winner of that final then goes through to the relegation/promotion play-off against the team that finished second-bottom of the Premier Division. The victor takes part in the top flight the following season, while the loser competes in the First Division.

How Many Divisions Are There in the Irish Football League?

The Republic of Ireland football league pyramid consists of 12 tiers. The first is the League of Ireland Premier Division, followed by the First Division which we have looked at in this article. These two leagues are national, with clubs right across Ireland (including Derry City in Northern Ireland, making it a cross-border competition) permitted to enter.

The third level consists of three regional leagues: the Leinster Senior League, the Ulster Senior League and the Munster Senior League. A fourth provincial competition, the Connacht Senior League, is not currently active.

How Many Games Are In the League of Ireland First Division?

A total of 144 matches are played each season in the League of Ireland First Division. Each club faces every other side home and away, which totals 16 fixtures per team. The First Division previously featured 10 clubs and 180 games per campaign - and it could return to that level in the future.

How Much Do Professional Footballers Get Paid in Ireland?

No official figures are published on how many professional footballers get paid in Ireland. According to the internet, the average salary for a professional player is €39,427 before tax, but bear in mind this figure does not apply to First Division players, who almost always have secondary jobs alongside their football endeavours.