Derry v Antrim Prediction, Betting Tips & Odds [2026]
| Timetable | Saturday, 18th April, 17:00 GMT |
| Prediction | Derry To Win! |
| Odds | |
| Bookmaker | Lunubet Sports |
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Derry and Antrim will contest the first Ulster Senior Football Championship quarterfinal this weekend, at Find Insurance Celtic Park.
The Oak Leafers will have home advantage here and are the overwhelming favourites according to the pregame Derry vs Antrim odds. Below, we’ll analyse the latest prices in greater detail, while also offering our own expert Derry vs Antrim prediction.
🏆 Derry vs Antrim Prediction
Derry enjoyed a solid Allianz National League campaign in Division 2 this season, winning five of their seven matches and narrowly missing out on promotion by just two points. Conversely, Antrim showcased mixed form in Division 4 of the National League, finishing fourth after losing their first three games.
The Oak Leafers were particularly imperious at Celtic Park, winning all four of their matches by a combined margin of 50 points (12.5 points per game). Forward Shane McGuigan led the line for Derry and was the second top scorer in Division 2 overall, notching 1-43 and 46 points.
Interestingly, Antrim won two of their three Division 4 road matches, including a four-goal, 19-point thrashing of Waterford in Dungarvan. Although the Déise were the National League’s basement club and lost all seven of their matches in 2026, this was one of four successive wins for Antrim at the end of the campaign.
Overall, Derry operate at a significantly higher level than their Ulster rivals, while they’ve won the provincial championship recently in both 2022 and 2023. Ciarán Meenagh’s men are also particularly strong at home and have a potent, varied attack, so our Derry v Antrim match prediction is that the Oak Leafers will triumph comfortably.
OUR PREDICTION: 🏆 DERRY TO WIN 🏆
💯 Derry vs Antrim Betting Odds
The current Derry vs Antrim betting odds make the Oak Leafers the heavy 1.02 favourites in the win market. These odds imply a 98.0% win probability for the home team, which reflects their superior individual quality and potency of their forward line.
As for Antrim, they can be backed as high as 15.00 with BoyleSports. This implies just a 6.7% probability of a victory for the Saffrons, who have struggled for consistency in Division 4 and can occasionally be vulnerable defensively. Here are the latest pre-game odds from Ireland’s leading online betting sites.
✔️ Derry vs Antrim Betting Tips
The operators covered in our detailed bookmaker reviews have all published multiple betting markets ahead of this Ulster provincial clash. Below, you’ll find some Derry vs Antrim betting tips to help you leverage the best value markets and maximise your bankroll.
- Tip 1: Back Derry With a -13 Point Handicap: As we’ve touched on, Derry have defeated four Division 2 opponents at home by a combined margin of 50 points in this season’s National League. This highlights their dominance at home, as well as their ability to score prolifically against teams that possess far greater quality than Antrim. So, although the Saffrons performed relatively well on the road in Division 4 through 2026, there may be some value in backing Derry to win with a -13 point handicap at odds of 1.73 with BoyleSports.
- Tip 2: Pick Niall Loughlin as an Anytime Goalscorer: Corner forward Niall Loughlin excelled for Derry in the 2026 National League season, contributing two goals (2-20) and 26 points overall. He has forged a potent and effective partnership with Shane McGuigan this term, with the pair contributing 3-63 (72 points) and 43.9% of Derry’s total points tally in Division 2. So, consider backing Loughlin as an any-time goalscorer against Antrim, with BoyleSports usually offering the best odds for such markets.
- Tip 3: Bet on Derry to Win by 16+ Points: If you strongly favour Derry to win well and have one or more free bets available on your account, you could also consider picking them to triumph by a margin of 16 points or more. The Oak Leafers have gone 4-36 during the first half of their previous three home matches, and another fast start Celtic Park could result in a significant final winning margin. You can get on this at the enhanced odds of 1.91 with BoyleSports.
📈 Derry Squad Form
Although Derry stuttered in the McKenna Cup before slumping to defeat at Meath in the first round of National League fixtures, they’ve since won five out of six competitive matches and four successive games at Celtic Park.
Both Conor McCluskey and Eion McEvoy have made recent returns from injury for the Oak Leafers, and are expected to start against Antrim this weekend. Shea McGuckin is also being tipped to make his provincial debut for the side between the posts, ahead of Ryan Scullion.
However, this match has come too soon for James Sargent, who is currently going through rehab after a significant ACL injury incurred in 2025.
⚽ Antrim Squad Form
Although Antrim haven’t played Derry in the Ulster Senior Football Championship since 2007, the two sides did battle in the McKenna Cup back in January. The Saffrons frustrated Derry early on, before the Oak Leafers took control in the second half and ultimately prevailed by 15 points.
The good news is that Antrim will at least arrive at Celtic Park in relatively good form and in a confident mood, having won the final four matches of their D4 National League campaign.
Their recent road performances have also been solid, while Dominic McEnhill (who went 0-32 during the National League season) is fit to start this weekend.
👕 Derry vs Antrim Predicted Lineups
If you’re planning to bet on Derry vs Antrim today, we’d recommend that you first check out the latest team and injury news. This can be accessed online and via each team’s official X feeds, while we’ve also published our predicted Derry vs Antrim lineups below.
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✒️ Derry vs Antrim - H2H Stats
There’s a noticeable lack of recent and relevant Derry vs Antrim h2h stats, with the two sides having not met in the Ulster Senior Football Championship since 2007. However, they did compete against one another in the McKenna Cup at the beginning of 2026. Here’s a summary of the two most relevant head-to-head encounters.
🎯 Updates from GAA Twitter (X)
If you want to remain informed about the latest updates and team news from the provincial football championships, be sure to check out the official GAA X feed below.
Lewis Humphries
A business and iGaming copywriter from the UK, who has a passion for sports betting and remote casino betting. He's reviewed some of the world's leading casino platforms while creating blog posts and landing page content for various sports betting brands. His content has also been featured on a number of different sites, including Life Hack, Investopedia, Yahoo Finance and Business Insider. He also pens regular sports features for sites including 90 Minutes, Think Football Ideas and Sportsblog.