- Kerry have won two, drawn one and lost two of their last five games.
- Wexford have won two and lost three of their last five matches.
Side with The Kingdom in a closely matched fixture
With just two points separating 7th-placed Kerry FC (42 points) and 8th-placed Wexford FC (40 points) in the First Division 2026, Friday's mid-table skirmish is anyone's game.
The Kingdom have lost their previous two matches after a home defeat was followed by a 0-3 reversal away to Athlone Town last time out.
Kerry's game is direct and wide, with plenty of crosses, long balls and set pieces thrown into the mix. They have to go for this as they are better equipped to play the patient game, but they also have the ability to get the ball into the box quickly and make things happen.
Wexford are no strangers to end-to-end football, but Ian Ryan's young squad can struggle to control the tempo of matches and can be caught out on the counter-attack when they press teams.
Wexford will make it tight in a tense affair
Wexford bounced back from a 1-3 defeat to Finn Harps at home by beating Cobh Ramblers 3-1 in their latest game, but Ryan's men have conceded a whopping 25 goals on the road in the First Division 2026.
Although Ian Ryan has been in charge for what must seem like a long time (since 15 May 2021), his long spell in charge has given Wexford an identity, but they still look vulnerable when teams get on top and can run at them.
The visitors are the slight outsiders at 79/50, while Kerry are priced at 131/100 and the draw is 47/20, although the visitors' odds look too short to the naked eye.
A win for the hosts looks the obvious play, but we're going to edge towards the draw as the correct score prediction with these sides having shared 2-2 in the reverse fixture.
Both teams capable of scoring
While we don't expect too many chances to be created in this type of game, both sides are capable of getting into the game, especially with the match's momentum.
Kerry's Niall Brookwell is in fine form with two of The Kingdom's five goals in the last 5 games, while Wexford's Mikie Rowe has also bagged three of the five goals his team have scored in the same period.
Backing under 2.5 goals at 19/20 seems a good fit for what could be a cagey affair with little between the two teams. We'll give Kerry the edge because of their home solidity and Wexford's fragility on the road.
