The All-Ireland Hurling 2024 Championship Odds: Limerick Leading The Way
Daire Walsh
After last weekend’s quarter-finals reduced the number of teams in the competition to four, the best betting sites are once again examining the main contenders for the top prize in the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship.
The first part of a double-header at Semple Stadium in Thurles on Saturday, Cork advanced to the penultimate round of the Liam MacCarthy Cup for the first time since 2021 courtesy of a 0-26 to 0-21 victory at the expense of Leinster finalists Dublin.
In a seemingly constant battle with Kilkenny’s TJ Reid to be the all-time top scorer in the All-Ireland SHC, Patrick Horgan helped himself to 0-10 in the Leesiders’ triumph over the Sky Blues.
Later on at the same venue, the first-half dismissal of Rory O’Connor for their opponents played a part in Clare enjoying a convincing 2-28 to 1-19 success against Wexford.
In addition to Mark Rodgers and Tony Kelly contributing six points apiece, the excellent Shane O’Donnell registered 1-4 from play to offer the Banner County a safe passage into the penultimate phase of the Liam MacCarthy Cup.
All-Ireland Hurling Semi-Finals On The Horizon
While Clare are set to take on Leinster champions Kilkenny for the third year in succession at the semi-final stage of the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship next weekend, Cork will renew acquaintances with provincial rivals Limerick following their previous meeting in the round robin stages of the Munster championship.
On that occasion, with the possibility of an early end to their 2024 season in sight, Cork pulled out all the stops to earn a 3-28 to 3-26 win over their Treaty counterparts.
Limerick Remain The Favourites For Another All-Ireland Success
Yet Limerick still went on to earn a sixth provincial title on the bounce and while their forthcoming opponents have continued on an upward trajectory, John Kiely’s men are still viewed as the team to beat from an All-Ireland viewpoint.
After all, Limerick did lose to Clare in a round robin Munster game last year, before going on to defeat the same opposition in a provincial decider and ultimately claiming a fourth successive Liam MacCarthy Cup with a final win against Kilkenny.
In their latest Munster final duel with Clare, Limerick were full value for a six-point victory (1-26 to 1-20).
Even though they have had to deal with a number of injury set-backs in the current championship – Peter Casey, Sean Finn, Darragh O’Donovan and Seamus Flanagan have all spent time on the treatment table – the defending champions find themselves two games away from becoming the first county to secure five Liam MacCarthy Cups in-a-row.
There are three teams remaining in the competition that will be looking to put paid to these ambitions, but Limerick are the clear favourites for another All-Ireland title with just a few weeks left in this year’s campaign.
With no fewer than eight betting apps the Treaty 8/11 to maintain their grip on the Liam MacCarthy Cup.
Cork’s Stock Has Risen In All-Ireland Betting
It may have seemed an unlikely prospect just a few short weeks ago, but Cork are now being regarded as second favourites for a first All-Ireland senior hurling crown in all of 19 years.
After getting the better of Limerick in that epic round robin battle, Cork comfortably put Tipperary to the sword to keep themselves in the championship beyond the provincial stages.
While their displays in defeating Joe McDonagh Cup champions Offaly and Dublin weren’t entirely convincing, they were clear favourites to win both of those games.
This won’t be the case in their forthcoming last-four showdown with Limerick and this could make Pat Ryan’s charges a dangerous proposition.
The majority of new betting sites have them at odds of 4/1 for an All-Ireland victory.
Kilkenny Remain A Viable Liam MacCarthy Contender
Given they recently earned a fifth consecutive Leinster crown with an impressive demolition of Dublin at Croke Park, you might expect that Kilkenny would be the most favoured county for Liam MacCarthy glory behind Limerick.
They are also the only unbeaten team left in the championship, albeit they had successive draws with Galway and Carlow in the round robin phase of the Leinster series.
This might explain why there are some doubts surrounding the All-Ireland credentials of Derek Lyng’s side, but they remain serious contenders for a competition they have already won on a record 36 occasions.
Aside from the aforementioned Reid, the Cats have considerable firepower in the form of Adrian Mullen, Eoin Cody, John Donnelly and Martin Keoghan.
They have gotten the better of Clare in All-Ireland semi-finals over the past two seasons and it is clear that the Leinster giants are more than capable of doing so again.
In terms of the All-Ireland betting, the odds of 9/2 that are available on GAA betting sites make them third favourites for the top prize, while also leaving them breathing down the neck of Cork.
Clare Still Very Much In The Running For Hurling Crown
After emerging as winners of the National Hurling League Division One title in the spring, it seemed that Clare were primed for a big championship in 2024.
Their general performances in Munster this year may not have been at the same standard as what Brian Lohan’s men produced in 2022 and 2023, but the fact remains that the Banner have once again returned to the business end of the All-Ireland championship.
Following their semi-final losses to Kilkenny in the past two years – one of them being quite heavy in nature – people are perhaps wary of placing big expectations on Clare ahead of their latest duel with the Cats. Still, with odds on the Banner ranging from 5/1 to 6/1, they remain an enticing bet for a first All-Ireland title since 2013.