GAA Betting: Limerick Favourites For National Hurling League Glory
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It is coming towards the end of the regular phase of the competition, and last weekend produced some interesting results.
Limerick are now favourites with betting sites to win the Division 1A title, but there are still plenty of other teams in the mix.
Cork, Clare and Kilkenny are waiting in the wings if the Treaty County falter.
Here we look at the story of last weekend and bring you the best odds available with GAA betting sites.
Limerick, Tipperary And Cork Victorious
Despite losing out to All-Ireland champions (and 2025 league winners) Clare the previous weekend, Limerick were still very much in the reckoning for Division 1A of the NHL due to them having games in hand on every other team in the top tier.
Last Saturday, they faced Galway in the Gaelic Grounds. With Shane O’Brien (1-3) and Aaron Gillane (0-6) in fine scoring form, the Treaty emerged victorious on a final scoreline of 1-27 to 0-18.
While Conor Cooney was dismissed for Galway for a second yellow card offence in the second half of that game, the two fixtures in Division 1A on Sunday also produced a significant number of red cards.
At Nowlan Park, Darragh McCarthy registered 0-12 as 14-man Tipperary overcame a 12-man Kilkenny by a margin of nine points (2-25 to 1-19).
Over at Cusack Park in Ennis, Brian Hayes (3-1), Declan Dalton (2-6) and Shane Barrett (1-4) all ran riot as Cork defeated Clare on a final score of 6-20 to 0-23.
Although it all happened after the Rebels had contributed their sixth goal of the contest, three players were given their marching orders in this contest.
Clare lost Peter Duggan and David Fitzgerald, while Cork’s Cormac O’Brien was also issued with a red by referee Liam Gordon.
Despite being the two sides to contest last year’s NHL decider, Kilkenny and Clare are both out of the running for a league title in 2025.
The same goes for Wexford, and should Kilkenny pick up at least a point in a refixed encounter against Limerick in Nowlan Park this weekend, then the Slaneysiders and Clare will be consigned to Division 1B hurling for 2026.
That leaves four teams in contention for not only a league final spot but the overall prize in this springtime competition.
Limerick And Cork Head The Betting
In more recent weeks – even though their playing schedule had been restricted – Limerick were seen as favourites for an NHL Division 1A title.
They are still strongly favoured by Boylesports at 11/4 in the wake of last weekend’s win over Galway and in advance of the aforementioned clash away to Kilkenny this Saturday afternoon.
Following the latter game, Limerick will also face Wexford at home in the final round of the group stages on March 22.
Wins in both of their upcoming matches will not necessarily get them back to the league final, but it will give them an excellent chance.
Hell-bent on a big year after losing out to Clare in the 2024 All-Ireland senior hurling championship final, Cork are next best with betting apps at 3/1.
The Leesiders lost to Tipperary in their third game of the campaign, but subsequent wins over Kilkenny and Clare restored their confidence in a timely fashion.
On March 22, Pat Ryan’s side will welcome Galway to Pairc Ui Chaoimh in the final round-robin game of the league for both teams.
You have to go back to 1998 for the last time Cork won a hurling league crown, and they might see success as the perfect platform moving into the summer months.
Tipperary Still In The Reckoning
Tipperary last tasted NHL glory 10 years after Cork’s most recent triumph, when the Premier County held off the challenge of Galway in a compelling affair.
They currently find themselves at the summit of the Division 1A table with four wins from five games.
While Limerick had the measure of them in their all-Munster clash on February 9 in the Gaelic Grounds, Tipperary still came out of that contest with plenty of credit.
Their place in the league final isn’t yet secured, and regardless of how they have been performing thus far in 2025, Clare (7/2) will look to make life difficult for Tipp at Semple Stadium on March 22.
Liam Cahill previously guided Waterford to a league title in 2022, and Ladbrokes are currently offering odds of 10/1 on him, adding another NHL crown to his list of achievements.
Galway Have An Outside Chance
Though last weekend saw them falling to their second 12-point defeat of the season, Galway are still in the running for a decider spot heading into a final-round showdown with Cork.
Between heavy losses to Tipperary and Limerick, the Tribesmen earned consecutive wins against Kilkenny, Clare and Wexford.
This year’s league has been mainly about experimentation for Micheal Donoghue, who is in the first year of his second stint as Galway manager.
The Clarinbridge man has used almost 40 players across their five games in Division 1A.
The team he selects to face Cork mightn’t necessarily be his line-up for the start of the Leinster senior hurling championship, but there remains a competitive streak whenever they take on the Rebels.
Victory at Pairc Ui Chaoimh could get them into next month’s league final, so Galway can’t be easily dismissed.
At the time of writing, they are behind Limerick, Cork and Tipperary in the league betting, but are still a healthy 12/1 for a potential league final success.