GAA Betting: Cork Still All-Ireland Hurling Frontrunners
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There might have only been one championship game last weekend, but that hasn’t stopped the best betting sites for GAA offering odds for this year’s All-Ireland senior hurling crown.
Having remained idle during the second round of the competition, Limerick were eager for a return to competitive action in the Munster Senior Hurling Championship against Waterford at Walsh Park.
After sharing the spoils with Tipperary in Thurles on April 20 (2-23 apiece), the Treaty had their sights set on a first championship victory for 2025.
Limerick Have The Measure Of Waterford
For their part, Waterford had claimed a surprise 2-23 to 0-21 win over reigning All-Ireland hurling champions Clare on April 27, and were looking to take another big scalp on their home turf.
Yet the Deise were faced into a six-day turnaround and this made their task that bit harder against a Limerick side that now have the vast majority of their big guns available.
Supplementing the impressive hauls of Aaron Gillane (0-9) and Shane O’Brien (0-4), Cian Lynch knocked over three points for John Kiely’s men in a player of the match performance.
Stephen Bennett registered nine points of his own to help keep Waterford in touch, but Limerick ultimately emerged with a 0-28 to 0-22 triumph.
This weekend will also see just one game taking place in the Munster championship, but it is a contest that is set to be hotly-anticipated. At Cusack Park on Saturday, All-Ireland holders Clare and Tipperary will face off in a mouthwatering encounter.
Because they have just one point to their names from the opening two rounds of the competition, both teams recognise that losing this game could put them at risk of failing to advance beyond the provincial series this year.
The Leinster Senior Hurling Championship isn’t held in the same esteem as its Munster equivalent, but there are nevertheless some intriguing battles coming on the horizon.
Kilkenny and Dublin will be looking to maintain their 100% starts to this year’s Leinster SHC when they face Offaly and Antrim respectively on Saturday, while Galway will host Wexford in a crunch battle in Salthill on the same day.
The scheduling of the Munster championship means that four teams won’t be in action this weekend and it is one of that quartet that is still rated as the favourites for this year’s All-Ireland series.
Having let a nine-point lead slip from their grasp in the wake of Shane Barrett being red carded in their draw with Clare at Cusack Park on April 20, Cork took advantage of the early dismissal of opposition attacker Darragh McCarthy in their 4-27 to 0-24 victory against Tipperary seven days later.
They still have tough fixtures ahead of them against Limerick and Waterford, but their success in this year’s National Hurling League – and their impressive run to the All-Ireland final in 2024 – had many people believing that the Leesiders can claim the Liam MacCarthy Cup in the coming months.
This is how bookmakers are currently viewing things as well with GAA betting sites pricing them as 7/5 frontrunners for the top prize.
It is 20 years since Cork last climbed the steps of the Hogan Stand in an All-Ireland hurling final and there appeared to be strong momentum behind their challenge.
Limerick Still Have Great Chance Of Success
Yet Limerick will hope to have a big say in the destination of Liam MacCarthy – having previously been the sport’s dominant team for a number of years.
Their quest for a fifth All-Ireland senior hurling championship title on the bounce was ended by Cork at the semi-final stage of the competition in 2024.
The Rebels also got the better of Limerick in the Munster championship and their forthcoming meeting on May 18 will give us a firm indication of the level that the Treaty are at in the current campaign.
Not being favourites for the All-Ireland might be somewhat unfamiliar for them at this stage, but Kiely’s outfit are still very much in the mix at odds of 15/8 with betting apps.
Kilkenny And Clare Also In The Mix
As the side that are expected to win the Leinster SHC crown (and therefore advance automatically to the last-four of the All-Ireland championship), it is no surprise that Kilkenny are right behind the likes of Cork and Limerick in the outright betting for the Liam MacCarthy Cup.
At odds of 13/2, the Cats could well be a team worth exploring for a potential All-Ireland shot.
It is a decade since Kilkenny got their hands on the trophy and this is regarded as a major drought for a county that is so steeped in hurling tradition.
Like their footballing counterparts Armagh, current All-Ireland holders Clare aren’t quite up there as the favourites for another national championship crown, but they are certainly not being ruled out of the equation.
Available at 14/1, the Banner County are looking to complete back-to-back titles in 2025. They will need to get the better of Tipperary to keep their hopes alive, but a win in that game could have a galvanising effect for their campaign.
Galway, Waterford And Tipperary Are Outsiders
Though they picked up their first win of the championship with relative ease against Offaly, a heavy opening round reversal to Kilkenny has people doubting whether Galway are viable contenders for either a Leinster or All-Ireland crown in 2025.
There is a sense that the Tribesmen are in a rebuilding phase at the beginning of Micheal Donoghue’s second spell as team boss and there might be some inconsistencies to their performances and results as a consequence.
Available at odds of 20/1, Galway are largely viewed as an outside bet for All-Ireland glory.
Similar odds are currently available on Munster duo Waterford (20/1) and Tipperary (25/1), who will be fighting tooth and nail just to remain in the championship beyond the provincial phase.
The fact that Waterford already have a win under their belts could give them a fighting chance of remaining in contention, but a victory against Clare this weekend would see Tipperary’s All-Ireland odds shortened considerably in the blink of an eye.
The chances are that at least one of them will make it into the top-three at the end of the Leinster championship, but Dublin (100/1) and Wexford (66/1) are only regarded as rank outsiders for an unlikely All-Ireland bid.