The All-Ireland Hurling 2024 Championship Odds: Cork Shake Things Up
Following a memorable weekend at the penultimate stage of the competition, the best betting sites are having one final look at who is most likely to come out on top in this year’s All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship.
After locking horns in the 2022 and 2023 showpiece deciders, the expectation was that Kilkenny and defending champions Limerick would come through their respective last-four encounters to set up another final meeting at Croke Park on Sunday.
In addition to being winners of the Leinster and Munster championships for several years on the bounce, the two teams have shown in the recent past that they know how to negotiate a semi-final fixture at GAA HQ.
However, Cork and Clare didn't read the script.
Clare Finally Get The Better Of Kilkenny In The Semis
Kilkenny certainly appeared to be on course for another Liam MacCarthy decider spot when Billy Ryan’s 47th-minute goal moved them six points clear of Clare last Saturday at Croke Park.
However, the Banner County had other ideas. Brian Lohan’s men had come up short against The Cats in previous years and were clearly determined to avoid a repeat of those disappointing defeats.
Having found the target during an impressive blitz that helped their side to get back on level terms, Aidan McCarthy and Tony Kelly added late points to push Clare over the line with a final score of 0-24 to 2-16.
This result guaranteed that this year’s Liam MacCarthy Cup final would be an all-Munster affair.
Given they were chasing a record-breaking fifth successive All-Ireland Senior Hurling crown, the expectation was that Limerick would prevail from their last-four showdown with Cork on Sunday and face Clare for the third time this summer.
Cork Dethrone Limerick For Second Time
Even though their Rebel County rivals stormed into the contest at a sold-out Croke Park, Aaron Gillane and David Reidy started to hit their attacking stride as the opening half wore on and John Kiely’s Treaty outfit entered the interval with a 0-16 to 1-11 lead.
Yet Cork overcame Limerick in the round-robin series of the Munster championship at Pairc Ui Chaoimh in May and followed up that victory with further successes at the expense of Tipperary, Offaly and Dublin.
Their performances in the latter two games were regarded as below the standard shown in that earlier clash with Limerick, but they arguably surpassed it in the second half of Sunday’s game.
With their forward line in sparkling form, Cork raced into a seven-point cushion by the 52nd minute.
There were some nervous moments for the Rebel faithful in the dying moments of the game as Limerick staged a brave attempt to force the tie into extra-time, but Cork ultimately returned to the All-Ireland final with a magnificent 1-28 to 0-29 win.
Cork The New Favourites For All-Ireland Hurling Glory
While it might be tempting to think that betting apps are now looking at Cork as the most likely winners as a result of toppling Limerick, the fact is that Pat Ryan’s charges have been attracting attention for quite some time.
Back-to-back defeats against Waterford and Clare had them on the brink of championship elimination, but that aforementioned triumph over Limerick on their home patch suddenly had Cork right back in the mix for ultimate glory.
Although they were still a fair distance behind the defending champions, Cork were second favourites for the All-Ireland at 4/1 in advance of last weekend’s semi-final action.
Their monumental display and result in Croker on Sunday has now made them 8/11 favourites on new betting sites to win a 31st All-Ireland Senior Hurling success.
That said, if Cork were able to take confidence from beating Limerick in the round-robin phase of the Munster championship when preparing for last weekend’s final-four encounter with the Treaty, then the same could be true for Clare in advance of their reunion against the Rebels on Sunday week.
Clare Still An Enticing Option For Croker Glory
When the teams met in Pairc Ui Chaoimh back on April 28, the superb scoring hauls of Aidan McCarthy (0-10) and Mark Rodgers (1-6) proved crucial as Clare claimed a 3-26 to 3-24 victory over Cork.
Though the personnel has changed dramatically in both teams, Clare might well be able to draw inspiration from their All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship final replay win against Cork back in 2013.
This was the county’s last success and just their fourth showpiece victory in the history of the competition.
They have also consistently been up there as one of the top hurling teams in the country for the past three years.
The Banner are available at the enticing odds of 5/4 with Bet365 on Tony Kelly and his team-mates pulling a final win out of the bag.
As well as the outright betting for the Liam MacCarthy Cup, it is also interesting to see what is on offer for the game itself.
Cork are 8/11 favourites with GAA betting sites to come out on top at the end of normal time, while many betting sites regard Clare as a 6/4 prospect to emerge victorious over the course of 70 minutes.
Either way, it is set to be a compelling contest that will hopefully provide a worthy ending to a championship that has produced many spectacular moments and incidents to date.
Clare Still 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 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.
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