Tournament | Munster Senior Hurling Championship |
Timetable | Sunday 19th May at 14:00 GMT |
Prediction | Clare To Win! |
Odds | Clare to Win @ 1.44 |
Bookmaker | BoyleSports |
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This weekend will see a potentially pivotal clash in the Munster Championship, as Waterford travels to Cusack Park in Ennis to take on rivals Clare. Waterford are currently second in the provincial table and in pole position to qualify for the Munster final, but Clare are just a point behind and would leapfrog their opponents with a victory on Sunday. ‘The Banner County’ took the weekend off in gameweek two, while Waterford were held to a draw by Tipperary at Walsh Park and missed the chance to strengthen their grip on second. But what odds are Ireland’s best betting sites offering ahead of this match, and do I think will win in mid-west Ireland?
🏆 Clare vs Waterford Munster Championship Prediction
Clare entered the Munster Championship on the crest of a wave, having ended a seven-year trophy drought by winning the Allianz First Division title. They went unbeaten in seven matches during their league campaign (including the divisional final against Kilkenny), with left-corner forward Aidan McCarthy contributing 2-36 and 42 points in total at a rate of exactly 7.00 per game.
Interestingly, Clare defeated Waterford during their Division 1A campaign, prevailing by a single point after a high quality clash at Walsh Park. This was one of four defeats recorded by ‘The Crystal County’ during their own National League campaign, with a home loss to Kilkenny in the final round of fixtures confirming their relegation to Division 1B in 2025.
However, Clare were beaten by three points in their Munster opener at home to Limerick, and while they edged Cork in a thriller at the Páirc Uí Chaoimh the following week, they’ve already conceded six goals in just two provisional outings. They found themselves six points down early in the second half against Cork, before a red card for Sean O'Donoghue's red card and some inspired finishing from Shane O’Donnell (1-1) eventually saw them home.
Waterford also looked defensively vulnerable in their draw with Tipperary, as the Premier County struck four unanswered points from the 67th minutes onwards to secure an unlikely point. So, this could well be high scoring and entertaining match at Cusack Park, and I’m tipping Clare to ultimately prevail in front of their own fans.
My Prediction:🏆Clare to win!
💯 Clare vs Waterford Munster Championship Odds
Clare are the heavy pre-game favourites to defeat Waterford in Ennis, with this having much to do with their superb National League campaign and Division 1 title triumph. They also came close to defeating All-Ireland champions Limerick in their Munster opener, only for their opponents to overturn a nine-point deficit during the final quarter. In addition to the win market, however, you can also explore a diverse range of alternative hurling betting markets, such as handicapping and predicting the eventual winning margin.
Clare vs Waterford: Match Winner
At the time of writing, Clare are priced at 1.44 to defeat Waterford at Cusack Park. These odds imply a 69.44% probability of a home win, while they reflect the fact that the Banner County have lost just once competitively in front of their own fans in 2024. As for Waterford, they can be backed to prevail at around 3.50, suggesting that they have just a 28.57% chance of avenging their league defeat against Clare on February 11th. The draw is priced as high as 10.00, implying a 10% of the match ending tied after 70 minutes.
Clare to Win | 1.44 | 1.44 | 1.44 | 1.40 | 1.41 |
Waterford to Win | 3.25 | 3.25 | 3.25 | 3.40 | 3.50 |
Draw | 9.00 | 9.00 | 9.00 | 10.00 | 10.00 |
✔️ Clare vs Waterford - Betting Tips
Even if you decide that there isn’t a great deal of value to be found in the win market, there are plenty of other wager types that enable you to create value and make the most of your real money bankroll or available free bets. Here are some expert betting tips and insights to keep in mind!
- : Tip 1: Back Clare to Win with a Handicap of -3 Points: Not only do the pre-game odds imply a 69.44% probability of a Clare victory this weekend, but the Banner County have won five of their previous six competitive matches against Waterford since June 2021. Four of these victories have been by four points or more too, including a 22-point, 6-goal thrashing of the Crystal County in last year’s National League campaign. Home advantage could also prove key for Clare, so get on them to win with a nominal handicap of -3 points at the enhanced price of 1.83 with BoyleSports.
- Tip 2: Back Clare to Win by Between 4 and 6 Points: Clare’s previous five victories over Waterford have produced a combined winning margin of 51 points, at an average of 10.2 points per game. However, they prevailed by just a single point at Walsh Park in the Division 1A encounter on February 11th, while their defensive frailties them finish just two points ahead of Cork on matchday two of the Munster Championship. Ultimately, Waterford should be competitive at Cusack Park, so get on Clare to win by between just four and six points at the competitive price of 5.50 with 888 Sport.
- Tip 3: Back Aidan McCarthy as an Anytime Goalscorer: Aidan McCarthy, Mark Rodgers and Shane O’Donnell remain Clare’s most potent attacking threats, although the former has shouldered the main scoring burden in 2024 so far. He has already contributed 2-20 in his two Munster appearances against Limerick and Cork, including 1-10 in defeat against the former. Remember, McCarthy also struck 42 points (including two further goals) in his six National League outings this term, so get on him as an anytime goalscorer at a price of 3.40 with BoyleSports.
1️⃣ Clare Update
Clare went unbeaten throughout the entirety of their Division 1A National League campaign, winning six of their seven matches, including the divisional final against Kilkenny on April 6th. The aforementioned Aidan McCarthy shot 2-10 against the Cats to cap a high scoring campaign, while defensive lynchpin Adam Hogan led superbly from the back. Overall, the Banner have lost just one of their nine competitive matches through 2024, and even All-Ireland champions Limerick required a stunning final quarter comeback to defeat Clare in Ennis. Mark Rodgers and the returning Shane O’Donnell have also started the Munster campaign in excellent form, with both notching goals in the recent victory at Cork.
Last 5 Games | |
---|---|
Cork3-24 Clare 3-26 | 28.04.24 Munster Senior Hurling Championship |
Clare 1-18 Limerick 3-15 | 21.04.24 Munster Senior Hurling Championship |
Clare 3-16 Kilkenny 1-20 | 06.04.24 Allianz Hurling League Roinn Division 1 Final |
Clare 1-24 Tipperary 2-13 | 24.03.24 Allianz Hurling League Roinn Division 1 Semi-Final |
Offaly 1-19 Clare 0-23 | 16.03.24 Allianz Hurling League Roinn 1A |
After missing the entirety of Clare’s successful National League campaign following ankle surgery, Shane O’Donnell is now fully fit and central to the Banner’s Munster title tilt. Star midfielder Tony Kelly is also fit again after recovering from a similarly serious ankle knock, scoring two points in the narrow defeat against Limerick at the start of the provincial campaign.
2️⃣ Waterford Update
Since kicking off their Division 1A National League campaign with a 12-point victory at Offaly on February 4th, Waterford have won just one of their subsequent six competitive matches. They’ve lost four of these games too, including a narrow, one-point reversal at home to Munster rivals Clare on February 11th. Although Waterford ultimately lost four of their five National League matches and were relegated to Division 1B, full forward Stephen Bennett provided a relative bright spark, shooting 2-10 and six points against Clare alone. This will provide Crystal County with at least some cause for optimism as they make the trip to Ennis.
Last 5 Games | |
---|---|
Waterford 3-21 Tipperary 1-27 | 04.05.24 Munster Senior Hurling Championship |
Waterford 2-25 Cork 1-25 | 21.04.24 Munster Senior Hurling Championship |
Waterford 2-9 Kilkenny 0-18 | 16.03.24 Allianz Hurling League Roinn 1A |
Waterford 1-23 Wexford 2-23 | 10.03.24 Allianz Hurling League Roinn 1A |
Cork 1-21 Waterford 1-19 | 25.02.24 Allianz Hurling League Roinn 1A |
Bennett’s form remains strong despite a persistent and chronic hip injury, which continues to threaten his career and requires Waterford coach Davy Fitzgerald to manage him carefully. Two-time All-Star defender Tadhg de Búrca also made his competitive return from an Achilles tendon injury against Cork in the first round of Munster fixtures, and is expected to start again this weekend.
Player | Reason |
---|---|
Stephen Bennett | Hip Injury |
👕Clare vs Waterford - Potential Lineups
Pos. | Clare6-2-6 | Waterford6-2-6 | Pos. |
---|---|---|---|
Goalkeeper | E. Quilligan | S. O'Brien | Goalkeeper |
Right Corner-Back | A. Hogan | K. Bennett | Right Corner-Back |
Half-Back | C. Cleary | C. Prunty | Half-Back |
Left Corner-Back | R. Hayes | I. Daly | Left Corner-Back |
Right Half-Back | D. Ryan | M. Fitzgerald | Right Half-Back |
Centre Half-Back | J. Conlan | Tadhg de Búrca | Centre Half-Back |
Left Half-Back | D. McInerney | C. Lyons | Left Half-Back |
Midfielder | D. Fitzgerald | J. Barron | Midfielder |
Midfielder | D. Lohan | D. Lyons | Midfielder |
Right Half-Forward | C. Malone | N. Montgomery | Right Half-Forward |
Centre Half-Forward | M. Rodgers | S. Bennett | Centre Half-Forward |
Left Half-Forward | P. Duggan | J. Prendergast | Left Half-Forward |
Right Corner-Forward | A. McCarthy | D. Hutchinson | Right Corner-Forward |
Full Forward | S. O'Donnell | M. Kiely | Full Forward |
Left Corner-Forward | D. Reidy | K. Mahony | Left Corner-Forward |
✒️ Lewis Humphries – Expert Tipster
Lewis Humphries is an experienced football and GAA writer and tipster from the UK. He writes regularly about the Champions League, Premier League, Serie A and the GAA provincial championships, regularly delivering expert match predictions and betting insights. He also successfully predicted the winner of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, while accurately forecasting the outcome of several group stage and knockout games.