All-Ireland Hurling Championship match predictions and betting tips: No second chances for Cork

Best bets

Antrim +5
3pts Evs BoyleSports

Cork to be winning at half-time
2pts 9-5 Paddy Power

Cork-Limerick double result
1pt 5-1 BoyleSports

All-Ireland Hurling Championship predictions

Dublin v Antrim

4pm Saturday

Bookmakers may be underestimating Antrim after their excellent victory over Wexford a fortnight ago, especially as Dublin have been far from convincing this season.

Michael Donoghue's men were fortunate to nick a draw against Wexford in the opening round of the Leinster Championship and they were pushed all the way by Carlow in their second outing.

Antrim were atrocious in their 32-point hammering at the hands of Kilkenny but they looked a totally different side against Wexford as they recorded a famous two-point victory.

They fielded a vastly different team against Wexford to the one they did against Kilkenny so it is probably wise to draw a line through that opening embarrassment.

With that in mind, it's hard to fathom how Dublin are so short to win this on form. They tend to be inconsistent and haven't shown anywhere near enough this season to suggest they will blow away an Antrim team buoyed by such a tremendous win.

Cork v Limerick

7pm Sunday

Cork welcome All-Ireland champions Limerick to Pairc Ui Chaoimh knowing there will be no second chances and that it will take a monumental effort to come away with a victory.

Cork deserve credit for their display against Clare two weeks ago when they fell short by only two points. They were in the ascendancy for large parts of the game but Sean O'Donoghue's sending off with 18 minutes remaining left them with a tough task.

Nevertheless, it was an encouraging performance against a top side, although the damage had already done by their opening-round loss to Waterford and it leaves Cork desperately needing a performance.

Ciaran Joyce will be missed but Mark Coleman is an able deputy and they could produce the big display that they are capable of, albeit sustaining it for the duration may be beyond them.

Limerick have gone in behind at half-time in four out of their last five games. The only exception was in their latest outing when Tipperary failed to muster any meaningful resistance.

So it may be worth backing Cork to gain the initiative in the first period before Limerick hit top gear and stamp their class as the game wears on.

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