All-Ireland hurling Championship: predictions, betting preview and best bets

Free tips, best bets and analysis for the new All-Ireland hurling campaign

Best bets

Limerick to win the All-Ireland Hurling Championship
3pts 9-4 general

Wexford to win the Leinster Hurling Championship
2pts 4-1 Boylesports

Name the All-Ireland Hurling Championship finalists: Limerick v Wexford
1pt 14-1 Paddy Power

Gearoid Hegarty to win an All-Star Award
3pts 2-1 Paddy Power

Diarmaid Byrnes to win an All-Star Award
2pts 9-4 Paddy Power

Plenty has changed in this unique 2020 All-Ireland Hurling Championship, but Limerick's scintillating brand of hurling remains just as exciting as it was in the pre-Covid world and the Shannonsiders look poised to reach hurling's summit for the second time in three years.

Strong Allianz National League form doesn't always equate to championship riches, but John Kiely's men were playing at a pretty advanced level considering the early stage of the year at which they won all five of their group fixtures.

Topping a group that had a Munster feel to it, Limerick got the better of provincial rivals Tipperary, Waterford and Cork, as well as Galway and Westmeath, before the pandemic's sporting shutdown called a halt to proceedings in March.

However, the quality-filled outfit belatedly collected back-to-back League titles last weekend against Clare in a performance that couldn't have been any more convincing.

That showing was another example of their ability to score freely, and that could prove decisive as weather conditions worsen over the following months.

These unique winter fixtures provide the potential for lower-scoring contests than might typically be expected, but having put up a whopping 36 points on Clare in their most recent outing, that shouldn't be a problem for the 2018 All-Ireland champions, albeit their goal threat doesn't look as dangerous as that of other teams.

There's a strong case to be made that Limerick have been the best team in the country for the past three years.

They looked untouchable after blowing away Tipperary by 12 points in last season's Munster decider, but a combination of Kilkenny's colossal intensity and a slow start from a wasteful Limerick side who shot 15 wides saw their season ended by a single point at the semi-final stage of last year's All-Ireland series.

That defeat will provide significant motivation to prove their credentials while at the peak of their powers.

Crucially, their rich, deep panel should stand them in good stead in a season where squads could possibly be hit with positive Covid tests and see key figures ruled out on quarantine grounds.

Everybody hopes the outcome of the championship won't be impacted by such a scenario, but it still must be recognised as a legitimate worry, as evidenced by Offaly's inability to field a team against Kildare last week.

It's been 55 years since reigning champions Tipperary have won back-to-back All-Irelands and meeting a match-fit Limerick side this weekend will be an extremely testing return in the Munster semi-final.

Limerick's position at the top of the market as 9-4 favourites is justified and they should be able to lift Liam MacCarthy if they perform to their full ability.

Diarmaid Byrnes provides a commanding presence to the half-back line and is capable of scoring from distance, as evidenced by his three-point tally against Clare last weekend.

He makes plenty of appeal at 9-4 to win an All-Star Award this year, while the same side's phenomenal Gearoid Hegarty should also feature among the country's top 15 players and is a confident pick at 2-1.

Kilkenny head the Leinster Championship market at a general 11-8, but that looks skimpy enough and the value is surely with Wexford at a tasty 4-1.

Davy Fitzgerald's men only lost one of their five National League fixtures and that was a three-point defeat to Clare in testing conditions, punished for hitting ten second-half wides on that occasion.

Wexford's style of hurling can be physically demanding on their players and arriving into this championship fresh, having wrapped up their club action earlier than the majority of counties, could be a plus.

When the Model County are on song, they can trouble any team in the country, as evidenced by their memorable Leinster triumph over Kilkenny - a side against whom Wexford are now unbeaten in their last six clashes.

The talented outfit were just denied by subsequent All-Ireland champions Tipperary in a thrilling semi-final last season, a game in which they played some terrific hurling but couldn't make the advantage of an extra man count.

If any team in Ireland will be negatively impacted by the lack of supporters this year, it's Wexford and their hugely passionate manager, but they still look well equipped to go a long way this season.

Take the 4-1 about them landing the Leinster title, while a Limerick v Wexford All-Ireland final is more likely than the 14-1 with Paddy Power suggests, considering both gained automatic berths to the semi-final stage in 2019 after winning their provinces.

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