All-Ireland Championship: match preview, where to watch and free tips

Best bets

Clare -11
1pt 19-20 Betway

Cork Over 2.5 Goals
1pt 15-8 Paddy Power

Betting preview

It's a case do or die for the four teams in action this weekend in the All-Ireland Hurling Championship and Saturday's clash between Dublin and Cork (Sky Sports Mix, 1.15pm Saturday) looks a particularly messy puzzle from a punting perspective.

The Dubs rose from the dead on Halloween night to draw level with Kilkenny, having trailed by 15 points at half time, but failed to get over the line late on in one of the strangest games in recent memory.

They can take significant positives from that rally, but there was a sense of lost opportunity at the final whistle.

On the other hand, Cork were bitterly disappointing in the Munster semi-final against Waterford, totally out-worked, out-thought and out-performed.

A four-point deficit at the finish flattered Kieran Kingston's men considering some of the aimless hurling they played, and questions about their resilience were raised again.

It's possible they will show their class after blowing away the cobwebs last weekend, boosted by Robbie O'Flynn returning from suspension, but they're too short at 8-15.

Dublin always have the potential to blow hot and cold too, so the best approach could be to back Cork bagging multiple goals against a Dubs side who allowed Kilkenny to rattle the net three times last week.

The Rebels, who looked goal-hungry in the National League when hitting the twine 11 times in five games (the joint-highest total in the group stages), are 15-8 to score over than 2.5 goals and that could represent value.

The other top-level hurling action this weekend should be more straightforward, with Clare set to have little difficulty dispatching Laois, who didn't show much in their comprehensive defeat to Dublin in the Leinster series (3.45pm Saturday).

The Banner County were unfortunate to be drawn against the all-powerful Limerick machine in their opening round of the Munster championship but are in much calmer waters now.

It was a low-scoring affair in brutal conditions when the sides last met in February, when Clare won 0-17 to 0-09, and they should have the necessary tools to cover an 11-point handicap margin this time around.

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