Antrim vs Galway: Prediction & Odds - Leinster Hurling

🏆 Antrim vs Galway Leinster Championship Prediction

It’s fair to say that Antrim have flattered to deceive in the 2024 Leinster SFC so far, with two heavy defeats against Kilkenny and Dublin sandwiching a rousing come-from-behind win over Wexford at Corrigan Park. This victory has kept their chances of reaching the All-Ireland preliminary quarterfinals alive, especially with a match against struggling Carlow following the visit of Galway.

However, Antrim endured a torrid National League campaign, finishing bottom of Division 1 Group B and losing all five of their matches. Their defence was noticeably porous during these games too, shipping 154 points in total and 41 alone against Galway on February 24th. This match saw the Herring Chokers prevail by 25 points in front of a stunned Corrigan Park crowd, while it doesn’t auger well ahead of Galway’s return to Belfast.

Antrim also conceded 39 points against Limerick in the league, while Galway fared significantly better in Division 1 Group B overall. In fact, they lost just one of their five matches and ultimately placed third, earning promotion to the top flight and top scoring with 151 points. Key to their success was Evan Niland, who scored 40 points from just four matches and contributed 0-13 during Galway’s demolition of Antrim in February.

Although Galway were left disappointed after an eight-point defeat to Wexford in the previous round of Leinster SFC fixtures, they held provincial champions Kilkenny to a stirring draw at the Pearse Stadium on matchday two. So, they remain in relatively good form, and I envisage that their attack will have too much for a fragile Antrim team this weekend.

💯 Antrim vs Galway Leinster Championship Odds

As with any inter-county matchup, there’s a myriad of hurling betting markets available ahead of the clash between Antrim and Galway in Belfast. Some of these may be more appealing than others, of course, with score betting and player props offering particular value given Galway’s attacking quality and their opponent’s ongoing defensive issues. Handicap betting is also a consideration here, especially if you want to back the Herring Chokers to win at enhanced odds.

Antrim vs Galway: Match Winner

Given Galway’s impressive league form and the nature of their 25-point win over Antrim in February, it’s no surprise that the Herring Chokers are heavy-betting favourites to win again at Corrigan Park. In fact, you can back them at around 1.05 to prevail in Belfast, implying a 95.23% probability of this outcome occurring. Conversely, Antrim are priced as high as 10.00 to avenge their heavy league defeat, suggesting that they have just a 10% of prevailing in front of their own fans. You can get odds of 21.00 on the draw, implying a 4.76% probability of the match being tied after 70 minutes. Check out Ireland’s best betting sites to compare all available odds in full!

Antrim to Win	10.00	9.00	9.00	8.50	9.00
Galway to Win	1.04	1.07	1.06	1.05	1.05
Draw	21.00	21.00	17.00	26.00	21.00

1️⃣ Antrim Update

Antrim’s Leinster campaign started with a devastating 32-point loss at Kilkenny, as the defending provincial champions plundered five goals without reply at Nowlan Park. Dublin also scored three goals against the Saffrons on matchday three, as they prevailed by 20 points and inflicted Antrim’s seventh defeat in their previous eight matches in all competitions. This sequence included five consecutive losses in Division 1B of the Allianz League, while Antrim have conceded a whopping 18 goals across all eight matches. Wide forward Conal Cunning has at least provided a spark for the Saffron in recent weeks, going 0-18 in his three provincial outings so far in 2024.

Antrim welcomed back Keelan Molloy against Dublin after the midfielder missed the entirety of the Saffron’s league campaign following a late return to duty. He scored 0-2 at Parnell Park. Marauding full-back Gerard Walsh also impressed in his comeback in the win against Wexford on matchday two, after nearly a year on the sidelines with an injury.

2️⃣ Galway Update

Across all competitions, Galway have lost just one of their previous five matches (at Wexford last time out), although this sequence also includes the aforementioned provincial tie against Kilkenny and a 34-point league draw with Limerick on March 16th. However, the draw against the Cats (which was secured by a stoppage-time point from skipper Conor Whelan) showcased Galway’s ability to compete with any opponent on their day, especially with forwards Evan Niland and Gavin Lee posing a constant threat in attack. Lee has struck two goals and five points in his three Leinster appearances so far in 2024, while he contributed 0-11 during the team’s National League campaign.

Galway will remain without cornerback Darren Morrisey for the trip to Belfast, as he continues to nurse the dislocated shoulder he picked up during the home draw against Kilkenny. The clash against Antrim may also come too soon for versatile forward Kevin Cooney, who suffered a bad hamstring injury in February and isn’t expected to return until the latter stages of the All-Ireland Hurling Championship.

👕Antrim vs Galway - Potential Lineups

✒️ 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.