Kilkenny vs Wexford: Prediction & Odds - Leinster Hurling

🏆 Kilkenny vs Wexford Leinster Championship Prediction

Wexford’s win over last year’s Joe McDonagh Cup winners was clinical, with Carlow having been tipped by some to cause an upset after their heroic draw with Kilkenny during the previous week. However, Rory O’Connor set the tone with an early point for Wexford before McDonald converted after home keeper Brian Tracey had an attempted clearance charged down.

Carlow folded under the subsequent pressure, with Chin taking centre stage and amassing 0-9 in the first half alone as the Yellowbellies took control.

Although Kilkenny were made to work much harder for their win over the Dubs at Parnell Park, their two-point triumph highlighted all of their attacking quality and bloody-minded resilience. The match was level nine times in total as action ebbed and flowed, but TJ Reid (0-8) and John Donnelly (0-7) ensured that Kilkenny remained competitive throughout before Eoin Cody (1-3) struck a dramatic late goal to secure top spot in the Leinster table.

Just a point separates these sides in the Leinster table, courtesy of Wexford’s surprise defeat to Antrim on matchday two. The recent head-to-head record also highlights the evenly matched nature of the contest, with the previous nine provincial and National League encounters yielding four wins for Wexford, three for Kilkenny and two pulsating draws. This season’s NL clash produced one of these tied games, with the sides sharing 44 points and four goals on February 4th at Nowlan Park as Wexford substitute Cian Byrne struck an opportunistic stoppage time goal to secure a point.

Interestingly, the last nine encounters have produced 25 goals in total, including nine in Wexford’s stunning 4-23 to 5-18 provincial victory in 2023. Three of the last four have seen at least four goals scored, with both teams characterised by exceptional attacking quality and occasional defensive lapses. However, the return to fitness of corner-forward Adrian Mullen could prove crucial for Kilkenny, who have yet to lose at home competitively in 2024. So, I’m predicting a narrow win for the Cats here!

💯 Kilkenny vs Wexford Leinster Championship Odds

Kilkenny are the pre-game favourites in the win market, especially having recently placed second in National League Division 1A and narrowly lost to Clare in the divisional final at the Semple Stadium. Wexford’s own league campaign was disappointing in comparison, as they won just one of their five matches and only avoided relegation by three points. Although the Cats are prohibitively priced to defeat Wexford, there are several alternatives hurling betting markets available, including handicap wagering and picking anytime goalscorers during the game.

Kilkenny vs Wexford: Match Winner

You can back Kilkenny to overcome the Yellowbellies at an average price of 1.36. These odds imply a 73.52% probability of a home victory, despite the Cats having not defeated their week five opponents since 2021. As for Wexford, they’re priced at around 3.75 to beat Kilkenny and book their place in the Leinster final, so there’s a 26.66% chance of them achieving this objective. The draw can be backed as high as 11.00, implying just a 9.09% probability of the match ending tied after 70 minutes. While this is the least statistically likely outcome, the two sides did share spoils in February in the National League.

Kilkenny to Win	1.36	1.33	1.36	1.33	1.36
Wexford to Win	3.75	3.50	3.50	3.75	3.75
Draw	10.00	11.00	10.00	11.00	11.00

✔️Kilkenny vs Wexford - Betting Tips

However you choose to bet on the match between Kilkenny and Wexford, it’s important that you identify the best value markets and strive to inform each pick with detailed analysis. To help you on your way, here are my expert betting tips and insights ahead of the game!

• : Tip 1: Back Kilkenny to Win by Between 1 and 3 Points: The win market odds don’t really reflect the evenly matched nature of the two teams, or the fact that Wexford are unbeaten in three against the Cats. Seven of the previous nine meetings have produced a victory for one side or the other, alongside a combined winning margin of 27 points (at an average of just 3.85 points per game). So, this is likely to be a close and keenly contested match, and you can create value by backing Kilkenny to win by a margin of between one and three points at the enhanced price of 5.00 with BoyleSports.
• Tip 2: Back Kilkenny in the Draw No Bet Market: As there’s little to choose between these two sides, the draw is a very real possibility at Nowlan Park (despite this outcome being prohibitively priced and having an implied probability of just 9.09%). Even the recent league meeting on February 4th ended tied, after Cats’ centre forward Cian Byrne poached a 71st-minute goal following a save by Eoin Murphy. In total, Wexford have drawn four of their last seven matches. So, there may be value in eliminating the tie as a possibility and backing Kilkenny in the Draw No Bet market, at a price of 1.30 with 888 Sport.
• Tip 3: Back Eion Cody as an Anytime Goalscorer: Cody’s recent return from injury inspired the Cats against Dublin last time out, as he struck 1-3 including the dramatic late winner at Parnell Park. It was as if the corner-forward had never been away, after he registered an impressive 3-23 during Kilkenny’s impressive National League campaign this year. He also went 3-16 in his six Leinster appearances in 2023 and scored two goals in the subsequent All-Ireland Championship. So, if you want to maximise any of your available free bets, back Cody as an anytime goalscorer at a price of 2.40 with BoyleSports.

1️⃣ Clare Update

In addition to going winless in their previous three provincial and National League matches with Wexford since 2021, Kilkenny have only triumphed in two of their last five competitive games. This sequence included frustrating draws against Carlow and Galway in the Leinster Championship, while Clare also defeated them by two points in the Allianz Division 1 final on April 6th. The good news for the Cats is that they’re unbeaten in their 2024 Leinster campaign so far and have already booked their place in the All-Ireland Championship, while the likely return of Adrian Mullen from a groin injury will offer a significant boost.

Kilkenny were facing a mini injury crisis after their thrashing of Antrim during the first round of Leinster fixtures, with goalkeeper Eoin Murphy, Eoin Cody and Adrian Mullen all withdrawn after picking up knocks. However, Murphy and Cody have already made swift returns to the starting 15, while Mullen is also expected to recover in time for the weekend. However, he will continue to be assessed throughout the week.

2️⃣ Wexford Update

Wexford have won their last two matches to fire themselves into contention to reach the 2024 Leinster final, following up an impressive victory over Galway on matchday three with their convincing 26-point thrashing of Carlow last time out. However, this snapped a run of just one win in seven competitive games for the Yellowbellies, who have been beaten soundly by both Antrim and Cork during this sequence and have been held to four frustrating draws. Left corner forward Séamus Casey will remain the primary goal threat for Wexford, having shot 3-26 during the National League campaign and recently resumed his potent partnership with the fit again Lee Chin.

Wexford skipper Chin made his return from a niggling hamstring injury in the Leinster SFC opener against Dublin, and he has already contributed 56 points (3-47) in just four provincial matches so far. This is great news for the Yellowbellies, who should be largely at full strength for the trip to Pennefatherslot to face Kilkenny.

👕 Kilkenny vs Wexford - 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.