Clare vs Waterford: Prediction & Odds - Munster Hurling

🏆 Clare vs Waterford Munster Championship Prediction

Clare entered the Munster Championship on the crest of a wave, having ended a seven-year trophy drought by winning the Allianz First Division title. They went unbeaten in seven matches during their league campaign (including the divisional final against Kilkenny), with left-corner forward Aidan McCarthy contributing 2-36 and 42 points in total at a rate of exactly 7.00 per game.

Interestingly, Clare defeated Waterford during their Division 1A campaign, prevailing by a single point after a high quality clash at Walsh Park. This was one of four defeats recorded by ‘The Crystal County’ during their own National League campaign, with a home loss to Kilkenny in the final round of fixtures confirming their relegation to Division 1B in 2025.

However, Clare were beaten by three points in their Munster opener at home to Limerick, and while they edged Cork in a thriller at the Páirc Uí Chaoimh the following week, they’ve already conceded six goals in just two provisional outings. They found themselves six points down early in the second half against Cork, before a red card for Sean O'Donoghue's red card and some inspired finishing from Shane O’Donnell (1-1) eventually saw them home.

Waterford also looked defensively vulnerable in their draw with Tipperary, as the Premier County struck four unanswered points from the 67th minutes onwards to secure an unlikely point. So, this could well be high scoring and entertaining match at Cusack Park, and I’m tipping Clare to ultimately prevail in front of their own fans.

💯 Clare vs Waterford Munster Championship Odds

Clare are the heavy pre-game favourites to defeat Waterford in Ennis, with this having much to do with their superb National League campaign and Division 1 title triumph. They also came close to defeating All-Ireland champions Limerick in their Munster opener, only for their opponents to overturn a nine-point deficit during the final quarter. In addition to the win market, however, you can also explore a diverse range of alternative hurling betting markets, such as handicapping and predicting the eventual winning margin.

Clare vs Waterford: Match Winner

At the time of writing, Clare are priced at 1.44 to defeat Waterford at Cusack Park. These odds imply a 69.44% probability of a home win, while they reflect the fact that the Banner County have lost just once competitively in front of their own fans in 2024. As for Waterford, they can be backed to prevail at around 3.50, suggesting that they have just a 28.57% chance of avenging their league defeat against Clare on February 11th. The draw is priced as high as 10.00, implying a 10% of the match ending tied after 70 minutes.

Clare to Win	1.44	1.44	1.44	1.40	1.41
Waterford to Win	3.25	3.25	3.25	3.40	3.50
Draw	9.00	9.00	9.00	10.00	10.00

1️⃣ Clare Update

Clare went unbeaten throughout the entirety of their Division 1A National League campaign, winning six of their seven matches, including the divisional final against Kilkenny on April 6th. The aforementioned Aidan McCarthy shot 2-10 against the Cats to cap a high scoring campaign, while defensive lynchpin Adam Hogan led superbly from the back. Overall, the Banner have lost just one of their nine competitive matches through 2024, and even All-Ireland champions Limerick required a stunning final quarter comeback to defeat Clare in Ennis. Mark Rodgers and the returning Shane O’Donnell have also started the Munster campaign in excellent form, with both notching goals in the recent victory at Cork.

After missing the entirety of Clare’s successful National League campaign following ankle surgery, Shane O’Donnell is now fully fit and central to the Banner’s Munster title tilt. Star midfielder Tony Kelly is also fit again after recovering from a similarly serious ankle knock, scoring two points in the narrow defeat against Limerick at the start of the provincial campaign.

2️⃣ Waterford Update

Since kicking off their Division 1A National League campaign with a 12-point victory at Offaly on February 4th, Waterford have won just one of their subsequent six competitive matches. They’ve lost four of these games too, including a narrow, one-point reversal at home to Munster rivals Clare on February 11th. Although Waterford ultimately lost four of their five National League matches and were relegated to Division 1B, full forward Stephen Bennett provided a relative bright spark, shooting 2-10 and six points against Clare alone. This will provide Crystal County with at least some cause for optimism as they make the trip to Ennis.

Bennett’s form remains strong despite a persistent and chronic hip injury, which continues to threaten his career and requires Waterford coach Davy Fitzgerald to manage him carefully. Two-time All-Star defender Tadhg de Búrca also made his competitive return from an Achilles tendon injury against Cork in the first round of Munster fixtures, and is expected to start again this weekend.

👕Clare vs Waterford - 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.