Limerick vs Clare: Prediction & Odds - Munster Hurling Finals
| Timetable | Sunday 9th June at 16:00 GMT |
| Prediction | Limerick To Win! |
| Odds | Limerick to Win @ 1.47 |
| Bookmaker | Royalistplay Sports |
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The 2024 Munster Hurling Championship final will take place on Sunday, 9th June, as defending provincial and All-Ireland champions Limerick take on Clare at Tipperary’s Semple Stadium. Interestingly, this will be the third consecutive Munster final contested by these two teams, with Limerick having won both of the previous matches on their way to continued provincial and national dominance. They’ll also start this game as the clear favourites among Ireland’s best betting sites, especially with Clare having not won a provincial title since 1998. But which team do I think will win in Thurles this weekend?
🏆 Limerick vs Clare Munster Championship Prediction
It’s ironic that the final game of the 2024 Munster Championship will mirror the first, with Limerick having defeated Clare by three points at Cusack Park on matchday one. However, the score barely tells the tale of a thrilling match, which saw ‘The Shannonsiders’ complete an astonishing 12-point turnaround after they’d trailed by nine at the turn of the final quarter.
This comeback was completed following a devastating three-goal blitz in just seven minutes, starting with a Diarmaid Byrnes free from 65 metres. The excellent Gearoid Hegarty then laid on further goals for Aaron Gillane and substitute Donnacha Ó Dalaigh, highlighting both Limerick’s exceptional firepower and ability to perform under the most intense pressure.
As for Clare, they’ll take tremendous comfort from the opening 50 minutes of the match, as star forward Aidan McCarthy (1-10) took centre stage. Limerick were also unusually wasteful during this period, hitting 10 wides as Clare were roared on by an impassioned home crowd. Interestingly, McCarthy has struck 1-34 in his four provincial appearances so far in 2024, while he also contributed 2-36 at an average of seven points per game in the National League as ‘The Banner County’ claimed their first Division 1 title for seven years.
However, Clare are arguably a little too reliant on the exploits of McCarthy in attack, while they’ve conceded eight goals in their four provincial matches at a rate of exactly 2.00 per game. The Banner County have also won just one of their previous seven head-to-head Munster fixtures against Limerick, since a decisive 11-point victory in Ennis in June 2018.
All things considered, Limerick have a distinct edge over their bitter Munster rivals, both in terms of their attacking depth and the recent head-to-head record between the two teams. So, I’m tipping the Shannonsiders to defeat Clare once again and claim a fifth consecutive provincial title!
My Prediction:🏆Limerick to win!
💯 Limerick vs Clare Munster Championship Odds
As I’ve already touched on, Limerick on the heavy pre-game betting favourites to defeat Clare in the 2024 Munster Championship final. Although this creates only nominal value in the win market, the good news is that you can also wager on the eventual margin of victory and over/under on how many points will be scored during normal time. These remains enduring popular hurling betting markets. If you want to back Limerick to win at enhanced odds, you could also consider applying a points handicap from the betting lines available online.
Limerick vs Clare: Match Winner
If you do choose to back Limerick to win the Munster final outright, you can do so at an average price of 1.47. These odds imply a 68.02% probability of a victory for the Shannonsiders, who have lost just once against their provincial rivals in the previous six years. Conversely, you can pick Clare to prevail at odds of around 3.10, suggesting that they have a 32.25% chance of ending their losing streak in finals against Limerick and snapping their rivals’ Munster dominance. The draw is the statistically least likely outcome and can be backed at 9.50, implying just a 10.52% probability of the match ending tied after 70 minutes.
| Team to win |  |  |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Limerick to Win | 1.47 | 1.47 | TBC | 1.47 | TBC |
| Clare to Win | 3.10 | 3.10 | TBC | 3.10 | TBC |
| Draw | 9.50 | 9.50 | TBC | 9.50 | TBC |
✔️ Limerick vs Clare - Betting Tips
Not only is their minimal value in backing Limerick to win outright, but Clare’s odds of 3.10 are also arguably a little short given their rival’s provincial dominance. So, we’d recommend exploring some alternative Limerick vs Clare betting lines and markets ahead of this match. Here are some expert betting tips to keep in mind!
- : Tip 1: Back Limerick to Win with a Handicap of -2.5 Points: Limerick have emerged victorious in three of their previous five provincial matches against Clare, by a combined winning margin of just 10 points. This equates to an average winning margin of just 3.33 points per game, with the Shannonsiders’ prolific and varied attack (and big-game pedigree) often proving decisive in otherwise tight and evenly matched encounters. Because of this, there’s some value in backing Limerick to win with a nominal handicap of -2.5 points, at the enhanced price of 1.75 with 1Bet Sports.
- Tip 2: Back Clare to Lead at Half-Time: In recent provincial fixtures between these two Munster giants, Clare have typically been the faster starters, trailing Limerick only once at half-time in their previous five matches. They were five points ahead at the break in this season’s first Munster clash in Ennis on April 21st, while it was only a final quarter collapse that ultimately saw them succumb to Limerick’s relentless waves of attack. Because of this, you may want to consider backing Clare to lead narrowly at half-time in the Munster final, at the competitive price of 2.50 with PalmSlots Sports.
- Tip 3: Back Limerick to Win by Between 4 and 6 Points: If you have one or more free bets available on your account and want to back Limerick to win at even longer odds, you should consider winning margin betting. It’s better to opt for a slender winning margin here, and not only because of the recent head-to-head results between these two sides. Limericks’ three provincial wins in 2024 have also produced a cumulative winning margin of 28 points at a rate of 9.33 per game, but this included 15 and 10-point victories over bottom two Tipperary and Waterford, respectively. So, there’s value in backing Limerick with a more modest winning margin of between 4 and 6 points at a price of 2.40 with RoyalistPlay Sports.
1️⃣ Limerick Update
Despite their all-conquering form in Munster and the All-Ireland series, Limerick have won just three of their previous six matches in all competitions since a one-point victory over Tipperary in the National League Division 1B on March 9th. This run has included a 34-point draw with Galway and Division 1 semi-final defeat against Kilkenny, while free-scoring Cork also stunned the Shannonsiders with a 3-28 to 3-26 provincial win at Páirc Uí Chaoimh on May 11th. However, they’ve also defeated Tipperary, Waterford and most importantly Clare during this sequence, showcasing all of their attacking quality and an enduring ability to win when it matters the most in the process.
| Last 5 Games | ||
|---|---|---|
| Limerick 0-30 Waterford 2-14 | 26.05.24 Munster Senior Hurling Championship | |
| Cork3-28 Limerick 3-26 | 11.05.24 Munster Senior Hurling Championship | |
| Limerick 2-27 Tipperary 0-18 | 28.04.24 Munster Senior Hurling Championship | |
| Clare 1-18 Limerick 3-15 | 21.04.24 Munster Senior Hurling Championship | |
| Limerick 1-15 Kilkenny 3-17 | 23.03.24 Allianz Hurling League Roinn 1 - Semi-Finals | |
Seamus Flanagan could be set to miss the Munster final against Clare, after pulling up with a hamstring injury in the 10-point victory over Waterford last week. Flanagan would be a huge miss for the Shannonsiders, having scored a memorable hattrick in defeat against Cork and struck 12-103 in just 70 appearances for Limerick. His place may be taken by Donnacha Ó Dalaigh, who scored in Limerick’s win over Clare at the beginning of the provincial campaign. Darragh O’Donovan will also miss out as he continues his recovery from a muscle injury.
| Player | Reason |
|---|---|
| Seamus Flanagan | Hamstring Injury |
| Darragh O'Donovan | Muscle Injury |
2️⃣ Clare Update
Even though Clare ended their seven-year trophy hoodoo by beating Kilkenny to win the 2024 Division 1 crown, they were unconvincing in attack for much of their National League campaign. In fact, they scored just a single goal during their five regular season games, before a Division 1 last-four victory over Tipperary triggered an impressive run of 12 goals in five matches. They’ve scored nine in their four Munster matches in 2024 (including one against Limerick), with Aidan McCarthy notching 37 of the 116 points scored by Clare in total (32%). Interestingly, Clare have also shipped eight goals at a rate of 2.00 per game in provincial matches, including three in their home defeat against the Shannonsiders.
| Last 5 Games | |
|---|---|
| Tipperary 0-24Cork | 26.05.24 Munster Senior Hurling Championship |
| Clare 4-21 Waterford 2-26 | 19.05.24 Munster Senior Hurling Championship |
| Cork3-24 Clare 3-26 | 28.04.24 Munster Senior Hurling Championship |
| Clare 1-18 Limerick 3-15 | 21.04.24 Munster Senior Hurling Championship |
| Clare 3-16 Kilkenny 1-20 | 06.04.24 Allianz Hurling League Roinn Division 1 Final |
The return of star midfielder Tony Kelly from ankle surgery on matchday one wasn’t enough to stop Limerick from defeating the Banner, while he continues to be used largely as a substitute by manager Brian Lohan. However, Shane O’Donnell will start after fully recovering from injury and contributing 1-6 in the first four Munster matches of 2024. Otherwise, Clare have no new injury concerns to report.
👕Limerick vs Clare - Potential Lineups
| Pos. | Limerick6-2-6 | Clare6-2-6 | Pos. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goalkeeper | N. Quaid | E. Quilligan | Goalkeeper |
| Right Corner-Back | M. Casey | A. Hogan | Right Corner-Back |
| Half-Back | D. Morrissey | C. Cleary | Half-Back |
| Left Corner-Back | B. Nash | R. Hayes | Left Corner-Back |
| Right Half-Back | D. Byrnes | D. Ryan | Right Half-Back |
| Centre Half-Back | D. Hannon | J. Conlon | Centre Half-Back |
| Left Half-Back | K. Hayes | C. Galvin | Left Half-Back |
| Midfielder | W. O'Donoghue | D. Fitzgerald | Midfielder |
| Midfielder | C. O'Neill | D. Lohan | Midfielder |
| Right Half-Forward | G. Hegarty | C. Malone | Right Half-Forward |
| Centre Half-Forward | C. Lynch | M. Rodgers | Centre Half-Forward |
| Left Half-Forward | T. Morrissey | P. Duggan | Left Half-Forward |
| Right Corner-Forward | A. Gillane | A. McCarthy | Right Corner-Forward |
| Full Forward | D. Ó Dálaigh | S. O'Donnell | Full Forward |
| Left Corner-Forward | David Reidy | David Reidy | Left Corner-Forward |
✒️ 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.
