Limerick vs Kilkenny: Cats backed to cause upset in…

Limerick vs Kilkenny: Cats backed to cause upset in All-Ireland hurling final

Kilkenny are starting to pick up support to overcome their underdog status in Sunday’s All-Ireland hurling final against Limerick.

The Treaty are aiming to get their hands on the Liam MacCarthy Cup for the third consecutive season and are hot favourites at 2/5 to do so at the expense of Brian Cody’s men. Limerick are also odds-on at 8/15 to get the job done in 70 minutes.

The Cats have gone seven years without an All-Ireland title, but support for the Leinster champions has been boosted after an ‘epic odds’ offer was launched for new and existing customers on the BoyleSports App.

Kilkenny are now available at 7/2 in the betting to get the better of Limerick in the regulation 70 minutes, while John Kiely’s favourites have been enhanced to even money.

“The All-Ireland final has all the makings of a cracker and Limerick have been popular favourites since the start of the campaign," said Lawrence Lyons, Spokesperson for BoyleSports.

"But the trends are pointing to a very close margin of victory and Kilkenny are picking up a lot of support in the past 24 hours, no doubt helped by the epic 7/2 on offer for an upset.”

Yesterday, former Limerick star Shane Dowling told Boylesports that the heat could be a huge factor and make it a very close encounter.

“It’s going to be between 28-30°C on Sunday which is crazy heat and it’s going to be a huge talking point,” Dowling said.

“If both teams are going to go at it, you’re going to get a lot of tired bodies come the 60-minute mark, so it’s going to come down to who is most physically capable to keep it going for 75 minutes.

“I’d like to think Limerick are more accustomed to that, but Kilkenny are a young physical side with a bit of experience in the mix as well. Barring Galway you’ve got the two most physical teams in the country, so it has the making of a cracker.

“Limerick are very hot favourites, but it doesn’t make sense to me. I think people are judging it on previous years’ form, but if they do get over the line, I think it’ll be by the closest of margins.”

Kilkenny manager Brian Cody (©INPHO/Ben Whitley)

Dowling also warned Limerick that Brian Cody will be well prepared with a strategy to keep their star players quiet.

“You’d imagine Mikey Butler will be pinpointed to pick someone up,” he added. “The obvious one is Aaron Gillane. Butler is possibly an All-Star as things stand because he’s really good on the ground, but the only thing I’d say is, I don’t know if he’s as good with a high ball coming in – he hasn’t been tested with that.

“If I was Brian Cody, I’d say Huw Lawlor is more accustomed to picking up Aaron Gillane, but one thing for sure is, Cody will have a plan.”

All-Ireland Player of the Year odds (Boylesports)

7/2 Aaron Gillane

4/1 Diarmaid Byrnes

6/1 Adrian Mullen

13/2 TJ Reid

8/1 Barry Nash

8/1 Sean Finn

10/1 Kyle Hayes

12/1 Mikey Butler

16/1 Gearoid Hegarty

33/1 bar