GAA Betting: Who Are The Contenders For 2025 National Hurling League Title?

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GAA Betting: Who Are The Contenders For 2025 National Hurling League Title?

It was another weekend of intense action, and with round three of the competition just around the corner, betting sites are looking at who the main challengers are for this year’s National Hurling League.

Having begun the 2025 season with an emphatic victory over Galway seven days earlier, Tipperary are now sitting at the summit of the NHL Division 1A table courtesy of their 1-22 to 0-19 win over Wexford. 

Their maximum return from the opening two games of the season leaves them a point in front of Cork – who followed up an earlier victory against Wexford by sharing the spoils with Limerick in Pairc Ui Chaoimh on Saturday evening.

In the wake of losing out to Tipp in the first round, there was pessimism surrounding Galway ahead of their visit to Kilkenny on Sunday. 

Yet, with Declan McLoughlin helping himself to a brace of goals, the Tribesmen earned a morale-boosting triumph on a final score of 2-19 to 1-19.

Cork And Limerick Inseparable Favourites

After their high-octane start to 2025, Cork will receive a bye this weekend from the seven-team Division 1A. 

This could affect their odds with betting apps come Sunday evening, but the Leesiders are neck and neck with provincial rivals Limerick in the National Hurling League betting.

In the eyes of Bet365, both Munster counties are 9/4 to come away with the top-tier NHL title.

There appears to be little to separate the teams at the moment and this was reflected in their meeting in Cork at the weekend.

Despite the adverse conditions, 23,402 spectators passed through the turnstiles to see a compelling derby unfold. 

While Adam English and Patrick O’Donovan led the way for Limerick with four points apiece, a 10th point from Darragh Fitzgibbon rescued a draw for Cork right at the death.

National Hurling League Odds

Team

Odds

Bookmaker

Limerick

9/4

Bet365

Cork

9/4

Bet365

Tipperary

11/2

BoyleSports

Kilkenny

6/1

Bet365

Clare

8/1

Bet365

Galway

10/1

BoyleSports

Wexford

100/1

BoyleSports

Tipperary Are Potential Dark Horses

Tipperary have won three All-Irelands since last winning an NHL crown in 2008, but their recent summer hurling form has been somewhat dubious. 

It has been an encouraging start to the year for the Premier, but Sunday’s visit to Limerick in the Gaelic Grounds will be a major litmus test.

Ace marksman Darragh McCarthy (1-7) was one of 12 scorers for Tipperary in their win over Wexford, and a similar spread might be required if they are to beat Limerick. 

Another victory would further underline their league title credentials, but for the time being, they are rated as third favourites for Division One at 11/2 with BoyleSports.

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Kilkenny Still In Contention

Even though they came up short to Galway on their home patch last weekend, Kilkenny remain in the running for a 2025 league crown at 6/1 with GAA betting sites

Eight points down deep into the second half, the Noresiders registered 1-6 without reply – their goal coming from Eoin Cody – to move a point clear of the Tribesmen inside the final quarter.

The westerners did eventually reinforce their authority with four unanswered points, but Derek Lyng’s Cats had shown plenty of fight during an entertaining second half. 

A visit to Wexford on Saturday night gives them a chance to get their campaign back on track, and Lyng may well be targeting this year’s competition after losing the last two finals to Clare and Limerick.

Clare And Galway Neck And Neck

Even though they are the reigning National Hurling League and All-Ireland champions, Clare (8/1) are only fifth favourites ahead of their meeting with Galway (10/1) at Pearse Stadium on Saturday.

Clare were idle last weekend after losing to Kilkenny in the opening round of the league, and it remains to be seen how beneficial this might prove to be on Saturday. 

What is intriguing about their clash with Galway is that, whereas the Banner are still missing a number of their All-Ireland winning side, Tribes boss Micheal Donoghue has opted to use a huge amount of players across his team’s two games thus far in the league.

He is clearly looking to identify new talent within the county, which makes it very difficult to gauge what kind of line-up he will select in a given week. 

After the Tipperary game, the prospect of a major challenge in the NHL seemed highly unlikely, but another win this weekend could dramatically change things.

Wexford Well Out Of The Reckoning

Meanwhile, it has been a difficult start to 2025 for Wexford, who are currently rooted to the foot of the Division One table following their aforementioned defeats to Cork and Tipperary.

Their performance against the latter was a significant improvement on their performance against the former, with Cian Byrne amassing seven points from their final tally of 0-19. 

Yet Wexford are missing a number of experienced performers for various reasons, and it is showing at the moment.

You have to go all the way back to 1973 for the Slaneysiders’ last top-division triumph in the NHL and 1993 for their last appearance in a Division One final.

The odds of them ending this long barren spell are rated at 100/1 at best.

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