Kilkenny vs Tipperary Preview
Two of GAAs biggest rivals will face each other this weekend in the National Hurling League. Kilkenny will host Tipperary in a Division 1A clash at Nowlan Park. It’s a high-stakes game with the Cats hoping to consolidate their divisional status. Meanwhile, Tipperary have eyes on league glory.
Games between these sides are traditionally close and entertaining. It’s fair to say that Tipperary is in a better place right now. But nothing motivates Kilkenny more than playing one of their biggest foes in front of their home crowd. Tipp enter this game as a favourite, but we expect a thriller on Sunday, March 9th.
Kilkenny vs Tipperary Key Stats and Head-to-Head
Tipperary have enjoyed a strong start to their NHL Division 1A campaign. They currently top the table with six points from four games. The Premier Men had three victories, with their only defeat coming against Limerick. Their last fixture saw them enjoy an exciting win over Cork at Semple Stadium.
This was a close encounter between two evenly matched sides. Tipperary took the lead several times, but Cork fought back. The Premier led by four points in the 54th minute, but the Rebels levelled the game at 1-17 each. Dylan Walsh’s late goal helped put the game beyond Cork’s reach as Tipp scored 1-3 in the final minutes.
Ultimately, Tipperary won 2-22 to 1-21. Darragh McCarthy scored ten of his side’s points, including five frees. Meanwhile, Kilkenny suffered a defeat to Cork in their most recent game. The game finished 1-22 to 2-16 as Diarmuid Healy stole the headlines. Cork had a strong finish as they beat the Cats.
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Kilkenny and Tipperary know each other well but haven’t played in the Championship for six years. It’s been a constant contest in the league with these teams pushing each other. The Cats have won three of their past five meetings, but Tipperary won the last two instalments. Their most recent outing saw Tipp defeat Kilkenny 2-24 to 1-21 at Nowlan Park.
Eoin Cody scored six points for Kilkenny with the Ballyhale Shamrocks man providing a crucial influence for his team. Arguably, they need more from their forwards who didn’t contribute enough in this match. Keep an eye on the goalkeepers in this match. Eoin Murphy is a four-time All-Star while Brian Hogan also won the coveted award in 2019.
Kilkenny vs Tipperary Predictions
Predicted Score: Kilkenny 1-18 – 1-22 Tipperary
Kilkenny and Tipperary always deliver exciting games for hurling fans. This should be a close contest, but our GAA prediction is for Tipperary to win. They’re enjoying a strong league campaign except for that blip against Limerick. They’ll believe they can beat Kilkenny and maintain their grip on Division 1A’s top spot.
We think Tipp will win this game in midfield and overwhelm Kilkenny’s players. They dominated Cork in a way that Kilkenny couldn’t. There’s a chance that Derek Lyng will learn some lessons from that defeat. However, we believe that Liam Cahill will have watched Kilkenny’s loss with interest and gained key data.
The extra week of rest could be key for Tipperary. Kilkenny hasn’t enjoyed as much time on the training grounds as the Premier Men. We think Tipperary is in a better place going into this game and this could be the difference between the sides. Their confidence is higher while Kilkenny is still in a transitional period with doubts about Lyng’s future.
We don’t think there will be many goals in this game. Kilkenny’s forwards haven’t been prolific in front of goal, with most of their points coming from the field. Meanwhile, Tipperary’s Brian Hogan is having a good year and isn’t an easy man to beat. Likely, there will only be a single goal apiece.
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Darragh McCarthy will be Tipperary’s key player in this game. His ten points against Cork were massive and he’ll be a crucial cog again. Tipp can’t afford to waste any deadball situations against Kilkenny in enemy territory. In McCarthy, they have one of the best free takers in the country.
Another defeat for Kilkenny would intensify the pressure on Derek Lyng. Many people already think Henry Shefflin is their manager-in-waiting. We predict his team will respond well from their defeat last weekend but we don’t know if they have the depth to beat Tipperary.
Don’t forget to check out the live betting odds during this game. There are so many variables that can affect hurling games. From early goals to GAA black cards or even strong winds, the odds may fluctuate throughout this clash.
Kilkenny vs Tipperary Betting Tips
The odds are close for this game between two of hurling’s traditional giants. Tipperary enters this game as a slight favourite on our sports betting site. It’s 5/6 for them to defeat one of their biggest rivals in an outright victory. Betting on Tipperary makes sense because they’re in better form than Kilkenny.
A €10 bet on Tipperary to win outright could make €8.33. These are decent odds because Tipperary has some of the country’s most in-form players. They’ve also won their past two league meetings with the Cats and had more rest than their rivals. They’re favourites for several good reasons.
Meanwhile, Kilkenny will enter this game as a 6/5 underdog. This means that a successful €10 wager would make €12. Some players will believe this is worth the risk because the Cats can be as good as anybody in the country on their day. Unfortunately, they haven’t achieved consistency under Derek Lyng’s stewardship.
However, nothing could motivate them more than playing Tipperary in front of their home fans. This is a tribal rivalry and they have a decent chance of an upset. Nonetheless, we’d favour backing Tipperary and would advise applying a handicap. We’re expecting Tipperary to win by at least four points.
Tipperary manager Liam Cahill was delighted by the attitude his side showed in the win over Cork. pic.twitter.com/j7cFJ9ncFV
— RTÉ GAA (@RTEgaa) February 22, 2025
Check out the other hurling markets in this game. We predict that Darragh McCarthy will be this game’s top scorer because he’s been in electric form this year. Kilkenny can’t give him too many opportunities because he will make them pay. He’s a good bet to be the RTE Man of the Match.
Another option is an over-under wager on the total number of points scored. There will be under 50 and we predict both sides will score a goal apiece, but Tipperary will score more points from play. We also think Tipperary could enjoy a strong finish to this game and blow Kilkenny away in the last fifteen minutes.
GAA games can be passionate affairs. Why not bet on the total number of black, yellow, or red cards? The officials may have their work cut out because there’s so much on the line. Derek Lyng is looking over his shoulder because relegation isn’t impossible. Last year’s champions Clare are currently at the bottom of the table.
This is a good weekend to bet on the National Hurling League as Limerick plays Galway in the pick of the remaining ties. The Treaty is a heavy favourite but the Tribesmen will believe they can cause an upset. Clare faces Cork in another potential thriller with massive league implications.
Kilkenny Team News and Predicted Lineup
Derek Lyng may make a couple of changes from the team that lost to Cork last weekend. He needs more from his forwards and may be tempted to switch things up against Tipperary.
- Predicted Lineup: E Murphy, T Walsh, H Lawlor, M Butler, D Blanchfield, M Carey, P Deegan, K Doyle, J Molloy, M Keoghan, C Kenny, B Ryan, E Cody, S Donnelly, and H Shine.
Tipperary Team News and Predicted Lineup
We don’t think Tipperary will make any unenforced changes from their victory over Cork. Liam Cahill has a settled lineup and will send the same men into battle against Kilkenny.
- Predicted Lineup: B Hogan, E Connolly, M Breen, R Doyle, J Caesar, R Maher, B O’Mara, C Morgan, W Connors, A Tynan, J Morris, G O’Connor, S Kenneally, J Forde, and D McCarthy.
