Na Piarsaigh vs Ballygunner Preview
This year in the 2023-24 Munster Senior Club Hurling Championship, Na Piarsaigh takes on Ballygunner in the semi-final. The throw-in is on Sunday, November 19, at 4:00 PM. The winner of this match will play the victor from the other semi-final, which sees Kiladangan host Clonlara. Both teams know the importance of the game as the winner moves one step closer to a Munster Championship and maybe an All-Ireland medal.
The match will take place in Limerick, the home of Na Piarsaigh, at the famous TUS Gaelic Grounds. The 44,023-seater stadium will be packed to the rafters as Ballygunner seeks to repeat the result from a year ago. This game is a repeat of the fixture when they met at the TUS Gaelic Grounds in the Munster semi-finals 2022-23. The result went in favour of Ballygunner, who beat Na Piarsaigh 2-15 to 2-20, thanks to a second-half triumphant display from Pauric Mahony.
Ballygunner is the favourite side to win this contest. Not only did they dispatch Na Piarsaigh on their turf last year, but Ballygunner is the Munster Champions two seasons in a row. Plus, the Gunners have been in fine form over the past few years, winning their first All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship in the 2021-22 season. While Ballygunner is the bookies’ favourite going into the match on Sunday, anything can happen in hurling, especially in a big game like this.
Na Piarsaigh vs Ballygunner Head-To-Head and Key Stats
Looking at the recent meetings between the sides, Ballygunner has been the winner on both occasions. As we mentioned above, the sides met in November last year at the same stage of the Munster Championship. Na Piarsaigh started strong but ended up losing the game by five points. The final score was 2-15 to the home side and 2-20 to Ballygunner.
You must go as far back as 2018 for the last time these two clubs faced off. Once again, the side from Limerick was at home against the boys from Waterford. The game was another exciting contest. This time, six points separated the teams. Both clubs scored two goals, but it was Ballygunner who came out on top again. The final score was 2-8 to Na Piarsaigh and 2-14 to the visitors.
Na Piarsaigh’s last game was against Patrickswell at the end of October 2023. It was a close match, with only four points separating the sides at the final whistle. Na Piarsaigh was at home, and they scored one goal and 20 points. The visitors that day only scored 19 points, securing an eighth Limerick hurling title for the Wazzies in 12 years.
Ballygunner’s most recent GAA hurling match was the Munster quarter-final match with Sarsfields. The Cork side did not put up much of a fight, and Ballygunner breezed through the match on November 5, 2023. The home side from Waterford scored 2-20, a complete annihilation of the Cork side. Sarsfields did not score any goals and only got nine points on the board. Both sides are in fine form heading into this contest, but it still seems like Waterford is going to another Munster final.
Na Piarsaigh vs Ballygunner Predictions
We predict that Ballygunner is going to win the game this Sunday, by at least four points. Looking at the odds available at sports betting sites, the bookies see the contest going the same way. Betting on Ballygunner is not the best wager as they are the clear favourites with odds of 4/9. A €10 bet on Ballygunner to win outright would return €14.44 if they were successful. The same value bet on Na Piarsaigh is significantly more rewarding, yielding €32.50 if they manage an upset on the day. A draw is the least likely event, as it has odds of 8/1.
GAA Beo na seachtaine ar @TG4TV 🔥
Club championship action continues on @GAA_BEO ✨
📅 Dé Domhnaigh / Sunday
⏰ 13:30
🥎 @KiladanganGAA v @clonlaragaaclub
📍 Craobh @MunsterGAA⏰ 15:45
🥎 @NapGAA v @ballygunnerHc
📍 Craobh @MunsterGAA @nemetontv #GAA pic.twitter.com/XrCAUyipke— Spórt TG4 (@SportTG4) November 13, 2023
While we normally recommend using your welcome bonus at an event like this, you are far better off waiting until the final. Yes, both Na Piarsaigh and Ballygunner are going to go after this game, there is no doubt. But the returns for this fixture mean it’s probably not worth using your bonuses. Instead, you will need to get creative with the wagers you select for game day.
In situations where there is a clear favourite, we always look for handicap wagers. If you have never made a handicap bet, it offers a chance for better returns. The wager assigns an impairment to the favourites and a bonus to the underdogs. In this fixture, the size of the handicap applied to both sides is three. Na Piarsaigh gets a +3, meaning the bookie adds three points to their tally before they even kick a ball. If they are behind by two at the end of the game, they still win the bet. They apply the opposite to the favourite, who will need to overcome a point deficit and win by three points or more.
Our prediction of Ballygunner winning is both in the outright game and for the handicap. We think they have enough firepower to outscore Na Piarsaigh by at least four points on the big day. While Na Piarsaigh is the Limerick champions, we think it would take a red card or something major to tip the odds in their favour. Upsets can happen in hurling, but Ballygunner is one of the frontrunners this year for the All-Ireland Final. It would be some result for Na Piarsaigh to upset the favourites this weekend.
REPORT: @NapGAA defeated @patrickswellgaa in the @LimerickCLG SHC Final #GAA
— The GAA (@officialgaa) October 28, 2023
If you are thinking about placing wagers on game day, there are plenty of live betting options to consider. The last time these sides met, Pauric Mahony settled the game by scoring 13 points. If you are watching the match and somebody looks in fine scoring form, you can bet on them to score next or the total number of points in 60 minutes. In-play betting is a great way to avoid injuries or other unforeseen circumstances during the big game.
Betting on hurling is never easy as games can change with one dirty challenge. While this game is only a semi-final, both teams may come out a little too hot for the occasion. Placing a wager on players receiving a red or yellow card on a big occasion is often a rewarding gamble. This is an important game for either side if they have any chance of winning the All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship.
