Tipperary vs Galway Preview
The second round of the National Hurling League competition takes place this week. Tipperary welcomes Galway to the FBD Semple Stadium on Sunday, February 11, at 3:45 pm. This is looking like an exciting match as the clubs sit in first and third in Roinn One Group B. Who will maintain their perfect start to this season after this weekend?
Both clubs began their Allianz National Hurling League campaigns with convincing victories last Saturday. Galway entertained Westmeath and found the back of the net on four occasions. They also registered 31 points, giving them a 31-point victory over the Lake County. Tipperary matched up against Dublin last weekend, and they entered the game as favourites. They defeated the Dubs but remain third in Group B on point difference.
Tipperary vs Galway Head-To-Head and Key Stats
The last time these two famous GAA clubs met was in the 2023 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Champions Quarter-Final. The Tipp struggled in the competition last year, coming third in the Munster Senior Hurling Championship. They only won one group stage game, drawing twice and losing once. That put them into the All-Ireland prelims, where they destroyed Offaly in a fantastic match. However, they fell short against Galway in the next round. Galway topped the Leinster Championship group but lost to Kilkenny in the final.
The quarter-final hurling match took place on June 24, 2023. It finished 1-20 to 1-18, with two points proving enough to give Galway the win. The match started slowly, with both sides showing signs of good attacking play early on. The clubs were going tit-for-tat, trading points in the opening stages. That was until the half-hour mark when Galway opened a three-point lead. Just before halftime, Conor Whelan had a golden chance to score, but a fantastic save from Rhys Shelly meant it was 0-10 to 0-07.
Watch the full-time highlights of Galway v Tipperary here!#gaanow @Galway_GAA @TipperaryGAA pic.twitter.com/xFK9ZFrxAh
— The GAA (@officialgaa) June 24, 2023
Whelan made no mistake when he got another chance immediately from the restart. Some rather shocking Tipperary defending gave Whelan the time to finish neatly and extend Galway’s advantage. The Tipp struggled over the next part of the game and trailed by eight points. They closed on Galway before beating Éanna Murphy just after the hour mark. Conor Bowe fired the sliotar upfield, and the bounce caught out the Galway defenders. John McGrath was there to fire it in and make it a one-point game. Unfortunately for the Tipp, the Tribesmen did enough to get their noses in front and stay there.
As we move into the second week of the NHL, both teams looked sharp last weekend. Galway hosted Westmeath in a game where the home side was the heavy favourite. They certainly did not let the fans down, scoring four goals in the second half. It could have been more had Noel Conaty not had a fantastic game. Conaty saved a penalty in the first half and reduced a certain goal to a mere point. Westmeath was down 0-15 to 0-06 at the half, and it only worsened for the visitors. Jason Flynn scored twice, and Cianan Fahy and Conor Whelan put the icing on the cake with decisive blows. It finished 4-31 to 0-12, and Galway will take a lot of confidence from that result.
FULL-TIME HIGHLIGHTS: Tipperary get off to a winning start in Division 1B of the Allianz Hurling League with a win on the road in Parnell Park.
Full Time Score:@DubGAAOfficial 0-22@TipperaryGAA 2-27
#GAANOW pic.twitter.com/jctzA8O1nO— The GAA (@officialgaa) February 3, 2024
Tipperary faced Dublin at home, and a quick move straight from the start caught the Tipp by surprise. However, they responded immediately, scoring five points in the next five minutes. Throughout the first half, Tipperary extended their lead, and Dublin only fired back when given the opportunity. It was 0-10 to 0-17 after the restart, but that’s when the Tipp turned on the style. Sean Ryan collected a long hopeful diagonal ball, turning the defender to finish low past the goalkeeper. Dublin was the better side for the next ten minutes, but the Tipp struck again inside the hour mark. A brilliant lob pass found Jake Morris, and he did the rest to secure the win for Tipperary.
Tipperary vs Galway Predictions
Predicting any hurling match is never straightforward, and that goes for this contest. We are only in week two of the Allianz Hurling League, and the games come thick and fast. The Novibet sports betting site favours Tipperary in this match as they are the home side, and they started the campaign strongly. They have odds of 4/6, which returns €16.67 from a ten-euro wager. Betting €10 on Galway to win at 6/4 will give you €25 if they can win on the road this weekend. We don’t predict a draw this Sunday, and the bookmaker will give you 8/1 if you decide to bet on a tie.
Our prediction for this GAA event is a Tipperary win by two clear points. Galway may have emphatically dispatched Westmeath, but they were at home, and the visitors were missing some key personnel. This will be the first genuine test of their season, and an away match to Tipperary sounds like too much to overcome. The Tipp have already flexed their muscles, defeating a strong Dublin side. There were moments where Dublin looked like they could challenge for the win, but the Tipp always stayed a few points ahead. We predict Tipperary will win this weekend against Galway in front of the home fans.
If you are going to bet on this NHL match, there are some aspects to consider. Looking at both teams, Galway has scored four times, and Tipperary has beaten the keeper twice. Neither side has fished the ball out of their net this season, something we expect to change on the weekend. Galway was good for their four goals, but Tipperary is a different beast compared to Westmeath. The Tipp has proved they can hold off a good attack and score at will, which they will need to do to beat Galway.
Live betting on this match could be a good move, given how prolific both sides have been already this season. We don’t expect to see the 30+ points scored by both teams like last week, but there will be chances. If Galway scores first, you could live bet on a Tipp comeback and get larger returns. We predict both sides will score at least one goal, so that is another wager to consider.
Tipperary vs Galway Betting Tips
This is the second round of fixtures for the new NHL season, and anything can happen. Betting on Gaelic sports often throws up some surprises, but it looks likely that the favourite this week will walk away with the two points. We expect Tipperary to continue their winning streak this match, even though Galway proved they are a threat offensively. They might have found the back of the net four times, but a missed penalty suggests some weakness.
Betting on Tipperary this weekend seems like the safest option. Looking at the handicap wager for this match, the Tipp is the favourite with -2. That means, if you want to bet on them to overcome the handicap, they must win by three or more points. With the odds of the home side winning this bet at 11/10, you can win significantly more than an outright prediction. A €20 bet on this market would yield €42.00 compared to €33.33 if you chose Tipperary as the winner by any margin. If you think Galway will be within two points at the final whistle, they have odds of 5/6.
Novibet is an Irish betting site that allows players to bet on Gaelic sports. Those that do might also offer new players a unique prize when they register. While you can’t claim an offer every week, this could be a great fixture to use your welcome bonus. You can wager on the home side to win by any margin, and if they pull it off, you can enjoy some actual cash. Remember, we are still early in the season, and this is usually when the frontrunners step up. Ensure you are on the right side of the bet this weekend.
If you want to avoid betting on Tipperary this Sunday, look at other markets that do not rely on the final score. We predict both teams will beat the goalkeepers at least once in this match. The odds offered online are better than an outright prediction on the home side, so it could prove to be a profitable wager. There are also proposition bets out there for you to wager on the goal scorers from last week to continue their fine start to the season. These wagers are tricky to get right, but the rewards are great. Keep an eye out for Jason Flynn and Jake Morris in this fixture. We expect at least one of them to get on the score sheet.
