How To Bet On Hurling – Betting Guide 2024

What Is Hurling?

To begin, first we must explore what hurling actually is. As an ancient game, it has thankfully been kept alive throughout the centuries, living on through the spirit and charm of the Irish.

• There are two teams consisting of 15 players each
• Two halves are played made up of roughly half an hour each
• It is possible to score by a goal, when the sliotar is hurled between the goalposts, under the crossbar and straight into the net. This is worth 3 points.
• Similarly, you can score by a point, when the sliotar is hurled between the goalposts, above the crossbar. This is worth 1 point.

There are several tournaments but the most popular on betting sites are the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship, and the National (Allianz) Hurling League.

How Do You Bet On Hurling?

In order to bet on hurling, all you need is an account with a betting site, and money at your disposal.

• Once you have compared different hurling betting sites, register to your favourite one. Some punters prefer to make an account with several bookmakers in order to constantly match up odds and ensure they are getting the best deals
• Pick your desired tournament. Whilst hurling is not as common as others sports in betting, like football or greyhound racing, it is just as worthwhile. There are a few championships that you could profit from.
• Choose a market. Begin by betting on a profitable market like outright winner, and once you have built experience, start to reach out to more unconventional or tricky markets.  

What Are The Hurling Betting Markets?

Although there aren’t many hurling markets, this allows for the opportunity to gain experience in the existing areas. Below are the most common listed on betting sites.  

Outright Winner

Every sport has money line betting, known as the outright winner market. Not only is this the most well-known, it is also considered the easiest. This is because through research and innovate features like in-play betting, you can make the most of the knowledge out there and generate a reasonable wager.

In hurling, an outright winner market will look something like this:

TEAM	BETTING ODDS
Limerick	14/1
Cork	9/1

It is imperative to compare betting sites and find the highest odds. Look out for promotions such as enhanced odds, which will allow you increase your profit margin. Furthermore, welcome offers like free bets are useful when you starting out in a sport like hurling.

Another thing to note is that hurling matches are notorious for ending in a draw. This is proven by the 2021 National Hurling League final, whereby there were joint winners (Galway and Kilkenny).

Winning Province

As well as the outright winner, many betting sites will allow you to predict the winning province. Out of the four provinces in Ireland (Munster, Connacht, Ulster and Leinster), the most successful in Munster. However, these odds are often low because there are not many outcomes and usually, it is between Leinster and Munster.

Winning Margin

Once you are familiar with hurling and understand each team, you can begin to extend into riskier markets. The winning margin is difficult to predict, as it is quantitative. However, researching the two teams helps you appreciate the difference in ability and how they usually perform, therefore spotting a trend and making it easier to wager.

• A winning margin bet can be in the form of under/over. This is where betting sites will give you their forecasted winning margin bets (for example 7 points) and you will have to decide which will be the case.
• On the other hand, some betting sites allow you to pick the winning margin yourself.

Handicap

The handicap market is useful in hurling when an amateurish team is competing against a seasoned team. Consequently, you can even the playing field between the players by allocating one team with an advantage and the other with a disadvantage. For example:

• Clare +3, Kilkenny -3

As Kilkenny is considered one of the big three in hurling, the other two being Cork and Tipperary, they are already at an advantage. This means that if you were to place a bet on Clare to win, they could lose by three points and you would still win the wager. Conversely, if you bet on Kilkenny to win, they would have to beat Clare by at least 3 points.

First/ Last Goal Scorer

An interesting market to experiment with is the first or last goal scorer. This is different to other wagers because anything goes, and there are many more outcomes to choose from. Not only could the goal scorer be from either team, but it could also be any of the players.

Top tips for this market are:

• Checking the line up for the game
• Researching individual player statistics

It is worth noting that the top goal scorer for the team will usually have lower odds, however this is the most probable outcome. Furthermore, in the unlikely event that the score is 0-0, the wager is automatically lost.

What Are The Best Strategies For Betting On Hurling?

Hurling is a great sport to bet on because the community is close knit and there are not as many tournaments. This allows you to focus on a select few and extensively understand them. By implementing the following strategies, you can develop your betting skills.

Research The Teams

As with any sport, researching the teams playing in the tournaments is fundamental. This includes previous winners.

Below we have compiled a list of the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Winners, of which there are a total of 14 teams.

YEAR	WINNERS
2023	Limerick
2022	Limerick
2021	Limerick
2020	Limerick
2019	Tipperary

We have also included the winners of the National Hurling League.

YEAR	WINNERS
2023	Limerick
2022	Waterford
2021	Galway-Kilkenny (joint winners)
2020	Limerick
2019	Limerick

In-Play Betting

A great strategy in hurling is to utilise in-play betting. This is a feature used by all good bookmakers, that helps you participate live in the action.

Essentially, in-play betting allows you to place wagers after the hurling game has started. As a result, you gain the advantage of seeing how the game unfolds as it is happening and makes it more exhilarating. Moreover, you can take into account things you would not otherwise know before the game, such as injuries or lineup changes.

Early Cash Out

Another useful type of bet offered by bookmakers is early cash-out. When this is the case, you can close your wager at any time you wish, before the end of the game. Hence, if you are winning your bet you can cash in a portion of your prospective earnings, if you feel like the tables will turn.