All-Ireland Hurling Championship winner predictions and betting tips: Back the Banner to roar in the championship

Best bets

Clare to win All-Ireland Championship
2pts win 13-2 Boylesports 

Clare to win Munster Championship
2pts 4-1 BoyleSports

Kilkenny to win Leinster Championship
3pts 6-5 Paddy Power

Limerick and Clare to reach All-Ireland final
2pts 7-1 Paddy Power

Clare and Waterford to reach All-Ireland final
0.5pt 100-1 Paddy Power

Cathal O'Neill to win Player of the Year
1pt 25-1 Paddy Power

David Fitzgerald to win Player of the Year
1pt 20-1 Paddy Power

All-Ireland Hurling Championship predictions

The Hurling Championship gets underway this weekend and it's off to a rip-roaring start in the Munster Championship with two thrilling encounters, while the Leinster equivalent limps into action as Galway and Kilkenny will be expected to get off the mark in comfortable fashion against Carlow and Antrim.

Limerick are unsurprisingly installed as odds-on favourites in their quest for five in a row but it's worth remembering that they were fortunate to progress out of the bear pit that is Munster last year. A narrow opening victory against Waterford proved crucial as they lost to Clare and drew with Tipperary before progressing past Cork on the last day by just one point.

Munster host five of the top seven teams in the country with three progressing so there is little margin for error and the fact they have to wade through such a punishing provincial competition before they reach the All-Ireland series makes their odds easy enough to pass over.

They were incredibly flat against Kilkenny in the league semi-final but it would be naive to glean too much from that as John Kiely has had four weeks to whip them into championship mode and they will come out all guns blazing, particularly given how they were a puck of a ball away from being knocked out last year.

Once Limerick get to Croke Park, they become next to unbeatable but there's enough evidence to suggest that they could be turned over before then, making the odds seem especially skinny.

Brian Lohan has Clare perfectly poised to unleash a real assault on this championship. They typically don't venture near their peak during the league but they claimed that trophy this season despite the absence of Tony Kelly and just a cameo appearance from Shane O'Donnell in the final against Kilkenny.

David Fitzgerald is developing into one of the top players in the country, while Adam Hogan and Darragh Lohan had excellent league campaigns and for a team that was overly reliant on Kelly in the past, they've shrugged off that dependency in recent years. They fell foul to Kilkenny at the semi-final stage the last two years but their two triumphs over the Cats this season will have eroded away that psychological defect and now is the time for them to come of age.

O'Donnell and Kelly have been named on the bench this weekend so both are approaching full fitness and they will be monumental additions to what is already a hugely impressive side. They beat Limerick in the championship last year and were desperately unfortunate not to claim their scalp again in the Munster final.

They seem the only team who can defeat Limerick at the business end of championship and the price discrepancy between the two looks huge.

Kilkenny have been routinely overlooked by bookmakers in recent years but they seemed to have cottoned on as they are second-favourites to Limerick at 6-1. Derek Lyng's men had a promising league campaign and it's easy to argue that they would have been taking home silverware had TJ Reid been fit for the final.

They are going for their fifth Leinster in a row and look set to get the job done. Galway have not been entirely convincing and Dublin's form is volatile to say the least, while Wexford have had a solid league but it's a big ask for them to win Leinster.

Waterford had an uninspiring league and were off the pace in last year's championship but it's last-chance saloon for Davy Fitzgerald and he should take a big step forward in Munster. It's not long ago they were considered the biggest challengers to Limerick and you don't become a bad team overnight.

They will be bolstered by the return of Michael Kiely, Stephen Bennett, Tadgh De Burca, Iarlaith Daly and Conor Prunty for their game against Cork this weekend. Dessie Hutchinson, Calum Lyons and Jamie Barron are all proven, top-class intercounty players. Their squad has too much depth to dismiss and they could really have a big swing at the championship.

Cork are capable but they can be found wanting at crucial stages, while Tipperary have some heavy scoring power but might just fall short of Limerick and Clare among others.

For the individual honours, David Fitzgerald looks the standout pick as he's become an integral part of this Clare side and he will undoubtedly be instrumental should they reach an All-Ireland final. 

Cathal O'Neill is also worth an interest for Limerick. He has nailed down a starting berth and had an outstanding league, putting in an incredible display in their loss versus Kilkenny.

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