ODDS | Limerick favourites for All-Ireland final as Gillane, Byrnes and Reid head up HOTY odds

Limerick and Kilkenny meet in the final game of the 2022 Hurling Championship next weekend.

The All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship is down to two as Limerick and Kilkenny prepare to do battle in Croke Park next Sunday with the biggest prize in the game up for grabs.

John Kiely and Brian Cody will do battle in the final for the first time in the tenth meeting of the sides in the decider.

Limerick haven’t met Kilkenny in the final since 2007, with Cody getting the upperhand on the day to retain their title which they made four in a row two years later.

Limerick’s last final win over Kilkenny came in 1973 but the Cats gained revenge at the same stage twelve months later.

Bidding for a first ever three in a row, Limerick are favourites to retain their title and have been right throughout the year.

They are installed as 4/11 favourites to claim the title with Kilkenny at 2/1. John Kiely’s men are 4/9 to get the job done in normal time while Kilkenny are 9/4.

Limerick were 1/4 to beat Galway while the Cats were 6/4 outsiders to come through Clare.

Limerick and Kilkenny last met in the championship in 2019 where the Cats dethroned Kiely’s men. That result came a year after the Shannonsiders picked up their first championship win over the Leinster outfit in 45-years.

In terms of Hurler of the Year, the favourites list is dominated by Limerickmen.

Aaron Gillane is the current lowest price at 3/1 to win the award. His Patrickswell teammate Diarmaid Byrnes is 9/2 as is Kilkenny’s TJ Reid. Reid won the award in 2015 when Kilkenny last won the All-Ireland while Byrnes and Gillane are yet to be shortlisted for the gong.

Barry Nash is next up at 5/1 while Adrian Mullen rounds out the top five at 13/2. Last year Sean Finn made the three man shortlist for the award and he is 12/1. Mikey Butler and Kyle Hayes are both priced at 14/1 with the Limerick man also shortlisted last year.

2020 Hurler of the Year Gearoid Hegarty is priced at 20/1 while other noticeable Limerick prices are Declan Hannon (25/1), Seamus Flanagan & Nickie Quaid (33/1).

Cian Lynch won his second award last year, only the second man after Henry Shefflin to do so, but he isn’t listed after missing much of the championship through injury.

Lynch’s stellar performance in the final last year all but sealed his HOTY award and next Sunday’s final could do the same if any of the top five fires.