Dublin v Westmeath Predictions, Betting Tips & Odds (2026)
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| Timetable | 17th May, 14:00 GMT |
| Prediction | Dublin To Win! |
| Odds | |
| Bookmaker | Lunubet Sports |
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Dublin meet Westmeath in the 2026 Leinster Senior Football Championship final in Croke Park on Sunday, May 17th, at 14:00 GMT. In this preview to what is a repeat of the 2016 decider, we will share with you our thoughts on the match. From the latest Dublin v Westmeath Leinster final odds to our own Dublin v Westmeath prediction, we have you covered, so read on as we look forward to the 2026 Leinster final.
🕹️ Dublin vs Westmeath Prediction
Westmeath have had a great 2026 Leinster Championship. As a result of the 3-game winning run in the province that has taken them to the final on May 17th, Mark McHugh’s team have earned a place in this year’s All-Ireland series. They will take on Cavan over the weekend of May 30-31, but unfortunately we don’t see them heading into that game as Leinster champions.
Dublin showed their class in their 10-point win over Louth in the semi-final and will be desperate to win back the Leinster crown they lost last year for the first time since 2010. Even without Ger Brennan on the sideline, the Dubs were far too strong for a fancied Louth team, and we think it will be the same thing in Croke Park. That is why our Dublin v Westmeath match prediction is a win for Dublin. Even without Con O’Callaghan and Colm Basquel, Dublin could still field a forward line that contained the likes of Ciarán Kilkenny, Sean Bugler and Cormac Costello. They might have issues in defence, but that forward line should be enough to get them over the line in the wide expanses of GAA HQ.
Westmeath will fancy their chances of upsetting another Leinster powerhouse after beating Meath already, but we think it might be one step too far for them this year. They will be eager to avoid the hammerings that they have received from Dublin in their last few meetings, especially given their form and momentum this year, and should cause the Dubs plenty of problems given their scoring exploits already.
They have scored 11-64 in three matches to date, a serious rate of scoring, but we just think Dublin may be able to stifle them enough to get the job done and win back the Leinster title. Anything other than a hammering for Westmeath and they should still be confident going into that match with Cavan.
OUR PREDICTION: DUBLIN TO WIN
🎈 Dublin vs Westmeath Betting Odds
As you might expect, Dublin are heavy favourites to regain the Leinster Championship crown when we look at the latest Dublin vs Westmeath betting odds with a selection of the best betting sites in Ireland.
Below you can see some Dublin v Westmeath odds with three betting sites available to punters.
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Dublin vs Westmeath Betting Tips
At this time in our Dublin vs Westmeath preview we are going to highlight 3 Dublin v Westmeath betting tips that might be useful if you have any free bet offers to use on GAA.
Remember, before placing any bet, to check out our bookmaker reviews service. Here, you can get lots of extra information about many of the top betting sites.
- Tip 1: Dublin to win by 7-9 points: Dublin beat the defending Leinster champions by 10 in Portlaoise, so they will be confident of beating Westmeath in Croke Park on May 17th. They obviously don’t look like the finished article yet, but that win should give them a boost heading into the Leinster final. The last time they met in a decider the gap was 15, and while we don’t expect that, we think it should still be comfortable enough for Dublin. Dublin can be got at a price of 4.75 with BoyleSports to win the 2026 Leinster final by 7-9 points.
- Tip 2: Paddy Small to score a goal anytime: In the absence of Con O’Callaghan, Dublin needed other forwards to take on the scoring responsibility, and against Louth, Cormac Costello and Paddy Small certainly did that. Small also hit 1-6 against Wicklow in the quarter-final, meaning he has 1-10 to his name in two matches. The wide-open spaces of Croke Park may help the Dublin forwards against Westmeath, so keep an eye out for Paddy Small in the goalscorer markets.
- Tip 3: Back Dublin HT/FT: That Louth victory should bring Dublin on, and they will want to set down an early marker against a Westmeath team enjoying a lot of momentum in this year’s championship. The Dubs will look to take control early and quash any early hopes Westmeath may have of continuing their great run, and we think they can. To back Dublin at both half-time and full time, you can currently get a price of 1.36 with BoyleSports.
✨ Dublin Squad Form
After a slow-burning win over Wicklow, in which Wicklow had their chances to land the biggest shock of the championship so far, Dublin are back in a Leinster final as a result of a much more impressive win over Louth in the semi-final. Dublin dethroned the defending Leinster champions by 0-20 – 0-10 in Portlaoise to really kick-start the Ger Brennan era. That is the Ger Brennan era, minus Ger Brennan on the sideline, however, due to his suspension. They were without Con O’Callaghan, Eoin Murchan, Lee Gannon and Colm Basquel for the Louth win, highlighting the squad strength that the Dubs still have, despite question marks surrounding them this year.
🥇 Westmeath Squad Form
Westmeath are in the 2026 Leinster final as a result of three great wins in this year’s Leinster Championship. They hammered Longford 5-25 – 1-16 in Round 1 and followed that by surprising Meath in the quarter-final on a scoreline of 4-18 – 0-25. They then beat Kildare 2-21 – 0-23 after extra time to book their place in this year’s Leinster decider. That win over Kildare was made even sweeter by the fact that star forward Luke Loughlin missed out due to injury, while marauding wing back Matthew Whittaker had to be replaced after just 15 minutes.
🪄 Dublin vs Westmeath Predicted Lineups
To give you an idea of the starting lineups both sides may use in this Leinster final, we have listed the teams both started in their respective semi-finals.
6-2-6
6-2-6
6-2-6
6-2-6
Roscommon vs Galway - H2H Stats
When we look at the Dublin v Westmeath H2H stats, it’s Dublin that comes out on top. The Dubs lead the H2H record, 17-3 in championship clashes, with Westmeath’s last win over Dublin coming back in 2004 on their way to the Leinster title.
Below you can see a summary of their last 3 championship meetings.
Updates from GAA Twitter (X)
With the matches coming so quickly throughout the Championship this year, the best way to keep up-to-date with everything that’s going on in the world of GAA is to follow their social media pages.
You can do so by clicking the link below.
Liam Lacey
Liam is a sportswriter from County Laois in Ireland who specializes in delivering content on GAA and Football matters (though he does see himself as somewhat of a tennis aficionado also!). Liam has written about All Ireland Gaelic Football and Hurling Championships, Premier League, Champions League and International Football offering expert opinion and match previews and predictions. Occasionally even getting some right!