Rugby
Rugby
Match Preview
Gambling
News

Leinster vs Scarlets Preview: Odds, Tips and Prediction

Venue: Aviva Stadium Kickoff Time: 16:00 (CAT Time) The Irish giants, Leinster, welcome Scarlets to the Aviva Stadium on Saturday, 31 May, to fight it out for a place in the final four of the URC. The hosts will be confident of once again seeing off their visitors, but for fans wanting to capitalize on this confidence, we suggest exploring the best rugby betting sites for the latest online rugby betting offers, updates and news.

Ryan Liberty
Ryan Liberty

Last Updated: 2025-05-30

Chad Nagel

7 minutes read

SportsBoom offers honest and impartial bookmaker reviews to help you make informed choices. While we may earn commissions through affiliate links, our content remains independent and free from promotional influence. For more information, see our Content Transparency and How We Review pages.

James Ryan dives over for the first try in European Rugby Champions Cup.jpg

James Ryan/Getty Images

Pre-Game Odds and Win Probability

  1. Leinster: 1/20 (1.05) – 95%

Head-To-Head Record

Last three meetings 

  1. 26/04/2025: Scarlets 35–22 Leinster

  2. 18/11/2023: Leinster 54-5 Scarlets

  3. 28/10/2022: Scarlets 5–35 Leinster

Leinster Current Form – WWLLW

This is often the section of the season where Leinster kick into another gear and field all of their stars in a bid to claim the championship. They have often dominated the group stages of this tournament and come unstuck when it mattered most. 
Their attacking prowess and defensive ability is usually on full display and in truth they have been relentless when playing on their own home patch. The Aviva Stadium is certainly a fortress, but Leo Cullen will be weary of becoming overly confident too early on. 

Key Players to Watch

  • Caelan Doris : The Leinster number eight is a dynamic player with strength and mobility. He enjoys having the ball in hand and is often able to get his side onto the front foot at the breakdown and set piece. Keep an eye on him here.
  • Ross Byrne : His maturity and calmness on a rugby field continue to be an aspect which gives Leinster the ability to have a multi-faceted attack. When the going gets uncomfortable for the Irish side, his trust boot often bails them out of pressure situations. 
  • Jimmy O’Brien: He will be relishing the opportunity to run at this Scarlets defence. He is a dynamic player with the footwork to match and his game simply give Leinster a further attacking edge. He will no doubt be right at the heart of this attacking sequence. 

Scarlets Current Form – LWWWL

It is no real secret that Scarlets have had a difficult season and struggled to string together any sort of winning momentum. They have often controlled large portions of the game but failed to close any of them out and have been made to pay the price. 
Their defensive ability lacks consistency and while they have shown flashes of brilliance at times, they have not managed to turn those performances into any worthwhile points.

Key Players to Watch

  • Vaea Fifita: As a lock his physicality and energy in open play is noteworthy. He disrupts opponent’s passages of play and yet looks to make yardage on the game line for his own side. They will need him at his best against this Leinster outfit.
  • Sam Costelow: His kicking game is arguably among the best in the URC and a large reason for their top eight qualification. If there is an upset to be caused, expect Costelow to be at the heart of it all.
  • Johnny McNicholl: His experience and service to this club make him a real weapon for Scarlets. A leader on the pitch and one who won’t entertain the idea of simply rolling over and allowing Leinster to run riot. He will likely thrive in this environment.

Suggested Bets

Big-margin fixtures like this can present solid opportunities for new users, especially when taking advantage of a welcome bonus to boost their opening stake.

  1. Leinster (-21.5): It is difficult to see past a Leinster win, and a big win at that. Back the hosts to dismantle their opponents and roar into the final four. 17/20 (1.85) with Betway. 

  2. Total Points (Over 55.5): This could be the banker of the weekend – and if they were all scored by the hosts there aren’t too many who would be surprised! 9/10 (1.9) with Hollywoodbets.

Value Bets

  1. 1st Half – Scarlets + 7.5: Backing the visitors to stay in front with a 12.5 point handicap offers a bit of value at 17/10 (2.7) with Supabets.

  2. Jordan Larmour (Anytime Tryscorer): He has shown the propensity to attack without fear or favour and backing him to cross the whitewash here could prove profitable again. 3/1 (4.0) with 10Bet.

Prediction: Leinster to Win

It should go without saying, but the home win is heavily favoured, and we struggle to see a way in which Scarlets can cause them any harm. Leinster have the better team and should dominate this game from the first whistle to the last – back them to bulldoze their way through. 

Ryan Liberty
Ryan LibertyBetting Writer

A quirky writer with an engaging tone, Ryan Liberty has seen his work published on many of South Africa’s sport’s publications. Ryan has a great passion for everything in the sporting world, from darts to football, motorsport and everything in between. His conversational flair allows him to bring diverse sporting topics to both the avid sports fan as well as the relaxed reader.