The Lake County are on the road for their first two provincial outings.
Westmeath are starting their Leinster Championship campaign in the "lions den" this weekend according to Paul O'Sullivan of the Westmeath Topic.
Joe Fortune's men secured their Division One status with a win over Laois in a relegation play-off last month.
Their first game of the provincial championship sees them head down to Kilkenny to take on the cats.
The two sides are yet to meet this season after their league campaigns ran through divisions 1A and 1B.
O'Sullivan says despite some good performances in the league, Westmeath will have to move up a level on Saturday:
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