England v Samoa: Rugby League World Cup predictions and betting tips

Free rugby league tips, best bets and analysis for England v Samoa in the 2022 Rugby League World Cup semi-final.

Where to watch

BBC One, 2.30pm Saturday

Best bet

England -8
2pts Evs Coral, Ladbrokes

Match preview

England thumped Samoa 60-6 in the opening fixture of the 2021 Rugby League World Cup just under a month ago but things should be closer in their semi-final rematch at the Emirates Stadium.

The Three Lions were underdogs for that clash but three more wins and an avalanche of points since see them start this contest as red-hot 4-11 favourites.

It's hard to argue with that estimate but both sides have improved since that opening encounter, with England scoring 182 points in their following three fixtures while conceding just 28.

And Samoa reacted well to that opening loss with thumping wins over France and Greece, while their 20-18 win over Tonga in the quarter-finals was a reminder to England that they should not be taken lightly despite their round-one thrashing.

England have won all three meetings with the Samoans by margins of 54, 20 and six and their rampant displays at this tournament suggest an eight-point handicap in this fixture looks well within reach.

Scoring points has come easy for Shaun Wane's men who are averaging 60.5 points per game in this competition.

They are unlikely to get anywhere near that mark on Saturday but they should have enough to seal their place in next week's final.

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