Home comforts can aid Wakefield

Betfred Super League
Sky Sports 2, 8pm Thursday

Wakefield and Leigh shared the pre-season goal of securing a top-eight finish after the first 23 rounds of the Betfred Super League and both clubs would have marked down their clash at Belle Vue as a crucial fixture in their bid to avoid the bottom four.

The Centurions have made a better start to the season than Trinity, sitting two points and four places above the hosts, though they have played a game more.

However, all three of Leigh’s wins have come at home and the bookmakers make Wakey 5-6 favourites to pick up the points on home soil.

With the teams appearing to be of similar ability, that price seems a fair assessment.

So far this season, ground advantage has been worth four points in Super League which tilts the odds in Wakefield’s favour.

Punters backing the hosts will be hoping for a much better performance from Chris Chester’s team than they produced at Leeds last time out when they were hammered 38-14.

That defeat after two gritty wins over Salford and St Helens and Trinity captain Danny Kirmond is free to play after escaping a ban for a high tackle in the loss to the Rhinos.

By contrast, Leigh have lost one of their key forwards to suspension in Glenn Stewart.

A narrow home win seems to be the most likely outcome
and there could be value in backing Trinity to get home by two converted tries or fewer at 11-5.

Wakefield haven’t triumphed by more than that margin against Super League opponents since last April when they incredibly walloped Wigan 62-0.

All of their eight victories since have come by a dozen points or fewer and it’s worth backing that trend to continue.

Recommendation
Wakefield to win by one to 12 points
2pts 11-5 bet365