Saints value to edge battle of the Super League strugglers

Betfred Super League
Sky Sports 3, 5pm Saturday

The bottom of the Betfred Super League table has a very strange look to it with Warrington rooted to the foot of the league and five-times Grand Final winners St Helens also struggling in the bottom four.

Saints haven't won since they defeated Leeds on opening night and losses against Leigh, Wakefield and Hull have heaped the pressure on coach Keiron Cunningham as his team head for France to face Catalans.

Their biggest problem has been posting points. They've mustered a league-low of just 48 in four matches.

Saints' games are averaging a paltry 29 points and the Dragons' fixtures just 36.5, so punters should be seriously considering a bet on unders when bookmakers post their total-points lines later today.

St Helens will have to continue to make do without scrum-half Matty Smith and full-back Jonny Lomax but Catalans are missing main man Greg Bird. He's been ruled out with the head injury he suffered in last weekend's thrashing at Leeds.

That 46-10 hiding at Headingley followed a 14-14 home draw with Widnes in which the Dragons squandered a 14-0 lead, so they look a short price at 8-13 this evening.

The visitors, who are flying in and out of France on match day, go off at 15-8 and receive a six-point start on the handicap as they look for a first win in Perpignan since 2013.

A repeat of the level of performance Saints produced in last weekend's defeat at Hull may be enough to earn a win. They led going into the final 15 minutes at the KCom Stadium but couldn't hold on.

Coach Cunningham has made an art form of bemoaning his team's lack of luck this season and he will feel his side are due some rub of the green today.

With points likely to be in short supply, a wager on a narrow St Helens win is a tempting bet.

Ladbrokes go 3-1 that Saints triumph by two converted tries or less and that looks worth taking.

Recommendation
St Helens to win by one to 12 points
2pts 3-1 Ladbrokes