St Helens v Leeds: Betfred Super League match preview and tips

TV: Sky Sports Arena, 7.45pm Friday

St Helens and Warrington, the 11-4 joint favourites to claim the Betfred Super League crown, are both in action on Friday as they bid to maintain their 100 per cent starts to the season.

Like Castleford, the Saints and Wolves have won both their opening fixtures and bookmakers make them long odds-on to keep up the good work.

St Helens are 2-5 to see off old rivals Leeds at the Totally Wicked Stadium and are tasked with conceding an eight-point handicap start. Saints last managed that in this fixture in 2012.

So far this season, Justin Holbrook’s team have posted hard-earned wins over Wigan and Wakefield and a similar scenario may unfold in this match.

Leeds have had a tough start to the campaign, having to play four successive away games as building work at their Headingley home continues.

The Rhinos recorded their first win of the year with a 46-14 success at Salford last weekend and were better than the scoreline suggested in a 34-16 defeat at Wigan in their previous outing.

Coach Dave Furner is able to welcome back Liam Sutcliffe and Mikolaj Oledzki from illness and injury but James Donaldson is ruled out due to concussion.

Saints boss Justin Holbrook is likely to name an unchanged side and the best bet could be to back the hosts to win narrowly.

St Helens' two victories this term have come by ten and six points and backing a home win by 12 points or fewer at 11-5 appeals.

Rhinos winger Ash Handley has a phenomenal scoring record against Saints and is worth a second glance in the tryscorer markets.

Handley has bagged ten tries including two hat-tricks in six starts against this week's opponents. He is 15-8 to sting Saints again and 14-1 to notch the opening four-pointer.

Warrington are 1-3 to win at Huddersfield for the first time in six attempts and the Wolves' dismal recent record at the John Smith’s Stadium is off-putting for punters considering backing the table- toppers to cover the 12-point handicap.

The Giants expect to have winger Jermaine McGillvary and forward Ukuma Ta’ai available for their first appearances of the year but two losses by a combined margin of 37 points are a worry for anyone contemplating a wager on the hosts on the handicap.

Recommendation
St Helens to win by one to 12 points
2pts 11-5 Betfred

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