Bradford's return to the top flight of English rugby league hasn't gone well and the Bulls are in danger of finishing bottom.
The West Yorkshire side start Super League Round 26 in last place, two points adrift of York, Huddersfield and Hull FC.
A seven-match losing streak has left them propping up the rest and they have two games left to try to avoid the ignominy of finishing bottom.
Things have not gone much better for Castleford Tigers but they have clawed their way up to 10th place and they are four points better off than Thursday's rivals, although they could mathematically still finish bottom, too.
So both of these struggling sides still have plenty to play for and a nervy start could give way to something of a shootout on Thursday evening.
Bradford Bulls v Castleford Tigers Tips Summary
Best Bet - Castleford to win @ 10/11
Alternative Bet - Castleford winning margin 13+ @ 10/3
Bet Builder - Castleford Tigers +2.5, Mikaele Ravalawa to score a try, Phoenix Laulu-Togaga'e to score a try @ 7/1
Bradford Bulls v Castleford Tigers Prediction
Best Bet: Castleford to win @ 10/11
A win would be enough to rule out finishing bottom for Castleford Tigers this season and that incentive could be enough to see them secure a much-needed victory on Thursday.
A season of struggle has seen turmoil on and off the field for the Tigers who parted company with head coach Ryan Carr last week, but they could end the season on something of a high by avoiding the wooden spoon.
The Tigers have this trip to Bradford and an away fixture at Huddersfield to come but with the latter having hit top form, Cas know their best chance of taking the two points comes in this clash at Odsal.
Bradford have won just six of their 25 matches this season and their losing streak stands at seven.
An injury crisis has caused most of their problems but they have at times looked out of their depth on their long-awaited return to the top flight and it is hard to see them ending their winless run this week.
Most of their best work has come on home soil this term but they have lost their last five outings in front of their own fans, scoring just 44 points along the way.
Cas won 40-28 when these two last met in March and the Tigers can land the double and a crucial two points with a victory on Thursday.
Alternative Bet: Castleford winning margin +13 @ 10/3
It will take a leap of faith to back Castleford to win this contest by 13 or more points but it is not completely out of the question that the Tigers can run up such a convincing victory.
Bradford are in such poor shape that they could quickly fold should the visitors get ahead in this crucial contest.
The Bulls have lost six of their last seven matches by that margin or more and although Castleford are the weakest of the sides they will have faced in that sequence, it may not take much for Bradford to crumble once again.
Kurt Haggerty's side have scored no more than 12 points in any of their last five outings at home and that lack of attacking threat could see them struggle to tame the Tigers.
Stand-in head coach Chris Chester will have the visitors fired up for a fixture in which they will fancy their chances of winning, and a victory by 14 points or more may not be as great a stretch it first appears.
Bradford Bulls v Castleford Tigers Bet Builder Tip
Castleford Tigers +2.5
Mikaele Ravalawa to score a try
Phoenix Laulu-Togaga'e to score a try
Pays 7/1
Castleford have struggled this term but they have plenty of attacking threat still and when they click they remain a dangerous side.
The Tigers are fancied to show their claws in this contest and it is a surprise to see them as underdogs against a side winless in seven matches.
Back the visitors with a 2.5-point start and enhance the three-leg bet builder with a couple of tryscorer selections.
Mikaele Ravalawa is a power-packed winger who is almost unstoppable when close to the try line and he can add to his tally of five tries in 12 appearances this term, while full-back Phoenix Lualu-Togaga'e is another worth chancing to get on the scoresheet.
The Tigers youngster scored in the loss to St Helens a fortnight ago but he could get plenty of space against a beleaguered Bulls backline to at least double his try tally for the campaign.
Learn more about how Bet Builders work in our Bet Builder guide.
Key Match Stats
Bradford have won just two of their last 13 league matches
Castleford won 40-28 when these two last met in round six in March
Bradford have conceded a league-high of 795 points this season at a rate of almost 32 per match
Castleford have won just one of their last six matches
Read more rugby league betting tips and predictions on site.
This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
