St Helens v Leeds Rhinos: Free Tips, Prediction and Odds

The fourth round of the 2025 Challenge Cup has thrown up one of the great rivalries in rugby league, as St Helens prepare to host Leeds Rhinos at the Totally Wicked Stadium on Friday night.

These sides met at this stage of the Challenge Cup last season, with St Helens leaving Headingley with a 20-6 win over the Rhinos and a place in the next round.

Both teams go into this latest cup clash on the back of defeats in the Super League, with St Helens losing 20-10 at home to Hull KR and Leeds going down 11-0 in Perpignan against Catalans Dragons.

A place in the next round and bragging rights are at stake between these rivals on Friday, in a game Saints might just edge on home soil.

St Helens v Leeds Rhinos free betting tips and predictions

St Helens 1-12 winning margin - 13/8

Winning all of their last four meetings against the Rhinos in all competitions, it’s fair to say St Helens have been the dominant force in this rivalry in recent years.

A rivalry born out of success over geography, these sides have played out some epic contests over the years.

There does not tend to be too much between these sides and another close encounter might well be on the cards in Friday’s showdown on Merseyside.

In six of the last seven meetings between these teams, seven points or less has been the difference between the sides come the full-time whistle.

There would be little surprise in seeing that trend of tight games continuing and Saints look to be good value to maintain their winning run over the Rhinos and winning by between a one and 12-point margin in this one.

1st half betting - Leeds Rhinos +5.5 handicap - 10/11

Leeds, boosted by the returns of Ryan Hall and Lachlan Miller to the backline, should have more threat going forward and the visitors are capable of making a positive start at the Totally Wicked Stadium.

The Rhinos sorely missed the likes of Hall and Miller in their last game, as they came away from Perpignan without making a mark on the scoreboard at the Stade Gilbert Brutus.

Head coach Brad Arthur will be determined to see his side do more with ball in hand against the Saints and Leeds will be eager to make a positive start to quieten the home crowd.

While the Rhinos might struggle to be leading at the half-time whistle, they certainly have the ability to make it tight and they catch the eye at 10/11 with a +5.5 handicap in the first half.

Highest scoring half - First half - 13/10

While most games tend to have more points in the second half when defences begin to tire, matches between St Helens and Leeds have tended to see more points scored in the first 40 minutes.

In five of the last six games between these sides, the most points have come in the first half.

As mentioned, Leeds will look to hit the ground running in this game and will throw all they have at St Helens to try and add pressure to the hosts after their home defeat to Hull KR last time out.

Saints have their own attacking threats, which might well make for another high-scoring first half between these great sides.

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St Helens v Leeds Rhinos odds

St Helens - 2/7
Tie - 22/1
Leeds Rhinos - 11/4

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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.