St Helens v Leeds Rhinos: Prediction, Tips and Odds

St Helens will be looking to beat Leeds Rhinos for the third time this season when the two teams meet in the Super League on Friday night.

Paul Wellens' side proved too much for Leeds in both meetings in March, with Saints knocking the Rhinos out of the Challenge Cup.

Saints were then knocked out of the competition by Warrington Wolves, meaning both teams enjoyed a week's rest last week. 

St Helens were victorious in their last league encounter, beating Castleford Tigers 60-4, while Leeds lost 26-0 to Catalans Dragons in Perpignan.

St Helens v Leeds Rhinos betting tips and predictions

St Helens - 7.5 1st-half handicap - 5/6

Hosts St Helens will get the chance to go top of the Super League table on Friday, providing they beat Leeds for the third time this season.

Wellens' men are in a four-way tie for first, but only Wigan Warriors' superior points difference puts them ahead of St Helens, Warrington and Catalans.

St Helens have only lost three times all season, and they have racked up the points, scoring 53 tries already, only one behind Wigan in that category.

Having home advantage will be crucial for Saints, as two of their three league defeats came on the road.

They have won the last three meetings between the two clubs, and they should be able to make a fast start at Leeds' expense.

St Helens to win both halves - Yes - 4/5

St Helens are expected to grab a first-half lead on Friday, and they continue to dominate under Wellens. They have made 14,662 metres already this season, and only Warrington have bettered that total.

Saints continue to play an expansive style, offloading the ball 98 times in 11 matches, and they do that on the back of their powerful forward play.

Wellens will welcome back Agnatius Paasi to his 21-man squad, and his return from an ACL injury should provide a much-needed boost in the middle of the park.

Having scored 60 points last time out, St Helens' players will be full of confidence as they prepare to return to home soil.

They know what it takes to get the better of Leeds, and they should be able to outscore them in both halves on home soil.

Leeds Rhinos + 19.5 - 4/7

A home win is expected, but Leeds do have two first-team players returning to their squad this week.

Smith's side struggled for creativity last time out, as they failed to score a point in a 26-0 defeat to Catalans.

However, both Brodie Croft and Harry Newman were absent that day, and their return to fitness is a huge boost for Leeds' attacking play. Everything goes through Croft, while Newman provides the spark they need out wide.

While Leeds should fall to another defeat, they have not been embarrassed by the Saints in recent meetings.

In the last six meetings, Leeds have only won one, but they have not been beaten by more than 14 points during that time, while three of those games were decided by less than four points.

Leeds have only lost by 20 points or more twice this season, and one of those came when they were without Croft and Newman against Catalans.

They should lose, but it is unlikely that they will be blown away by Saints.

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St Helens v Leeds Rhinos odds

St Helens - 1/10
Leeds Rhinos - 6/1

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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.