Castleford Tigers will hope a trip to St James’ Park will be the perfect surroundings for them as they try to record their third win of the campaign against Leeds Rhinos at Magic Weekend.
All 12 Betfred Super League teams are heading to Newcastle for the annual Magic Weekend, and Leeds’ clash with Castleford brings Saturday’s action to a close.
Leeds are eight points ahead of Andy Last’s side, and the Rhinos’ injury problems are likely to come back to haunt them.
Leeds Rhinos vs Castleford Tigers Betting Tips:
Date: Saturday 3rd June, 2023
Time: 18:00
Location: St James’ Park, Newcastle
Team news
Leeds’ injury problems continue to plague them, and boss Rohan Smith has already confirmed he will be without Aidan Sezer, Morgan Gannon and Harry Newman.
All three picked up injuries in the 13-12 defeat to St Helens after golden point, while Smith also confirmed that forward Zane Tetevano will be out for an indefinite period for Leeds Rhinos with a “private” health concern.
James McDonnell will be free to play after successfully appealing against a two-match suspension, while James Bentley and Blake Austin return to the squad.
Tigers boss Last has only made one alteration to his 21-man squad, with Alex Sutcliffe dropping out for Jason Qareqare.
Castleford Tigers +8 handicap @ 20/21
Only Wakefield have endured a worse start to the season than Castleford, and even though Last has struggled to change his team’s fortunes, the club believe he is the right man for the job.
The Tigers have lost six in a row in all competitions, but they face a Leeds side that have shown they cannot string results together.
Smith’s side have lost four in five, and with their ongoing injuries, it is difficult to see them running away against one of the Super League’s out-of-form sides. While we cannot back Castleford to win with any real conviction, they should have what it takes to cove the +8 handicap.
Total points – Under +40.5 @ 5/6
In an ideal world, Saturday’s contest will be end-to-end for the neutrals at St James’ Park, but the recent form of both suggests points may be at a premium.
The last two meetings have finished 14-8, with both Leeds and Castleford winning one match each, while the Rhinos have only scored more than 16 points once in their last five.
Castleford’s record is worse, as they have scored less than 10 points in four of their previous five.
Saturday’s contest should be a battle of attrition, and that may suit Castleford as they look for their third win of the season.
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