Super Legue Betting: Hull, St Helens and Warrington to win

Raj Bains
22 July 2016

St Helens captain Jon Wilkin will be hoping to lead his side to an important derby win tonight

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Super League might be winding down the regular season ahead of the Super8s and Qualifiers, but that doesn't mean Round 23 will pass by without incident. Raj Bains is one hand to guide us through the biggest matches...

"In better form than their rivals, with a renewed sense of team and purpose, they will be the more confident side this evening, which could make all the difference."

St Helens to beat Wigan Warriors @ 9/5

The end of the regular season isn't as exciting as it used to be given the new format, but there are still plenty of points on offer and places in the table to fight for that will still count for something after the league split. Down the bottom, teams will be hoping to secure a place in either 9th or 10th to earn extra home games, while those in the top eight will be carrying their points across in to the next stage, so will want to amass as many as possible.

As far as the regular season has gone, you'd be hard pressed to argue that it's been of the greatest quality or the most consistent it's ever been, but entertaining all the same. Injuries took their toll across the division, and the likes of Wakefield and Widnes deserve immense credit for avoiding a second season in the bottom four. Up the top, Hull FC and Warrington have really kicked on, and with Leeds and Huddersfield out of the picture, it opens up the play-offs more than in years gone by.

Back to the present though, and Round 23 has more than enough in it to send the regular season off on the right note. Here then, are the best bets of the round.

Salford Red Devils vs Hull FC
Friday 22nd July, 20:00

These two teams both possess incredible spending power and are led by highly ambitious backers. Hull, however, have managed their business perfectly, while salary cap irregularities - something the club have strenuously fought against and deny - caused Salford to have points deducted, ultimately costing them their place in the top eight.

Still full of fight and looking to drum up some form ahead of the Qualifiers to avoid the drop, Salford won't give Hull an easy passage to two points tonight, but might not have enough about them to completely halt one of the league's top sides.

For what it's worth, FC know that winning, and winning well, can be the difference between places as the Super8s roll around, so it's well worth getting points on the board to boost the goal difference when and where possible, and this could be one of the matches they've highlighted. Excellent in attack with a committed defence, this match should be fairly straight forward for the away side, as long as they approach it with the correct level of intensity ahead of a Challenge Cup semi-final next week.

Recommended Bet: Hull FC to beat Salford Red Devils by +13pts @ 9/5

Wigan Warriors vs St Helens
Friday 22nd July, 20:00
Live on SkySports

It doesn't matter when and where these two play, because there's fight, passion and fireworks regardless. With both in the hunt for not only top four, but top place, it'd be a massive boost for whoever can get the upper hand on their rivals tonight, with further clashes on the horizon soon after in the Super8s, play-offs, or even in the Grandfinal.

Wigan aren't in the greatest form in the world, and with players missing and a coach under pressure, it's fair to say that victory against Saints would be the perfect remedy to a rough few weeks. Shaun Wane has done himself no favours by making questionable comments about the suitability of the 'cannonball' tackle, and he'll want his team to do the talking and replace his name in the headlines if possible.

Saints, on the other hand, need points to get themselves back above Catalan in the play-off places, and beating Wigan would close the gap between themselves and the top sides, effectively helping to kill two birds with one stone. In better form than their rivals, with a renewed sense of team and purpose, they will be the more confident side this evening, which could make all the difference.

Recommended Bet: St Helens to beat Wigan Warriors @ 9/5

Warrington Wolves vs Huddersfield Giants
Saturday 23rd July, 14:00

Huddersfield haven't really had the season they'd have wanted, and the introduction of Rick Stone has come a little late in the day for them to salvage much from this season other than Super League survival. The club has been a mess both on and off the field, with players in contractual disputes, rumours and leaks about unhappiness within the squad all contributing to their poor season.

Warrington, however, could be an inspiration to Huddersfield next season. Having struggled last year, the Wolves learnt from their tortured campaign, and have kicked on emphatically this season. Their rugby is fluid, their squad seems close knit, and the coach has gotten his ideas across more effectively than has been the case in the past, with the half-back pairing of Gidley and Sandow possessing the quality needed to translate the improvised nature Smith likes his attack to have in to reality.

This will likely be one way traffic, with Wire taking control after Huddersfield play for pride in the early stages.

Recommended Bet: Warrington Wolves to beat Huddersfield Giants by 11-20pts @ 21/10