Wigan Warriors vs Leeds Rhinos Prediction: Sivo the sensible selection in powerhouse battle

The Brick Community Stadium hosts a meeting of two of the great sides in Betfred Super League history on Friday, when Wigan Warriors host Leeds Rhinos in a blockbuster (20:00 BST, Sky Sports Action).

The Rhinos set the pace thanks to five wins on the spin, while the Warriors may have reached the Betfred Challenge Cup final but they are craving consistency in the league having lost three of their last four. My Wigan Warriors vs Leeds Rhinos predictions are below, along with the latest match odds from Betfred and full team news.

Wigan Warriors vs Leeds Rhinos Odds

The Warriors are slight favourites with title sponsor Betfred at 8/11, with Leeds 13/10 to triumph in normal time. It's 12/1 for the game to be tied at full-time, prompting golden-point extra-time.

Unsurprisingly, Maika Sivo is best backed to open the tryscoring, at 6/1.

Team News

Leeds' recent success has been based on consistency of selection as well as quality of performance. But head coach Brad Arthur this week will make his first change to a matchday squad for six weeks, with right centre Jack Bird missing after minor knee surgery. Bird will miss the next two weeks.

That means a return from the cold for England international Harry Newman, who had fallen out of favour and been sent on loan to Hull FC for the last three games. Newman is expected to come straight into the team and start.

A couple of other changes to the squad see Tom Nicholson-Watton return from a short-term loan at Castleford. He replaces Ethan O'Neill, who has joined Hull FC on loan.

And young winger Riley Lumb is back too, he takes the place of Harley Thomas. Fellow youngster Ben Littlewood suffered a hand injury on loan at York that will keep him out for a couple of months, while reigning Steve Prescott Man of Steel Jake Connor is set to play in his 250th Super League game.

Wigan make just one change to their squad, with prop Ethan Havard back from suspension. He comes in for veteran Liam Farrell, who looks like he is just being given a rest having played in every game so far and with the Betfred Challenge Cup final just a few weeks away.

Youngsters George Marsden, Tom Forber, Kian McDermott and Lukas Mason all keep their places in the squad despite not having featured in the cup win over St Helens last week.

Rugby League Odds

Handicap 3-Way Alternative 1: Leeds -2  @ 7/5

Wigan will hope last week's thumping derby win over Saints in the Challenge Cup semi-final will spark the Warriors out of their early-season malaise. It has been a strangely inconsistent Wigan team who started the year so well but had gone on a peculiar losing run prior to last week's 32-0 derby drubbing.

Three losses on the spin in Super League came against Warrington, Castleford and Wakefield, but a subsequent victory over Bradford at least means they come into this one with back-to-back wins.

It is a run that has seen Wigan slip to fifth in the table, while Leeds bounced back from the disappointment of an early Challenge Cup exit with a formidable run in the league. Arthur's men have beaten Warrington, Bradford, Huddersfield, Catalans and Wakefield, scoring points for fun along the way.

So this is a fascinating match-up, one that you would normally have Wigan to win, but one in which the visitors are very much the form horse.

The handicap has Wigan at -2, which makes me favour Leeds even more than I was doing already. Wigan have been missing two instrumental players in Harry Smith and Bevan French, while Leeds have had the luxury of sending England internationals on loan.

The head-to-head isn't particularly pretty for Leeds. Wigan won the home game 22-6 last season and 28-0 in 2024.

Wigan are tough to beat at the Brick but I feel Leeds have the form and the players to produce a big performance here and am backing the Rhinos on the road.

Leeds +12.5 & Maika Sivo to Score A Try @ 6/4

Last time out we backed Leeds' try machine Maika Sivo to score 2+ tries at 21/10 and it proved a fine selection as the powerhouse winger did the business yet again.

Sivo is out on his own at the top of the Betfred Super League scoring charts with 17 tries, four clear of team-mate Brodie Croft. The way he is playing I would back Sivo to score in every game he plays at the moment, and am doubling up with a handicap punt here for a little more value.

Betfred is also running Super League Double Delight in this fixture, so if you go for a First Tryscorer selection and he goes on to score again then the title sponsor will double your odds!

Find more Rugby League Betting Tips here at Betfred Insights