Huddersfield Giants vs York Knights Prediction: Giants to edge it

It's a meeting of the bottom two in the Betfred Super League but York edged past Castleford last weekend for a first win in seven.

Huddersfield Giants vs York Knights Odds

Huddersfield are priced at 1/2 to win this game, while York Knights are priced at 7/4. There's lot of Price Boosts for this game which you can find on the link above.

Team news

Huddersfield are now four points adrift of York at the foot of the table after an agonising late loss to Wakefield and York's win at Castleford last week.

The Giants make a few changes for the trip to Merseyside with three key players returning to the squad.

Zac Woolford missed the Wakefield defeat through concussion protocols but after being cleared to return is named in the 21-man squad. Also returning are Harry Rushton and Joe Greenwood, with England prop Tom Burgess dropping out.

York boss Mark Applegarth welcomed back former Man of Steel Paul McShane last weekend and it was no surprise for that to coincide with a rare victory. McShane came through unscathed, and two men return this week in the pack in the form of prop Justin Sangare and back row Matty Foster.

The men to make way are the suspended Sam Wood, and the unfortunate Harvey Reynolds who suffered a very painful-looking elbow dislocation in the win at Cas.

Winning Margin: Huddersfield Giants 1-12 points @ 21/10

I've no idea where York's win at Castleford came from last week, but one thing is for sure - they are a different side with McShane in it. Not only was it an away win at a pretty tough venue to go, but it came against a Tigers team who had been coming into form.

Huddersfield meanwhile will improve. I know I keep saying that but what a thrilling end to their game at Wakefield - one that really looked like being a Giants win - or at the very least a period of Golden Point extra-time until the dramatic last-minute intercept try by Josh Rourke.

There are points in this Giants team - as there are in York - so this could be a pretty entertaining Magic opener and a game that will probably go a long way to deciding who finishes bottom of the pile this season.

I said in last week's preview that York had a gameplan that can work against Castleford. More fool me for not backing them to implement it over 80 minutes. So who will come out on top in this one?

Betfred have Huddersfield as clear favourites for this one, and there is a 10-point handicap which feels about right but one that York can certainly challenge if they play like they did last week.

The meeting between these two sides in April saw a 34-14 win for the Giants which supports the handicap, but more concerning for me would be their run of nine straight defeats since. The Giants defence is worryingly porous and there is no reason why York can't take the game to the Giants and take something from this game.

But while I don't particularly like the handicap, I do have this nagging feeling that Huddersfield are due a performance given the strength of their attacking arsenal. They just need to sort that defence out.

I'm siding with a Giants win but without my usual conviction, and am taking Huddersfield by 1-12 points, simply because of the awful run they are on.

Rugby League Odds

David Nofoaluma anytime tryscorer @ 11/10