Castleford Tigers vs Wigan Warriors Predictions: Marshall to lead romp for champs

Castleford Tigers finally won their first game of the Betfred Super League season last weekend and will bid to build on that performance when the world champion Wigan Warriors come to town in the Betfred Challenge Cup quarter-finals on Sunday (kick-off 15:00 BST).

The Warriors won the cup two years ago by beating Huddersfield Giants in a thriller at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and look well placed to win it back after a dominant start to the domestic season.

Team news

Castleford’s hopes of springing a Challenge Cup upset haven’t been helped by an awful injury crisis that could see as many as 15 senior stars missing this weekend.

Four key men – Liam Watts, Joe Westerman, Josh Simm and hooker Paul McShane – picked up injuries in last weekend’s long-awaited win over Salford Red Devils. Simm suffered a season-ending shoulder dislocation, McShane pulled a hamstring and Watts failed his Head Injury Assessment so all three are definitely out. Westerman will be a late call.

Such is the threadbare nature of the Tigers squad that coach Craig Lingard is hoping to make some signings next week before his side play Wigan again in Super League.

The Warriors are much more settled, and will welcome back dangerous England prop Tyler Dupree from suspension in the one change to their initial squad. Jack Farrimond is the man to make way.

Handicap 3-way Wigan Warriors -22 @ 20/21

It’s a big handicap, but given the difference in squad depth between the two sides you tend to think that the 20-time winners will cover it to reach another semi-final.

Wigan opened the season with a 32-4 victory over Castleford at The Jungle and although they have try machine Innes Senior in their ranks I feel like the Tigers are looking at a similar scoreline here.

Cas produced a terrific effort to topple stylish Salford last week but this will be back down to earth with a bump against Matt Peet’s men, who have scored 188 points so far this season. The odds imply a 51.2% probability here.

Liam Marshall first tryscorer @ 7/1

You need a little bit of luck for first tryscorer bets to come off, but there is nothing lucky about the way winger Liam Marshall has been playing for the last couple of seasons.

Diminutive in stature but a powerful finisher, the England man has thrived under Peet and is the man on the end of the majority of the Warriors' scores, crossing seven times already this season.

Marshall needs two tries to reach 150 for his career and it would be a good bet that he will do that here – but will he go over first?

If you don't think he will, then look at an anytime tryscorer bet on our man Tyler Dupree again at 4/1 - always decent odds because he is a prop forward, but a regular tryscorer too.

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