Hull FC vs Huddersfield Giants Predictions: Must-win contest for hosts

Hull FC’s clash with Huddersfield feels like a must-win game for the home side after a wretched start to 2024.

But Tony Smith’s men will welcome a Giants outfit who have won three of their last four games – including knocking Hull out of the Betfred Challenge Cup - and tend to thrive away from home.

All three of Huddersfield’s Super League wins this season have come on the road and they will be well-fancied to intensify the pressure on Black and Whites head coach Smith here.

Team news

Hull FC make three changes to their squad after an Easter weekend derby defeat at Hull KR, their fourth successive defeat in the month of March.

The good news is the return to fitness of Joe Cator who is fit again after a hamstring injury, while youngsters Logan Moy and Zach Jebson are added to the squad and winger Liam Tindall is available again after missing the derby with a knee injury. Smith says academy full-back Moy has a strong chance of making his Super League debut.

Hull’s though is a lengthy injury list, and the latest players to be sidelined are hooker Danny Houghton (rib), Jack Ashworth (thumb) and Nic Staveley who will be out for the season with an ACL injury. Already out are Carlos Tuimavave, Jake Trueman, Brad Fash, Jack Walker, Mitieli Vulikijapani, Harvey Barron, Kye Armstrong and Cobie Wainhouse.

Nu Brown is expected to start at hooker, the position from which he is most dangerous. Giants coach Ian Watson has two key forwards returning to fitness, with both Adam Milner and Matty English back in the squad after injuries and set to be involved.

England prop though Chris Hill is still several weeks away from a return.

Handicap 3-Way Huddersfield Giants -10 @ 21/20

Huddersfield hammered Hull FC in the Cup a couple of weeks ago, running out 50-6 winners, indeed the Giants have put a half century on Hull FC in each of their last two meetings.

Hull still have just one win to show for their efforts this season – that narrow victory over London – and haven’t been helped by a mammoth injury list.

The Giants can be hit and miss but have largely fired on the road and I fancy them to add more misery to Smith and Hull here, covering the 10-point handicap.

Kevin Naiqama anytime tryscorer @ 12/1

Naiqama wasn’t one of the five try scorers for Huddersfield last week in a slightly laboured win at London, but did help himself to a couple in that Betfred Challenge Cup rout at the end of March.

With try machine Adam Swift and fellow winger Sam Halsall scoring with ease out wide, that is down in no small part to the work of the Huddersfield centres.

Against a fragile defence like Hull FC’s who have been battered all year so far, Naiqama could well be among the chief beneficiaries himself.

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