Hull KR vs Castleford Tigers Prediction: Cover the Tigers with a big handicap

Betfred Challenge Cup winners Hull KR produced a thumping win over crisis-hit Salford last week and return to New Craven Park for a home clash with Castleford Tigers that should also yield a comfortable win.

Willie Peters' side take a four-point lead into the latest round of fixtures and are highly unlikely to slip up against one of the weakest sides in the top flight. (KO 15;00, Sky Sports+)

Hull KR vs Castleford Tigers Odds

Hull KR are the heavy favourites at 1/200. The draw is available at 25/1 and Castleford are 18/1 to pull off an upset.

Team News

Castleford travel to east Hull with the timely addition of star full-back Tex Hoy after injury. The former Hull FC man has been sidelined since May with a calf injury.

Hoy is included in Chris Chester's 21-man squad with Zac Cini having picked up a facial injury in the heavy defeat against St Helens.

Josh Hodson could also play for the first time since March while Jeremiah Simbiken is back from suspension.

Alongside Cini, also dropping out are Rowan Milnes - who has gone across to rovers on a short-term loan - and Andy Djeukessi who has gone to Workington.

The Robins are without half-back Tyrone May who picked up a two-match ban for some unnecessary language used to match officials during that routine win at Salford - mindless stuff from May.

His place in the squad goes to impressive forward Eribo Doro in the only change. Doro has been in fine form on loan at Bradford Bulls in the Championship.

Handicap 3-way Castleford Tigers 40 @ 4/5

The Super League leaders should win this without breaking sweat and justified our selection last week with the expected big win at Salford, even surpassing 70 points against the sorry Red Devils.

But Castleford are nowhere near as bad as Salford and 40 points is a big start, which leaves me looking at the visitors to lose heavily but potentially stay within the handicap.

Cas have shown signs of their promise this season, but have always come up short when the big questions have been asked. They lost 40-0 at Saints last time out which explains the big handicap this week, and without any logic at all I'm therefore expecting something slightly less disgraceful.

I could well be wrong of course - most would expect this to be a half-century score, with Rovers starting to ease back up through the gears following their mini summer wobble.

Castleford's results in July were all pretty close - a great win over Warrington, and before that the narrowest of defeats at Salford, and an 18-point defeat to Huddersfield.

The Tigers have also got within six points of Wigan but that was during a bad spell for the champions. It is worth noting that Hull KR won the game between these two sides at The Jungle 48-0.

So this will be a home win. A big home win. But by how much? That seems entirely down to how much of a fight Castleford choose to make of it. If Hoy plays, that will help.

Rhyse Martin anytime tryscorer @ 13/8

Pretty much the whole of Hull scored at Salford last week, except of course our 5/4 selection James Batchelor.

Our other tips - Jack Broadbent, who has been our most regular returner for the Robins, crossed at 8/11, as did Rhyse Martin at 5/4.

It was actually a coin toss between the two forwards Martin and Batchelor and we came down on the wrong side as Martin helped himself to a couple and Batchelor stayed as far away from the try line as he could.

So let's hop on Martin this week and see what happens. He looked a menace last week so seems to be in the mood to rack up some points after his long injury layoff.

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