Hull KR vs Leigh Leopards Prediction: Visitors to make use of the handicap

Two form teams meet at Sewell Group Craven Park in the final match of the weekend on Sunday as early Betfred Super League pacesetters Hull KR host a Leigh Leopards side in second who are the top flight's only other unbeaten team (kick-off 15:00 GMT, Sky Sports+ and SuperLeague+). 

Willie Peters' Rovers are a perfect four from four but will be pushed all the way by Adrian Lam's hungry Leopards, whose thrilling draw at Hull FC last time out was their only dropped point of the season to date. Here are my Hull KR vs Leigh Leopards predictions with Betfred's match odds and the latest team news.

Hull KR vs Leigh Leopards Odds

The Robins are pretty unbackable right now, particularly at Craven Park where they haven't lost in 80 minutes in over a year. Betfred have them at 4/11 for the win in regulation time on Sunday, with Leigh available at 23/10, which implies a 30.3% probability of an away victory.

The draw is quoted on the narrow side given the nature of the fixture at 18/1. On the handicap front, we find the regular two-handicap pitched at 8.5 points in Leigh's favour, with the Leopards 5/6 in that scenario and Rovers 10/11 to overcome the disadvantage. KR have beaten that in each of their last five fixtures against Leigh since their Challenge Cup final defeat in 2023.

Team News

Hull KR allowed full-back Niall Evalds to join Huddersfield Giants this week, and the England man's dreadful luck saw him hobble off injured at half-time in the defeat at Salford Red Devils on Thursday night.

The Evalds departure was allowed because of the arrival from France of Catalans Dragons star Arthur Mourgue, but he does not feature this weekend. Jack Broadbent will therefore keep his place after impressing against Oldham last Friday night, capping a fine performance with a late try.

Key forward Dean Hadley is back to boost the Robins' pack, winger Joe Burgess is available again too, while those players rested against Oldham - namely Mikey Lewis and Micky McIlorum - also return.

Rugby League Odds

Leigh are missing winger Darnell McIntosh again, with his return from injury short-lived. He will now miss another four to eight weeks.

Josh Charnley, Robbie Mulhern and Frankie Halton are still out but Gareth O'Brien is back. Bailey Hodgson or AJ Towse will return on the wing in the absence of McIntosh.

Handicap 3-way: Leigh +8 @ 21/20

I love the look of this game and genuinely feel it is a good fixture for both sides. I was at Rovers last week for their Betfred Challenge Cup win over Oldham in which the Roughyeds justified our backing to stay under the handicap - and they will need to step up a gear to beat Leigh this week.

The Leopards are looking more like the side who beat the Robins in the Challenge Cup final a couple of years ago and I expect them to have a real go at this one despite some injuries to key names. But will they have enough to crack this stubborn Hull KR defence of which Peters is so proud?

It won't be a cricket score for either side, and as such I'm going to take Leigh with the eight-point start at an implied 48.8% probability. Rovers are tough to beat on home soil, and won all three meetings against Leigh last year - twice at home by 12-point margins, and a 24-0 win at Leigh Sports Village.

I'm interested in that 12-point home victory margin, and given Leigh are stronger this year than last, I feel they can make a little dent in it.  Whether that will be enough for the victory, though, I am unconvinced.

David Armstrong anytime tryscorer @ 5/4

One of the signings of the season, NRL import David Armstrong has come up trumps for us a couple of times already in this column for an anytime try, and with a little extra value away from home I'm tempted back in by the full-back this week.

If Leigh are to go well in this fixture then it feels like a certainty that Armstrong and Umyla Hanley will be their main strike players - Hanley is available at 5/2 to score a try in 80 minutes.

For Rovers I would look at either winger (Joe Burgess and Tom Davies) or playmaker Mikey Lewis at 6/5, but the value is with Leigh and in Armstrong they have the most electric finisher on the pitch.

You can read all our latest Rugby League Betting Tips at our dedicated Betfred Insights Rugby League content hub.