Leigh Leopards vs Huddersfield Giants Predictions: Back Leigh with a handicap

Leigh return to the Leigh Sports Village for the first time in over a month, looking to bounce back from last week’s defeat at Wigan against a struggling Huddersfield Giants side who parted company with Ian Watson this week. (Kick-off 15:00 on Sky Sports Mix)

Huddersfield have won just once in their last eight Super League games and are now looking for a new head coach.

Leigh Leopards vs Huddersfield Giants Odds

Team News

Leigh’s top try scorer Josh Charnley is out, having been forced off the pitch in last week’s loss at Wigan. Charnley has a rib cartilage issue which rules him out of contention this week and means a potential debut out wide for Darnell McIntosh.

Tom Nisbet is promoted into the initial squad in the only change made by boss Adrian Lam, with the squad now looking as strong as it has all season. Forwards John Asiata, Tom Amone, Robbie Mulhern and hooker Edwin Ipape are all back from injury and showing no ill-effects.

The Giants have no head coach after deciding a change of direction was needed. There will be at least two changes to the side beaten at Warrington too. Hooker Tom Deakin is out due to concussion protocols after failing his head injury assessment in that Warrington defeat, while prop Seb Ikahihifo is out for the same reason.

Into the squad in their place come a couple of Giants youngsters – Darius Carter and Fenton Rogers.

Rugby League Odds

Handicap 3-way: Leigh Leopards -12 @ 20/21

Leigh may have come up short at Wigan last week but with the squad they have back available now I expect to see a big improvement in their league position between now and the end of the season.

The Giants on the other hand are heading in the other direction. One win in eight is always likely to prompt a rethink at the top, and so it has proved with the once highly-vaunted Ian Watson now out of a job.

Huddersfield finished third in 2022 but missed out on the playoffs altogether last year and are likely to suffer the same fate again this.

Leigh on the other hand may lie a point worse off than Huddersfield but I have full confidence that they will finish higher. The top six still feels unlikely for both of these sides given the strength of the teams above them, and victory in this fixture is vital if either are to have any chance.

I expect Leigh to win, and with a little bit to spare, even in the absence of Charnley who has scored six tries in the last four games between these two sides.

This is the third meeting of the teams this year, with both games won narrowly by the away team.

Eight points has been the biggest margin of victory this year but I think this will be bigger given the state of the two teams, and am backing the Leopards by a few scores on the -12 handicap.

Ricky Leutele anytime tryscorer @ 5/4

The Leopard are going to have to weigh in with some points in the absence of their talisman Charnley, but there is plenty of strike elsewhere in the side.

Winger McIntosh is likely to be handed an opportunity and he is 10/11 to cross during 80 minutes, with Umyla Hanley the most likely scorer at 5/6.

Hooker Edwin Ipape looks a good shout at 7/4 but I’m looking at the Leigh centres this week, and in former Huddersfield man Ricky Leutele I think Leigh have a key man in this fixture.

He is 5/4 to score a try in 80 minutes which I see as excellent value. Leutele to score in a home win is my verdict in this one.

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