Leigh Leopards vs Salford Red Devils Predictions: Back Salford to bolster top-four hopes

Day two of Betfred Super League's Magic Weekend opens with a fierce clash between two close rivals in Leigh Leopards and Salford Red Devils that could prove to be the game of the weekend (Sunday at 13:30, live on Sky Sports Action).

Paul Rowley’s overachieving Salford are at it again as they bid to secure another play-off place which could yet see them finish in the top four, while the Leopards are bidding to make up for a slow start to the season by sneaking into the top six. My Leigh Leopards vs Salford Red Devils predictions foresee a real battle.

Leigh Leopards vs Salford Red Devils Odds

The rallying Leopards are the favourites to win this one, their five wins in six coaxing Betfred to price them at 8/13 against Salford's 7/5. The draw is available at 18/1, not a bad bet considering that the Red Devils were involved in just such an 80-minute tie little over a week ago.

Team News

Salford are boosted by the timely return of star Samoan centre Tim Lafai, who was serving a one-match ban last week and missed Thursday night’s dramatic golden-point defeat at St Helens.

Lafai’s return will most likely see the versatile Chris Hankinson revert to the bench where he has been used to cover full-back, wing, centre and second row to great effect in recent weeks.

Young prop Loghan Lewis was physically sick on the pitch at Saints last week – indeed there was a delay to the match while the mess was cleaned up – but he has been declared fit and available to experience Magic Weekend for the first time.

Ryan Brierley has been struggling with a knee injury but played in heavy strapping at Saints and is retained in the squad.

Rugby League Odds

The Leopards have been struggling in the halves in the absence of Matt Moylan. Good news for boss Adrian Lam, therefore, is the availability of Gareth O’Brien, who could slot in alongside Lachlan Lam.

The rest of the squad looks pretty formidable, not least in the pack with Tom Amone, John Asiata, Robbie Mulhern and Edwin Ipape all named.

Handicap 3-way Alternative 3: Salford Red Devils -4 @ 9/4

This feels like a toss-of-a-coin game and could feel like a cup semi-final for these two sides at Elland Road.

Leigh easily beat Salford at home in May, but Salford triumphed on their own turf in March and I wouldn't read too much into either result this season.

Both teams know they have to win in their pursuit of that end-of-season goal, and Salford especially will see it as a chance to both press their top-four claims and extinguish Leigh’s play-off hopes entirely in one fell swoop.

I’m leaning towards Salford in this one. I have been at most of the Red Devils' games of late, and they were always in control of their own destiny in a home win against Leeds Rhinos a fortnight ago.

The St Helens defeat will have been tough to digest this week. It was a game I felt they should have won, and but for a missed opportunity late on when Hankinson tried to put Deon Cross in at the corner but the winger was forced into touch, they would have won that game without the need for golden-point extra-time.

Leigh, on the other hand, picked up a big win over Hull FC which saw them accelerate from 12-12 at half-time to score 30 unanswered points.

I can’t see Salford allowing anything like that to happen this week and with Marc Sneyd again guiding his team around the park, I fancy Salford to nick a thriller.

Looking at the handicap, it’s actually pretty kind to the Red Devils and I’m going to look at the 9/4 on offer, with a 30.8% implied probability, for a one-score victory.

Nene Macdonald Anytime Tryscorer @ 6/4

Nene Macdonald is my stand-out try selection for most Salford games, unless I’m confident of a start for Chris Hankinson. With Hankinson likely to be back on the bench this week, I feel Nene could be the man again.

He loves to produce a big performance against his former clubs – as Leeds found out to their cost a couple of weeks ago, so I am expecting a big performance from the centre at Elland Road in a season during which he has produced some of his very best form.

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