Leigh Leopards vs Wakefield Trinity Prediction: Take the visitors on the handicap

Leigh Leopards and Wakefield Trinity kick off the 2025 Betfred Super League playoffs with a terrific match-up between two sides who love to upset the odds, and the home side are firm favourites to progress into week two. (Kick-off 20:00)

But Daryl Powell's Wakefield are not here just to make up the numbers after an impressive first season back in the top flight, as sixth travels to play third with the losers seeing their season come to an end. Read on for our Leigh Leopards vs Wakefield Trinity predictions.

Team News

Both sides go as strong as is possible for the chance to reach the semi-finals, with Leigh knowing a win would send them to Wigan next week while Wakefield would head to the League Leaders Hull KR as the lowest ranked team still standing.

Trinity make two changes to the squad which ended the season with wins over KR and Salford. Influential Max Jowitt is one of those missing after he suffered a head injury at Salford - the subsequent failed head injury assessment meaning he is unavailable for selection this week.

Youngster Noah High also drops out, with his place in the squad going to Ellis Lingard, while Oliver Russell comes in for Jowitt. Russell returns after a spell on loan at Huddersfield where he played four times.

Leigh boss Adrian Lam makes just one alteration to his squad but it is a key and very positive change. Livewire hooker Edwin Ipape is back from suspension, with AJ Towse the unfortunate man to make way.

Leigh Leopards vs Wakefield Trinity Odds

Leigh are 2/7, Wakefield are 11/4, and the draw is 20/1.

Handicap 3-way Wakefield Trinity +10 @ 20/21

Games like this, where there is a clear favourite and an in-form underdog with nothing to lose, are brilliant to watch but a nightmare to predict.

The Leopards are the dominant side in this match-up and are justifiably favourites to progress to the last four. It will be one hell of an atmosphere put on by chairman Derek Beaumont, but I expect Wakefield to thrive off that too.

Nobody expected Wakefield to back up promotion from the Championship with a place in the Betfred Super League playoffs. But Powell's men started well and their standards rarely dipped for any sustained period, finding form again with that terrific win over Hull KR off the back of a derby loss to Castleford that appeared to have ended their top six hopes and handed Hull FC a playoff spot instead.

As it was, Wakefield's strong finish and Hull's unexpected wobble has seen Trinity home with room to spare and having rocked the Robins there is no reason at all why Powell's men can't tame the Leopards in their own backyard.

So which Wakefield will come to the party? If it is the one who succumbed to Cas a few weeks ago then Leigh will justify the handicap and power through, but something tells me that this could end up being tighter than the 10-point start afforded to the visitors.

The two Super League games between these sides this season have seen a win apiece, interestingly both to the away team. The Leopards secured a narrow 24-20 win in West Yorkshire in June while Wakefield produced a stunning performance to win 40-14 back in March. Leigh were not at the races that day and have really strengthened since, so I do not expect a scoreline of that magnitude for either side.

A third meeting between the teams came in the Betfred Challenge Cup quarter-finals - again a Leigh win on Wakefield soil - by 20 points to 12.

That is the kind of score I am feeling in this contest. Can I see Wakefield winning? Absolutely. Am I confident enough in that feeling to go against Leigh on home soil? Not really.

I'm backing the Leopards to win a cracker, but am going to take Wakefield on the handicap with the safety net of knowing they could even spring a surprise of their own.

Umyla Hanley anytime tryscorer @ 5/4

We are offering Super League Double Delight for this fixture, so if your player scores the first try of the match and then goes on to score again, Betfred will double your first try scorer price.

In the anytime scorer market, Josh Charnley and Keenan Brand - both of Leigh - are the shortest odds to return with a try at 10/11, with centre Umyla Hanley available at 5/4.

Followers of this column will have noted we have had good returns from Hanley this season, and his form quite rightly this week landed his first ever place in the prestigious Super League Dream Team, recognising the outstanding players in each position throughout the season.

We will be sticking with Hanley to provide the spark this week. He hasn't crossed for a try in either of Leigh's last two games - both of which were wins - and to me that makes a touchdown feel more likely than not when it is all on the line this week.

Offers

Super League Double Delight - if your player scores the first try of the match, then goes on to score another, we'll DOUBLE your first tryscorer price!

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