Salford Red Devils vs Huddersfield Giants Predictions: Hosts to get back on track

Following a heavy defeat on Magic Weekend, Salford Red Devils will be hoping to bounce back when they entertain Huddersfield Giants at the Salford Community Stadium on Saturday evening (17:30, live on Sky Sports).

Read on for my Salford Red Devils vs Huddersfield Giants predictions.

Salford Red Devils vs Huddersfield Giants Odds

Salford are warm favourites at 2/5 to claim both points, while Huddersfield are available at 2/1 - and the draw is an 18/1 shot.

The Red Devils' Deon Cross and Ethan Ryan top the first tryscorer market at 8/1.

Team News

Rowley has no option but to shuffle his Red Devils pack ahead of this Saturday evening showdown.

Back row forward Sam Stone failed a Head Injury Assessment against Leigh and will therefore be missing this weekend through concussion protocols.

Two more key starters are missing too, after Samoan centre Tim Lafai picked up a one-match ban having only just returned from suspension. Also banned is Ollie Partington.

Better news is the return to the squad of former Featherstone forward Ben Hellewell after injury, while half-back Cade Cust is recalled and Nathan Connell is also selected.

Huddersfield have a few bodies back for the trip across the M62.

Joe Greenwood is fit again after injury and takes his place in the squad, while Aidan McGowan has been cleared of a head injury and takes the place of Harvey Livett.

Salford -6 @ 20/21

This feels like a potential banana skin for a Salford side who have struggled for momentum this season. Having looked top-four certainties, the Red Devils are now in a real playoff scrap, lying in sixth spot but level on points with both Catalans and St Helens above them. Crucially, Catalans come to Salford in a couple of weeks.

Salford were dire at Magic Weekend in a 26-0 loss, but their form before that had been good. A 17-16 golden point loss at Saints the previous week was cruel – but for a moment of indecision in a breakaway down the left late on then Salford would have won the game.

Prior to those back-to-back defeats came wins over Leeds and Castleford, so it is way too early to start writing Salford off.

That said, Lafai, Partington and Stone are huge losses. Lafai has a terrific deputy in Chris Hankinson who will slot back in at centre from the bench, but the pack is seriously weakened by the absence of Partington and Stone and that is where Huddersfield could take advantage.

The Giants have nothing to play for but their Magic win over Cas was impressive and they gave Catalans a real scare the week earlier before losing out 23-22.

This is a game Huddersfield could pinch, but I am sticking with Salford on home soil in a narrow win.

Chris Hankinson - Anytime Try Scorer @ 6/5

Along with Nene Macdonald, Hankinson has been my go-to try scorer selection this year, even coming up trumps for followers of this column with a try off the bench last month.

Lafai’s suspension should see Hankinson back at left-centre, a position from which he can be a real threat. 

With Macdonald at 10/11 and Hankinson at 6/5 to cross anytime, there is only one winner for me.

Click the link for all the latest Rugby League Odds

Find more Rugby League Betting Tips here at Betfred Insights