With the season about to get underway, The Greatest Game is launching its weekly betting predictions. We are using imaginary £10 stakes and will tot up our winnings or losses across the season.
Only one game is played on the opening weekend of Super League X
III and it sees last season’s champions Leeds Rhinos taking on much strenghened Hull Kingston Rovers.
Sky Bet have offered some pretty generous odds by giving KR a 14 point start. Looking at the signings they’ve made, and the fact they’ll be out to prove last season’s survival wasn’t a flash in the pan, I’d expect KR to take the game to Leeds right from the off.
My primary concern to backing KR would be their lack of game time, especially with the number of new signings on board. Having friendlies cancelled due to poor weather has only allowed them to give new boys Castleford a beating in the off season. Leeds on the other hand have been out hammering Featherstone, Hunslet and Oldham - not the most challenging opposition but opposition nonetheless.
Leeds have also just jetted back from their match in Florida with the South Sydney Rabbitohs, whether lingering jetlag and the excitement of a World Club Challenge match-up with Melbourne Storm next week will upset the efficiency of the Rhinos is unknown, but the travelling is hardly the best preperation before going into a tough showdown with a club with big aims for the coming year. It is also yet to be seen what impact new coach Brian McClennan will have on last season’s unchanged Super League winning squad.
So both teams could be a little stiff coming into the first game of the season, but I fully expect KR to give Leeds a battle at Headingley. I don’t expect them to defeat the Rhinos but I feel Leeds won’t have enough in the tank to overcome the 14 point start. For the contingency bet, I feel that Leeds will be able to sneak past the 14 points but not much further past and cannot envisage them running away with the game. Therefore the contingency goes on Leeds winning by 21-25 points.
Bet, week 1
£10 on Hull KR (+14) to win @ 10/11
Potential return: £14.09
The Greatest Game 2008 Betting Statistics
Bets made: none
Money bet: £0
Money won: £0
Money lost: £0
Season kitty: £0
Disclaimer: you can make bets on our predictions but we will not take any responsibility for any losses you sustain: sensible gamblers only bet what they can afford to lose.
0 Responses to “Hull KR to upset champion’s party?”