- St Helens have already beaten Leeds twice this season
- Leeds failed to score in their last Super League game
- Recommended bet: St Helens to win by 13+ points

St Helens will hope to open up an advantage at the top of the Super League table, if only temporarily, on Friday night when they host Leeds Rhinos at the Totally Wicked Stadium.

Paul Wellens' side are second in the table, but they are one of four teams that are level on 16 points at the top. 

Wigan's superior points difference puts them above Saints, Warrington Wolves and Catalans Dragons heading into Round 12, although the Warriors have played a game less than their rivals.

Leeds have won six of their 11 games so far, but they failed to trouble the scoresheet as they lost 26-0 to Catalans Dragons in their last league fixture.

Both teams had a week's rest last weekend, having been eliminated in the previous rounds of the Challenge Cup.

Team news

Wellens has made two changes to his 21-man squad, with Jake Wingfield and Tee Ritson replaced by Agnatius Paasi and Jonny Vaughan.

Paasi has missed the last 10 months of action due to a knee injury, while Vaughan could make his debut for the first team.

Leeds boss Rohan Smith is boosted by the return of Brodie Croft and Harry Newman, whilst winger Matty Russell could make his debut after arriving on loan from Warrington last week.

However, Morgan Gannon has been ruled out for the rest of the season due to repeat concussions.

The stats

St Helens have won the last four meetings between the two clubs in all competitions, with two of those wins coming in March.

Having beaten Leeds 18-8 at Headingley in Super League, they returned a week later to record a 20-6 victory in the Challenge Cup.

Leeds have struggled with consistency this year, losing three of their last six games. 

St Helens winger Tommy Makinson needs one more try to reach 200 for the club.

Prediction

Leeds will be buoyed by the return of Croft and Newman, and it should certainly allow them to create more chances on their travels. The Rhinos looked toothless away from home last time out in Perpignan, and they will again struggle to pick up points this week.

St Helens have only lost at home twice this season, with only one of those defeats coming in the League. They have also only lost one of their previous 10 against Leeds, and have been in good form of late.

They scored 60 points in their win over Castleford earlier this month, and they should be able to beat Leeds by at least 13 points.

Back St Helens by 13+ points at 5/8 with LiveScore Bet.