Leigh Leopards vs Wigan Warriors predictions: Hosts to push reigning champions close
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- Wigan Warriors remain second in the Super League table
- Leigh Leopards dropped to fourth in Super League after last weekend's defeat to Leeds Rhinos
- Recommended bet: Leigh +8.5
Leigh Leopards will hope to put pressure on the top three teams in Super League when they host reigning champions Wigan Warriors on Friday night at Leigh Sports Village.
Leigh come into the game on the back of a 48-30 defeat to Leeds Rhinos, but they had won three matches in a row before that setback.
Wigan have won 10 of their last 11 games in Super League and they are only four points behind league leaders Hull Kingston Rovers.
Team news
Leigh boss Adrian Lam has included David Armstrong in his 21-man squad, but he is still a doubt after picking up a knock against Leeds.
Robbie Mulhern and Darnell McIntosh drop out of the squad and are replaced by Alec Tuitavake and AJ Towse.
Wigan coach Matty Peet will be boosted by the return of Abbas Miski, while fellow winger Liam Marshall has shaken off an ankle injury to retain his place in the squad.
Harvey Makin has also been called up this week, with Harvie Hill and Jacob Douglas dropping out.
The stats
Wigan beat Leigh 36-28 in May, but the Leopards won 1-0 on the opening night of the 2025 season.
The Cherry and Whites have won on their last four visits to Leigh Sports Village, with Leigh's previous home victory against Wigan coming in June 2017.
Wigan have only lost three times all season and they are five points better off than their hosts after 16 games.
Prediction
Friday's game at Leigh Sports Village promises to be another cracker and the atmosphere should be electric in front of another sold-out crowd.
Leigh will be playing their first game at home in four matches and the hosts will fancy their chances of pushing Wigan close.
The two teams have won one game each in their two meetings so far this season and Leigh only lost by eight points in May.
While Wigan are still one of the best teams in the competition, they have not been outclassing teams every week.
Wigan only beat strugglers Castleford Tigers 26-20 last weekend, while Huddersfield Giants lost 22-18 to the Warriors three weeks ago.
Leigh can compete with any team in the division on their day and this is their cup final against their local rivals. Wigan may prove too strong at full-time, but at the very least Leigh should stay within eight points on home soil.
