Challenge Cup final betting tips: Saints look strong

It has been plain sailing for Kristian Woolf’s side in this competition. They eased past Leeds Rhinos 26-18 in the third round, dispatched Huddersfield Giants 23-18 in the quarter-finals and then crushed Hull FC 33-18 with little fuss in the semi-final.

They will have to face Castleford without forward Sione Mata’utia though after he was handed two separate one-match bans for high tackles.

Mata’utia, who is in his first season in Super League, was charged by the Rugby Football League’s match review panel with two Grade B offences during Saints’ 30-14 win over Wakefield Trinity last Friday and handed a one-match penalty notice for each one.

Mata’utia was set to face his older brother Peter, the Castleford Tigers centre, at Wembley.

Tigers battle-tested

Castleford will hope to lift the trophy for the first time since 1986 and for only the fifth time in the club’s 95-year history.

Coach Daryl Powell will hope he receives a rousing send-off as, after eight seasons, he will leave to join Warrington Wolves next term – and may take a few players with him.

Castleford made it to the final in 2014, but were brushed aside 23-10 by Leeds. They also froze at Old Trafford in the 2017 Grand Final, losing 24-6 to the Rhinos.

The Tigers are underdogs at 11/4 to win in 80 minutes, with the tie available at 20/1.

Unlike Saints, Powell’s side have been battle-tested in the run to Wembley, defeating Hull KR 33-32 in the third round before needing Gareth O’Brien’s golden-point drop goal to see off Salford 19-18 in the quarter-finals.

Their form dipped afterwards, and they are currently in mid-table, having won six and lost eight of their opening 14 Super League matches.

Yet they managed to stun Warrington in the semi-final. Having lost their three previous Super League games – which included a 60-6 home defeat by Leeds eight days earlier – they went into the clash as underdogs, yet came away 35-20 winners.

Four of the last five finals have been competitive, with just six points or fewer separating the teams, and St Helens are 9/1 to win by a margin of between 6-10 points.

For those wanting to cheer on the underdogs in Challenge Cup final betting tips, Castleford are 10/11 in receipt of 9.5 points on the handicap, while they are 7/1 to win by 1-5 points.

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All odds and markets correct as of date of publication