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HALIFAX V WIDNES VIKINGS
Thursday 4th September 2008, 7:30 PM Uk Time

This is not a contest that will could lead to onto potential promotion to Super League at all which to some will be a great shame, depending on their views of the new Franchise system to be implemented. This Widnes team were apparently very close to selection for this fourteen and I was personally very frustrated to see this proud Rugby League club miss out in place of the Celtic Crusaders.  However, I am best advised not to carry on along those lines for fear of upsetting the Welsh! But then again, do they even care about League? Wiser men than me will be able to tell you that!

 

Slipping back onto the subject of tonight's match. I expect this to be a good, honest and hard fought contest in which Halifax are in my opinion likely winners and emminently backable at 1.62 but I personally would not be advising too many of you to do so.

The handicaps offered range from 2-6 on this one but the price on the -2 handicap has been driven down and is now less appealing on the whole.

The total points handicap prices are not up yet but I have had the marks suggested to me already and once again, I do not fancy partaking myself nor recommending anything.

 

What I am interested in is the 'Will there be 3 unanswered tries market?' which is an oddity. I expect that this contest will be a real arm wrestle and therefore I cannot see there being say for example a twenty minute or so period where either side completely tears the other side apart. The one period of danger is before and after half time because of the break that occurs but still, I feel that bearing the type of contest I am looking for tonight, 2.2 is an appealing option for there to be no series of three unanswered tries.

 

Another very small play on the second half having more points scored could be a sensible one. Big games can have a tendency of being a little tight early on but as ever the nature explosive and exciting nature of Rugby League can make betting pretty volatile on occasion so keep the stakes low on this one.

 

If I was wanting to be riskier with my recommendations, I might suggest an outright back of Halifax but my doubts over their recent form (admittedly not helped by the fact that they have been a little weakened in recent time by missing names from the lineup) along with me not wanting to recommend a back of a 1.62 option that I wouldn't exactly call 'nailed on' has put paid to that notion.

 

RECOMMENDATION - 2.5 Points Stake on NO in the 'Will there be 3 Unanswered tries market?' @ 2.2 (Bet365)

1 Point Stake on 2nd half highest scoring half @ 1.73 (Bet365)