Eric Uribe
It’s been less than two months since St. Helens won Super League XXVI in a thriller over Catalans Dragons, but hey, it’s not too early to begin thinking about next year’s championship. We’re doing exactly that in this article, which covers everything from the season schedule to our own 2022 Rugby Super League betting predictions!
First thing is first, let’s look at how the top betting sites for Rugby have the current odds. While every club has a betting line to win available, we’ve featured below the teams with the best chances at winning it all, per the oddsmakers:
| Team |  |  |
| St Helens | +190 | +190 |
| Warrington | +350 | +350 |
| Dragons Catalans | +500 | +500 |
| Wigan | +550 | +550 |
| Leeds | +800 | +800 |
| Hull FC | +1600 | +1600 |
When Does The 2022 Super League Season Start?
As you’re likely much aware of, it’s a World Cup year. The 2021 Rugby League World Cup began last month and runs through November 2022. Because of that, the 2022 Super League season starts earlier than usual. The first game goes off in the middle of February, while the championship happens on September 24, 2022.
Mark your calendars for February 10 as St. Helens opens the season versus Catalans Dragons in a championship rematch. If the matchup is anything like the final, then we are in store for an absolute barn burner.
Super League XXVII Betting Predictions
Here are two bits of advice when making Super League XXVII betting predictions: the first is to temper your bets money-wise. There’s an opportunity cost of having large sums of money tied up for an entire year without an imminent payoff. We only vouch for making early bets if the odds are going to shift a lot and that’s not the case with Super League. Sure, transfers happen in the offseason, but clubs stay relatively stable in Super League more often than not. So the lines you see now will be close to what you get come February start time anyway.
Two, and perhaps more importantly, consider betting on more than one team to win the championship. This multi-bet approach is perfect for risk management in case something disastrous happens to your betting selection (which in the sport of rugby is entirely possible). Several bets also make the rugby games themselves more exciting to watch since it naturally creates more rooting interest for you.
With that out of the way, let’s move on to our betting pick(s). Yes, we have two and here they are:
St. Helens
We don’t like using the word “automatic” when it comes to sports betting since there are never guarantees, however, St. Helens is as close to an “automatic” bet as you can have in Super League. At the very least, it’s the “safe” bet given their string of success in recent years.
Not only did St. Helens claim the 2021 title, but also the 2020 and 2019 championships. You tell us, is it smart to bet against the three-time-reigning champions? Of course not! In betting, you rarely want to bet against greatness and in the Super League, St. Helens meets that definition.
While we’d love to get St. Helens at better odds, the +200 or so range is the going rate for a three-peat champion. Your money is in good hands here, trust us.
Catalans Dragons
Despite winning the League Leader’s Shield and a runner-up finish in Super League in 2021, many still have their doubts about the Catalans. We mean, it makes sense, right? Here’s a club that’s had success far and few in between. And to address the elephant in the room, they’re also French — not English.
We are not in that group of doubters, though. The Catalans’ 2021 success was no flash in the pan and they’re gearing up for 2022 already. Early into the offseason, they’ve already nabbed a pair of players — Dylan Napa and Mitchell Pearce. Those additional pieces could provide the difference between first and second, which as we saw recently, was incredibly thin already.
Plus, we like the Catalans at +500. That’s a valuable betting price for a team that took home the 2021 League Leader’s Shield — not St. Helens. So yes, they’re worth a bet as is St. Helens. Bettors should be in good hands with that two-bet approach with those clubs.
How To Bet On Super League?
Rugby remains an obscure sport in the grand scheme of things (compared to American football or basketball, for instance). Therefore, many popular online sportsbooks gloss over it on their sites, either offering very few odds on it or none at all in some cases. However, the list of bookmakers we’ve listed in the underneath table isn’t in that category. No, no, these listed sites carry a slew of rugby odds — whether its Super League or Premiership or another association.
But that’s only the tip of the iceberg. These same bookies also offer special promotions to players. For first-timers, there’s the lucrative sign-up bonus. These deals can reward hundreds to thousands of dollars in free play just for signing up for an account. Our table below has details on what bonuses are currently available for the taking. Hit one of the “play now” buttons to begin the redemption process!
