Rugby League Challenge Cup Odds
The Rugby League Challenge Cup is the most prestigious cup competition in club rugby league – and betting on the Challenge Cup has never been easier.
Here at BetUK, we offer extensive rugby league odds on every round of the competition, all the way up to the final.
This is the tournament that gives smaller sides the chance to land a giant killing and make a name for themselves.
Betting on rugby league takes a different turn for the Challenge Cup compared to the Super League due to the varying levels of quality between the two sides. Yet it remains a great competition to bet on if you want to deepen your knowledge of this amazing sport.
What is the Rugby League Challenge Cup?
The Rugby League Challenge Cup is the sport’s oldest cup competition. It dates back to 1896 and is a straight knockout featuring amateur and professional teams across the UK, with some invited from Ireland and France too.
There are seven rounds in total. All 12 Super League clubs enter at the third round and must play that tie away from home.
The Rugby League Challenge Cup final is played at a major UK stadium each summer. This is usually Wembley, although Tottenham Stadium, the Millennium Stadium and Twickenham have all hosted the final in recent years.
Rugby League Challenge Cup Odds
Let’s now look at the main rugby league odds you can choose to focus on when betting on the Challenge Cup. These are the most straightforward odds and are ideal for those just starting out in the sport:
To win the Rugby League Challenge Cup
You can bet on a team to win the Rugby League Challenge Cup in the outright markets.
Usually, the Super League’s big boys top the odds here, and it’s unlikely that even a lower-ranked Super League club will challenge the likes of Wigan, Leeds or St Helens for the trophy.
To win a match
BetUK offers Rugby League Challenge Cup odds on every round of the competition, with betting available on each game. The simplest bet is backing a team to win – usually the favourites from a higher league.
Margin Betting
Bet on a team to win by a points margin. This is a leap from the match bet, as you need to predict who wins and estimate the final score. For example, you might bet on Leeds to beat St Helens in the Rugby League Challenge Cup semi-finals with a 6-12 point winning margin.
How to Bet on Rugby League Challenge Cup
When it comes to betting on the Challenge Cup, rugby league fans have plenty of options.
However, before you get started, you need an account with BetUK.
If you don’t already have one, you can get signed up here or download the BetUK app.
Enter your personal details and create an account. You must be aged 18 or over to bet in the UK.
After creating an account, you can then make a deposit before browsing the range of odds we have available for the Challenge Cup here.
Find a bet you want to back and click on the odds. This will add the selection to your bet slip. From here, enter your stake in the box, check your risk and potential reward, and then hit “Place Bet”.
When is the Rugby League Challenge Cup Final?
The Rugby League Challenge Cup final takes place over the summer months – but the date changes each year.
Challenges to the rugby league calendar and stadium availability means the final can be held anywhere from May to August.
The 2025 Rugby League Challenge Cup final will be held on 7 June at Wembley Stadium.
Rugby League Challenge Cup Betting Tips
Knowing the core Rugby League Challenge Cup betting markets and actually knowing what to bet on are two different things.
There are plenty of rugby league tips out there if you search for them, but here are the only ones you need to get started.
Focus on the Big Teams
The Rugby League Challenge Cup used to offer far more upsets, but the days of a lower-league team lifting the trophy are now over. The likes of Wigan, Leeds, St Helens and Warrington now dominate this competition.
It means these are the teams you should gravitate towards if you’re placing an outright bet on the Challenge Cup. They’ll probably enter at the last-16 stage, so they’re only three games from the final anyway.
Defences Win Finals
Rugby League Challenge Cup finals can often be a tasty affair.
It’s common for a high-flying team to face a mid-table opponent from the Super League, meaning the rugby league odds are already skewed.
The thing is, there’s rarely a major thrashing in the final. Instead, the higher-ranked team usually puts on a perfect defensive performance and grinds out the result.
Weirdly, the Rugby League Challenge Cup final isn’t always the best spectacle, but it can be a reliable stage for your bets.
Watch and Bet Live
The BBC shows a handful of Rugby League Challenge Cup games on TV and online each season.
This means you can bet and watch rugby league at the same time.
In-play betting transforms the experience because you can time your selections to perfection.
It’s a lot closer to live football or cricket betting, because you need to watch and read the game before placing your bets.
Look for Handicaps
The disparity between the teams in the Rugby League Challenge Cup can be so great as to not make betting on the favourite worth your time.
If this happens, then you can squeeze bigger wins by focusing on the handicaps.
A handicap rugby bet applies a points advantage or disadvantage to the final score, in order to tweak the odds. So, you might bet on Leeds to beat Featherstone with a -12.5 point handicap, at better odds than a straight-up bet on Leeds to win.
If Leeds win by 13 points or more, then you win your handicap bet.
Bet on the Rugby League Challenge Cup Today
Now you know more about Challenge Cup betting, it's time to explore our latest odds and find your perfect selection. Remember, you’ll need to sign up to BetUK to place a rugby bet, and you can find more advice and guides on sports betting via our blog!