Snooker World Championship Betting Info
This prestigious ranking event is played between April 21 and May 7 at the famous old Crucible Theatre in Sheffield. This is the 75th edition of the Snooker World Championships and this is the event which wraps up the 2011/2012 season. Neither legends Jimmy White or Steve Davis made it through qualifying sadly, but Stephen Hendry did manage to clinch his place back at the finals, for the 27th consecutive season.
Online Bookmaker Promotion
Online bookmaker BetFred have a Snooker World Championship betting promotion running for the 2012 edition. There are actually two offers here being presented by BetFred, which provides some fantastic coverage for your snooker betting. Firstly, if Judd Trump wins the tournament outright, then BetFred will refund all losing single bets placed on the outright market. That alone is good coverage, but their snooker special continues.
If your backed selection in the Outright Winner market hits a 147 break during the tournament, BetFred will pay you out as a winner of the tournament, regardless of whether they win or not. Better still, if that player hits a 147 and goes on to win the World Championship, then you will get double the original outright winner odds taken. So some truly fantastic snooker betting coverage BetFred offer a free £50 bet for new customers registering an account with them. The bookie will match the value of your first stake on a new account with a free bet, up to the maximum value of £50.
Snooker World Championship Betting Defending Champion
Scotland’s John Higgins in the defending World Championship champion. He beat rising star Judd Trump in the final 18-15 to take his fourth title. So can he deliver again? Well, somewhat surprisingly after the strong comeback he made to the came, Higgins looks a bit short of confidence Higgins is now down in sixth in the world rankings after a disappointing season and he admitted too that he had lost some passion for the game. He made a timely recourse to suggest that he has just re-discovered his hunger in time for his return to the Crucible. He is not playing as good as what the John Higgins everyone knows can. No-where near it and has failed badly in the big ranking events this season. So he isn’t in the kind of form that would suggest that he will step up and defend his title.
Snooker World Championship Betting Favourite
The thing about the state of snooker at the moment though, is that there really is not a stand out performer. No go-to guy who you expect to stand out from the crowd time and time again. But Judd Trump is the nearest thing to that as he leads the way as favourite in snooker betting. This is only Trump’s fourth appearance at the Crucible for the Snooker World Championships, but he is the brightest spark in the pack. We were waiting for him to take the game by the scruff of the neck, after he fulfilled his true potential by taking the UK Championships. He hasn’t won a ranking even since then though. He had a great experience in Sheffield last year when he came from nowhere to make it to the final, which all started by knocking out the defending champion Neil Robertson in the first round. He has the game, he has the confidence. He is in the same half of the draw as Higgins, and really that looks to be his biggest threat in not getting to the final. Good draw and should go well at 11/2 with Stan James.
Other Contenders
The field is deep of course here and all pretty evenly matched. Aussie Neil Robertson seems to be trading very well. He has a couple of Players Tour Championship wins under his belt this season, but his big highlight came in winning The Masters against Shaun Murphy. Here is a man who has been here and done it before and should be in the mix. Like most in the field though, can be hit and miss.
Ronnie O’Sullivan, for all dramas and time away from the game has still managed to put in a decent season. He scored a big success a the German Masters at the start of the year, beating Stephen Maguire in the final. He also lifted his 10th Premier League title as well. He still has the game, maybe not the same degree of consistency as he used to have in his prime, but people will still eye him up as the man to beat. After the German Masters win, which was his first ranking final since the 2010 World Open, he crashed in the semi final of the Welsh Open and then in the quarter finals of the China Open. Tricky start for O’Sullivan at the Snooker World Championships though, as he opens against China Open winner Peter Ebdon. Could possibly line up against Neil Robertson in the quarter finals.
There is also the presence of Mark Selby in the same half as Ronnie O’Sullivan. Mark Selby has proven plenty of times that he is one of the greats of the game. His only title this year though was a win at the Shanghai Masters, but did put in a final appearance at the Welsh Open. Again, the ranking titles have been spread out quite a bit among players this season, showing just how even the playing field is. Selby, along with the likes of Higgins and Trump should be in the latter stages.
You can carry on down the field and look at names like Ding Junhui, Mark Allen and Shaun Murphy and simply take your pick. Welsh Open and Championship League winner Ding Junhui is probably the pick of the bunch.
Best Outside Bet
We are heading to Scotland for our outside pick, and it’s not John Higgins or Stephen Hendry. It is Stephen Maguire, who seems to have rediscovered his best game this season in the build up to the 2012 Snooker World Championship. He reached the final of the German Masters and the China Open as well, losing on both occasions granted but is showing pretty solid form. Those losses at the crucial stage is what keeps him as an outside bet. Could meet John Higgins in the quarter finals, but would back Maguire if that happens. Plenty of value in Maguire at 16/1 with Boylesports.
Latest Snooker World Championship Betting Prices
Judd Trump: 11/2 at Stan James
Neil Robertson: 9/1 at BetFred
Ronnie O’Sullivan: 9/1 at SportingBet
Mark Selby: 10/1 at SportingBet
John Higgins: 10/1 at Bet365
Ding Junhui: 12/1 at Totesport
Mark Allen: 14/1 at Bet365
Shaun Murphy: 16/1 at SkyBet
Stephen Maguire: 16/1 at Bet Victor
