The next World Ranking tournament in the snooker season is the 2020 Players Championship from the Southport Theatre and Convention Centre.
The reigning champion is Ronnie O’Sullivan who won a big duel with Neil Robertson twelve months ago. However, O’Sullivan wasn’t ranked high enough on the one-year ranking list to qualify for a title-defence.
The 2020 Players Championship runs from February 24th and goes through to March 1st.
Players Championship 2020 Snooker Winner Odds*
Judd Trump 2/1
Neil Roberston 7/2
Shaun Murphy 10/1
Mark Selby 10/1
Mark Allen 11/1
John Higgins 12/1
Ding Junhui 12/1
Kyren Wilson 14/1
Mark Williams 20/1
David Gilbert 25/1
Graeme Dott 28/1
40/1 bar
* (betting odds taken from Ladbrokes on February 23rd, 2020 at 22:17)
Horse Racing Betting at Ladbrokes
Table of Contents
Trump lines up for Players Championship title
This is a tournament that Judd Trump has enjoyed in the past. In his last six appearances in the tournament, Trump has taken four semi-final finishes and a title. The title for him at the Players Championship happened in the 2017 edition.
Trump has won four ranking titles this season. The most recent of those happened at the German Masters. In his last tournament appearance, which was at the Welsh Open earlier this month, Trump reached the quarter-finals.
The draw at the Players’ Championship is not bad for Trump at all. He opens against bottom seed Michael Holt and would face either John Higgins or Graeme Dott in the quarter-finals.
The highest-ranked player that he could meet at the semi-final stage is 4th seed, Mark Selby. Trump is the 2/1 outright favourite* (betting odds taken from Ladbrokes on February 23rd, 2020 at 22:17)
Selby still searching for a return to top form
Selby has won a couple of ranking titles this season, the most recent of which was back at the Scottish Open in mid-December. Not counting last week’s Snooker Shootout, Selby has failed to make it past the second round in two of the last three ranking events.
The Jester from Leicester doesn’t have a great record at the Players’ Championship either. Not to the degree of Trump anyway.
Selby made the semi-finals on his debut at the tournament back in 2011. Since then he hasn’t been further than the quarter-finals in seven appearances in the main draw.
Selby has bowed out in the first round of his last two appearances at the Players’ Championship. He is trading out at 10/1 odds to win this edition* (betting odds taken from Ladbrokes on February 23rd, 2020 at 22:17)
Neil Robertson with a favourable draw
Australia’s Neil Robertson is in superb form at the moment. He didn’t compete in last week’s Snooker Shootout but his record in the latest ranking tournament has been superb.
Robertson won the European Masters and the World Grand Prix and sandwiched between those two title runs was a runner up spot at the German Masters.
Robertson failed to make it four straight ranking finals as he fell in the quarter-finals of the Welsh Open. The Australian has been to the final of the Players’ Championship three times in his career, including last year’s runners up spot to Ronnie O’Sullivan.
He is ranked third in Southport this week and the draw is well on his side. He opens against Joe Perry and would face either Yan Bingato or Kyren Wilson in the quarters.
Robertson is easily worth a look at 7/2 odds* (betting odds taken from Ladbrokes on February 23rd, 2020 at 22:17).
Murphy coming into the picture
Recent Welsh Open winner Shaun Murphy, who trounced Kyren Wilson 9-1 in that showcase match in Cardiff, has found himself some improving form. That was actually his second ranking title of the season, adding to his China Championship title back in late September last year.
In his last three ranking events, Murphy also took a semi-final place at the 2020 German Masters. He had a chance to cut loose in the Snooker Shootout last week when he went to the fourth round.
Murphy has been coming on stronger, and he does go in the relatively easier bottom half of the draw. Murphy is a 9/1 odds* (betting odds taken from Ladbrokes on February 23rd, 2020 at 22:17). Murphy’s best effort at the Players Championship was runner up to O’Sullivan in 2018.
Other contenders
Kyren Wilson finally found himself a little bit of form with a run to the final of the Welsh Open earlier this month. It was built on a semi-final at the previous ranking event, the World Grand Prix. So he’s another who has been improving recently.
But he is in the same quarter as Neil Roberston, so Wilson is a big outsider at 14/1* (betting odds taken from Ladbrokes on February 23rd, 2020 at 22:17).
Mark Allen was a losing semi-finalist twelve months ago at the Players Championship. The 2016 champion hasn’t carried a great deal of form this season.
In his ranking tournament efforts in the 2019/20 season, the Northern Ireland star has reached four semi-finals, his best finishes across the board. He may come up against Murphy in the quarter-final but that does project one of them through to the semi-finals, so he’s a reasonable outsider.
Predictions & Tips
We are going to skip the obvious picks of Trump and Roberston to start with and jump down to the bottom half of the draw. Shaun Murphy is a great price at 10/1 to come through this field and take the crown* (betting odds taken from Ladbrokes on February 23rd, 2020 at 22:17).
He has shown some decent form, so is trending and he was a losing finalist at the Players Championship 2018.
Going back to the favourites, it is Neil Roberston who has to get the pick. If he gets through to the final, he would likely have had an easier run there than what Trump would have been through to reach the showcase match.
