The final ranking event of the 2020/21 snooker season is upon us, so we are looking at World Championship snooker betting in this preview.
The current favourite is the outright winner market is Judd Trump who has been the outstanding performer in this campaign, having claimed five ranking titles.
Will he be the one to beat as he steps into action at the Crucible in Sheffield?
Returning as the reigning champion is Ronnie O’Sullivan.
He is one of only a small handful of players to have managed to successfully defend his crown at the Crucible. Can he do it again?
World Snooker Championship Betting Odds
Judd Trump 11/4
Ronnie O’Sullivan 5/1
Neil Roerbston 11/2
Mark Selby 7/1
John Higgins 10/1
Kyren Wilson 20/1
Shaun Murphy 22/1
Yan Bingtao 25/1
Ding Junhui 25/1
Barry Hawkins 25/1
Mark Allen 28/1
Mark Williams 40/1
Jack Lisowski 40/1
Stuart Bingham 40/1
Stephen Maguire 40/1
66/1 bar
* (Odds recorded at 19:34 GM on April 14th, 2021 at Betfred)
Judd Trump outright favourite in Snooker World Championship Betting Odds
Given that Judd Trump has racked up another brilliant season, it’s little surprise to see him heading to the Crucible as the favourite.
The former champion is a quote of 11/4 to get his hands on the coveted title for the second time in his career* (Odds recorded at 19:34 GM on April 14th, 2021 at Betfred).
He won the big title for the first time in 2019 but only made the quarter-finals last year on his defence.
It does mean that he has been to at least the quarter-finals on each of his last three appearances at the Crucible.
Trump is the second seed at the tournament, meaning that he goes on the opposite half of the draw to Ronnie O’Sullivan.
It has been five ranking titles that Trump has picked up this season, going one better than he managed in the previous campaign.
He’s also reached two other ranking finals on top of that.
He is one of the clear front runners in World Snooker Championship betting.
Name The Finalists Odds
Ronnie O’Sullivan/Judd Trump 5/1
Ronnie O’Sullivan/Neil Robertson 17/2
Mark Selby/Judd Trump 10/1
John Higgins/Judd Trump 10/1
Mark Selby/Neil Robertson 16/1
John Higgins/Neil Robertson 16/1
22/1 bar
* (Odds recorded at 19:34 GM on April 14th, 2021 at Betfred).
Can O’Sullivan double up again?
In last year’s final of the World Snooker Championship, Ronnie O’Sullivan made light work of things to beat Kyren Wilson.
That was the sixth title for O’Sullivan at the tournament, and now he needs just one more to join Stephen Hendry as the joint-most successful player in the history of the World Championship.
But will it happen for O’Sullivan this year?
The Rocket has been to the final of five ranking tournaments this season but hasn’t converted in any of those.
But O’Sullivan is up there as the current 5/1 second-favourite in World Snooker Championship betting odds 2021* (Odds recorded at 19:34 GM on April 14th, 2021 at Betfred).
He is expected to be well in the mix and going from the top of the draw, he should have fairly straight forward passage through to the semi-finals.
The top-seeded player he could meet before that stage would be eighth seed, Stephen Maguire.
So there’s a reasonable chance of Ronnie O’Sullivan going deep at the event.
Top 8 Seeds
Ronnie O’Sullivan
Judd Trump
Neil Robertson
Mark Selby
John Higgins
Kyren Wilson
Shaun Murphy
Stephen Maguire
Player To Win 1st Quarter
Ronnie O’Sullivan 4/7
Ding Junhui 13/2
Stuart Bingham 8/1
Stephen Maguire 8/1
18/1 bar
* (Odds recorded at 19:34 GM on April 14th, 2021 at Betfred).
Neil Roberston
Australia’s Neil Robertson comes back to the World Snooker Championship as the third seed.
He is a quote of 11/2 to win the tournament* (Odds recorded at 19:34 GM on April 14th, 2021 at Betfred).
Roberston is a former World Champion, winning the 2010 edition of the Snooker World Championship.
In the last two editions, he has exited at the quarter-final stage.
There have been two ranking titles for Neril Robertson this season. The most recent of those was at the Tour Championship.
Robertson lines up in the third quarter of the draw, which means that he would potentially face Judd Trump in the semi-finals.
But there’s a tricky draw in that third quarter with Jack Lisowski, Barry Hawkins and last year’s runner up Kyren Wilson in the mix in that section.
Player To Win 2nd Quarter
Mark Selby 2/1
John Higgins 2/1
Mark Allen 7/2
Mark Williams 6/1
33/1 bar
* (Odds recorded at 19:34 GM on April 14th, 2021 at Betfred).
Mark Selby
Fourth seed Mark Selby is 7/1 to win the World Snooker Championship* (Odds recorded at 19:34 GM on April 14th, 2021 at Betfred).
The Jester From Leicester is a three-time World Champion and managed to win it in back to back years in 2016 and 2017.
Selby has had a much-improved season in 2020/21 after having been off the boil in the previous couple of terms.
He has earned two ranking titles and has reached at least the semi-finals in four other ranking tournaments this season.
After consecutive first-round exits at the World Championships, he bounced back to form in last year’s event by reaching the semi-finals.
Selby lines up in the second quarter which contains John Higgins, Mark Williams and Mark Wiliams also.
It doesn’t look like an unmanageable draw for Selby.
Player To Win 3rd Quarter
Neil Robertson 11/10
Kyren Wilson 10/3
Barry Hawkins 11/2
Jack Lisowski 10/1
11/1 bar
* (Odds recorded at 19:34 GM on April 14th, 2021 at Betfred).
John Higgins
The Wizard Of Wishaw John Higgins is a four-time World Champion, the last of those titles happening back in 2011.
But his recent form at the World Snooker Championship can’t be knocked really.
Although he was dumped out in the first round last year, the Scotsman has been to the final in three of the last four editions.
So he can’t be written off in World Snooker Championship betting odds at 10/1* (Odds recorded at 19:34 GM on April 14th, 2021 at Betfred).
There hasn’t been a ranking title this season for Higgins. His best finish was a semi-final at the Northern Ireland Open.
But in reaching the 2019 World Snooker Championship final, that happened off the back of a pretty poor season.
So Higgins looks to be one of the best options of the longer-priced players in the tournament outright snooker betting market.
Key Facts – World Snooker Championship
- Ronnie O’Sullivan is the defending champion
- There are 8 previous World Champions in the draw
- Mark Sleby has won three of the last seven editions
- Mark Selby and Ronnie O’Sullivan had successfully defending titles within the last decade
- John Higgins has lost three of the last four finals
- An English player has won 7 of the last 8 editions
Player To Win 4th Quarter
Judd Trump 8/13
Shaun Murphy 9/2
Yan Bngtao 13/2
David Gilbert 11/1
18/1 bar
* (Odds recorded at 19:34 GM on April 14th, 2021 at Betfred).
Other players to note:
Kyren Wilson defied some big odds to reach the final last year. That puts a whole new level of attention on him.
Wilson is back as the 6th seed as he looks to impress once against the tournament.
But Wilson is a big 20/1 outsider in snooker betting.* (Odds recorded at 19:34 GM on April 14th, 2021 at Betfred).
Young Chinese sensation Yan Bingtao is longer at 25/1* (Odds recorded at 19:34 GM on April 14th, 2021 at Betfred).
He bolted out of the blue to collect this year’s Masters title, putting in some pretty incredible performances along the way.
Can he deliver at the World Championships as well?
That would be something considering that he hasn’t won a ranking title yet in his short career.
Snooker World Championship betting predictions
It’s hard to look past the big three really off Ronnie O’Sullivan, Judd Trump and Neil Robertson. But we have to split them and it’s Trump that gets the nod.
He does potentially have a tricky little quarter to get through, but given what he has achieved this season, he is not a bad option at 11/4 in the outright market.
Ronnie O’Sullivan was in great nick here last year, but even then, he had some really stern tests along the way.
The fact that he hasn’t converted any of his five ranking finals into a title this season just puts us off him as he heads to the Crucible.
By default, as we are going for Trump, that wipes out Neil Roberston who is in the same half of the draw.
So our tip from the top half of the draw is going to be John Higgins To Reach The Final for snooker Betting.
He is more than capable of a deep run. He’s done it enough times in the past few seasons.