David Gilbert v Robert Milkins: Prediction, Tips, Odds and Start Time

David Gilbert and Robert Milkins have both been struggling to find their best form this season, but one of these two Englishmen will be heading for the World Championship quarter-finals.

Milkins came through a thrilling first round contest with Pang Junxu, while Gilbert downed the defending champion Luca Brecel 10-9 in the opening round and all is set for a terrific last 16 tussle.

David Gilbert v Robert Milkins betting tips and predictions

Robert Milkins to beat David Gilbert - 7/4 

Last season was the most productive of Milkins' career, as he won the Welsh Open and moved into the top 16 of the world rankings. 

The 48-year-old is a long-standing professional and it’s to the Gloucester potter’s credit that the only two ranking event victories in his career have come in the last three years. 

However, the current campaign has been much more of a struggle for the Milkman, who has failed to deliver anything past the third round of a ranking tournament.

Milkins bagged 30,000 ranking points with a first-round World Championship victory over Pang and he could now build on that success. The pressure for prize money has faded after that dramatic 10-9 triumph, while confidence, which was bound to be down, should also be restored after the battling win. 

The Milkman’s first round clash with Pang was a scrappy and poor quality contest, but the 48-year-old is a fluent break-builder when on-song and better is expected against Gilbert in the last 16. 

Tamworth cueman Gilbert downed the defending world champion Luca Brecel in round one in another game that went down to a deciding final frame. 

Gilbert actually trailed the Belgian Bullet 9-6, but the 42-year-old rallied to take the final four racks of the contest. 

However, there was a fair amount of good fortune in that first round success and it came against an opponent way off his top level. 

Aside from the World Championship and qualifiers, it’s been a pretty awful season for Gilbert, whose best effort came when reaching the quarter-finals of the Northern Ireland Open.

Of course, there is plenty of previous in the 2019 Crucible semi-finalist’s back catalogue,  but the prices appear to be overrating the victory over Brecel. 

Gilbert should be the favourite for this second round World Championship contest, but offers of 4/9 look too short. 

At 7/4, Milkins looks good to build on his battling first round success over Pang and move into the Crucible quarter-finals. 

Under 2.5 match centuries - 11/10 

Matches are played over the best-of-25 frames in the second round of the World Championship, and while Milkins looks value to win the match, the chances of one of these players being blown away has to be considered. 

Gilbert was crushed 10-4 in the first-round at the Crucible last year and little has changed in terms of the Tamworth cueman’s form in the last 12 months. 

Of course, the 42-year-old got the better of Brecel in round one, but Gilbert made only one century break in that contest. 

The same sentiments can be aimed at Milkins and there is a strong possibility that the match won’t get near the maximum 25 frames. 

The Milkman failed to make a single ton break in his first round contest with Pang and the 19 frames of that clash didn’t produce any three-figure hauls.

It’s odds-against that this second-round tie fails to produce three tons or better knocks and that looks worth a punt. 

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David Gilbert v Robert Milkins odds

David Gilbert - 4/9
Robert Milkins - 7/4

View the full market and more odds for David Gilbert v Robert Milkins on site

David Gilbert v Robert Milkins start time

This second round World Championship contest will get underway at 13:00 on Thursday 25th April.

This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.