Ding Junhui v Jack Lisowski: Prediction, Tips and Odds

Ding Junhui's clash with Jack Lisowski is one of the highlights of the opening round of the World Snooker Championship.

A contest between two extremely talented players, Ding is a former Crucible finalist and Lisowski is a six-time ranking event runner-up.

Ding Junhui v Jack Lisowski betting tips and predictions

Jack Lisowski to win - 6/5

This is an intriguing first-round contest and it could be a treat for snooker fans. Ding has shown glimpses of his best game this season, reaching the final of the Tour Championship and UK Championship.

On balance, the 37-year-old has enjoyed a more productive season than Lisowski, but it hasn’t been peak Ding and there have certainly been vulnerabilities in his game.

Outside of the novelty Six Reds World Championship, the Chinese ace has won just one event in the last four seasons of competition. The current campaign has featured early exits in the Players Championship, Wuhan, Scottish and World Opens and his recent Crucible record doesn’t inspire confidence.

Ding has won only two matches in his last five visits to the Sheffield showpiece and there have been three first-round defeats on the bounce. He fell to Stuart Bingham in 2021, Kyren Wilson in 2022 and to Hossein Vafaei last year.

That’s a trio of capable cuemen, and perhaps Ding has suffered his fair share of misfortune when it comes to the World Championship draw, but a clash with Lisowski rates another tricky tie.

Jackpot produced an excellent display to beat Matthew Stevens 10-3 and qualify for the Sheffield showpiece and he has been performing better than his recent results suggest.

Lisowski arrives at the Crucible fresh, having not taken part in the recent World Open or Tour Championship and that’s no bad thing given the grueling nature of the World Championship. 

The 32-year-old is a six-time ranking event finalist, and although yet to break his tournament duck, there is a sense he is progressing into a Crucible contender. 

The Englishman made the Crucible quarter-finals in 2022, losing out to four-time world champion John Higgins in a final-frame decider, before putting in a credible performance when losing to Anthony McGill in round one last year.

Ding will be no easy cueman to beat but, at 6/5, Lisowski looks the value play.

Jack Lisowski over 1.5 century breaks - 1/1

Lisowski’s hopes of winning this match is likely to rest on his power scoring and he looks a good bet to make at least two century breaks.

The world number 17 hit six centuries in qualifying for this year’s World Championship and they came from only 27 frames of competition, taking his numbers of tons for the season to 30 from 37 outings.

Jackpot showed that the World Championship prize can focus his mind in qualifying and he should get plenty of chances to hit big breaks against an attacking opponent.

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Ding Junhui v Jack Lisowski odds

Ding Junhui - 4/6
Jack Lisowski - 6/5

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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.