International Championship: Prediction, Tips and Odds

The final ranking event before the UK Championship takes the players to Nanjing, China, for the International Championship and Racing Post's Aaron Ashley has two alternatives to this season's form man and tournament favourite Judd Trump.

Trump struggled to compete with Kyren Wilson in the Northern Ireland Open last time out - he lost 9-3 in a one-way final.

However, the Ace in the Pack had earlier lifted trophies at the Shanghai Masters and Saudi Arabia Masters and tends to perform whatever the circumstances.

It is no surprise to see him installed as a short-priced tournament favourite, but there is a lop-sided look to the draw, with him housed in the bottom half alongside world champion Wilson, Mark Selby and Neil Robertson.

That means it may pay to focus on the top half, where Ronnie O'Sullivan is the shortest-priced runner as he threatens to make his first competitive appearance since suffering a first-round exit at the English Open in the middle of September.

However, his well-being must be taken on trust and with Zhang Anda the top seed having claimed the title last season, the top half may take much less winning.

International Championship betting tips and predictions

Mark Allen each-way @ 11/1

O'Sullivan withdrew from the latest event in Belfast and, with his well-being unknown, there could be each-way potential to be had in the top half with Anda also not in the same vein as last season.

Avoiding the likes of Trump, Wilson, Selby and Robertson should be a big incentive and the draw for Mark Allen looks especially appealing.

Allen used his victory in this tournament in 2018 as a platform to finish as runner-up at the UK Championship and this is the stage in the season where he tends to come into his own.

The Pistol has made the last eight of the British Open and last four of the English Open this season and he should have a routine start to proceedings with Aaron Hill his opening opponent, before Ricky Walden or Xiao Guodong await in the last-32.

Things get tougher from there, but Allen should have built his confidence by then and that is when the Northern Irishman is at his most devastating.

Allen is likely to face Si Jiahui or Jack Lisowski in the last-16. but he would start a warm favourite to topple both and, while O'Sullivan could be lurking in the quarter-finals, the Rocket is difficult to trust given his current state of affairs.

That means that the world number three must make plenty of each-way appeal and he has lost only two of his last 14 matches.

John Higgins each-way @ 14/1

Another player who could capitalise in the top half of the draw away from Trump, Wilson, Selby and Robertson is John Higgins, who was crowned champion at this event in 2015.

Higgins has had a solid enough start to the season, highlighted by a runner-up effort to Selby at the British Open, and has lost only four of his last 16 matches, with his three other defeats coming against Allen, Trump and Barry Hawkins.

That highlights consistency and he should thrive in the top half of the draw, where he opens up with his toughest test against Ben Woollaston, before a potential quarter-final clash with Anda.

Anda tops the seedings courtesy of his victory in this tournament last season, but he is not currently in the same form, meaning Higgins should have every chance of coming through that mini quarter of the draw.

Again, O’Sullivan could be waiting in the semi-final if he puts it all together, but that is difficult to envisage on this season’s evidence and, even so, the Rocket tends to find things tough against his oldest foe.

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International Championship odds

Judd Trump - 5/2
Ronnie O'Sullivan - 5/1
Mark Selby - 15/2
Kyren Wilson - 15/2
Neil Robertson - 8/1
Mark Allen - 11/1

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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.