Scottish Open: Predictions, Tips and Odds

The latest instalment of the Home Nations Series gets underway at the Meadowbank Centre in Edinburgh on Monday morning and Racing Post's Henry Hardwicke has a trio of outright selections for the Scottish Open. 

Scottish Open betting tips and predictions

John Higgins @ 12/1

The Scottish Open is one of the few ranking event titles to have eluded the brilliant John Higgins, but that may change in Edinburgh this week. 

The Scot is a two-time winner of the International Open, an event that morphed into the Scottish equivalent, but the Wizard of Wishaw hasn’t managed to bag the trophy in its current guise. 

However, the four-time world champion is a two-time Scottish Open runner-up, the 49-year-old reached the last four in Edinburgh last year and another big run looks likely this week. 

Top-potters Judd Trump and Mark Williams have withdrawn from the event, which leaves a depleted field and Higgins is playing well enough to strike. 

Clearly, the Scot is nearer the end of his career than the start, but he showed that he remains a contender in major events by making five semi-finals last season and the final of this year’s British Open. 

The Wizard of Wishaw was beaten in the second round of the recent UK Championship, but he took Trump to a final-frame decider in that contest and there was certainly no concerns about the performance level of the Scot in that clash. 

The Ace’s withdrawal from the event has opened up the third quarter of the Scottish Open draw and Barry Hawkins looks like the only cueman standing between Higgins and a place in the quarter-finals. 

Tournament favourite Ronnie O'Sullivan is lurking in the same half of the event as the Scot, but the Rocket hasn’t been anywhere near his best of late and, at 12/1, Higgins rates a far better each-way play. 

Daniel Wells @ 250/1

Williams was due to be the eighth seed at the Scottish Open, but the withdrawal of the Welshman has opened up the first quarter of the draw. 

Gary Wilson and Neil Robertson are interesting contenders in the first section, but the presence of Joe O’Connor and recent Snooker Shoot Out champion Tom Ford temper enthusiasm in the chances of that duo.

Shaun Murphy is another big-hitting cueman in the first quarter but, at 250/1, a chance can be taken on Daniel Wells.

The Welshman will have to find a way past Murphy in Edinburgh’s opening round to progress through the tournament and for all that the Magician is the strong 2/7 favourtie for that clash, it doesn’t look an unsurmountable task for Wells.

The short best-of-seven format is certainly in Wells’ favour and Murphy has suffered early exits in the International Championship, British Open, English Open and Xi’an Grand Prix this term.

Wells has been good enough to reach a ranking event semi-final season, when beating top performer Hawkins on his way to the last four of the Xi’an Grand Prix and that suggests the Neath potter has the game to compete. 

Should the 39-year-old come through his first-round clash, a second-round tie against Hossein Vafaei or Lei Peifan awaits and the highest ranked player Wells can face before the quarter-finals of the Scottish Open is Stuart Bingham.

The Scottish draw has been kind and Wells may be able to outlast his lengthy odds in Edinburgh.

Read more snooker betting tips and predictions on site

Scottish Open odds

Ronnie O'Sullivan - 5/1
Kyren Wilson - 6/1
Neil Robertson - 13/2
Mark Selby - 15/2
Mark Allen - 11/1
John Higgins - 12/1

View the full market and more odds for the Scottish Open on site

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.