UK Championship: Prediction, Tips and Odds

The UK Championship is the second biggest prize in snooker after the World Championship and Racing Post's Aaron Ashley has picked out his two value alternatives to take on tournament favourite Judd Trump and defending champion Ronnie O'Sullivan.

The 32-man event features some mouthwatering first-round ties, none more so than Trump against old foe Neil Robertson, leaving some paths towards the latter stages much easier than others.

Trump’s tricky first-round draw has seen him drift in the betting, while defending champion O'Sullivan is another who has been easy to back given his underwhelming recent form and he opens up against Barry Hawkins.

World champion Kyren Wilson has been one for strong support as the second seed looks to have landed in the softest quarter, starting against 2004 champion Stephen Maguire before a potential last-16 duel with either Chris Wakelin or Matthew Selt.

However, cases can be made for many and the ever-improving standards of snooker means there is no such thing as easy draws, especially over a best-of-11 format.

A number of the top-16 seeds could prove vulnerable to their qualifying opponent, who may be feeling sharp having won at least two matches to reach the York Barbican.

UK Championship betting tips and predictions

Mark Selby - 10/1

With Trump drawing Robertson in the first round, the UK Championship has been thrown a little in the air and it means it is difficult to pinpoint a standout contender in this season’s tournament.

Trump has been the form man this season, but Robertson looks rejuvenated and three centuries across his two qualifying wins suggests he is sharp and operating close to peak form.

With last season’s winner O'Sullivan having suffered five defeats in his last 10 matches, which includes throwing away a 3-0 lead against Xiao Guodong in the Champion of Champions last time out, he can also be taken on at the prices.

Wilson's chances look enhanced in a weak bottom quarter, but there is not quite enough incentive in the price, making Mark Selby potentially the first port of call.

Ding Junhui, runner-up in the last two seasons, would have been on the radar alongside O'Sullivan in the top quarter of the draw. However, a potential last-16 duel with 2021 champion Zhao Xintong, who has returned to the tour with a vengeance, somewhat tempers enthusiasm.

So, Selby may be the bet in the top half as he bids to claim a third UK title and his first since 2016.

The Jester from Leicester is a winner this season, having claimed the British Open, and he lost little in defeat to Guodong in the quarter-finals of the Champion of Champions most recently.

He lost 6-5 following victory over Shaun Murphy and compiled breaks of 120, 89, 64 and 63.

But the key to his chances is his draw as Selby opens up against Jack Lisowski before a potential last-16 clash with Ali Carter or Ryan Day, none of whom should cause too much concern.

Selby may meet Si Jiahui or Mark Allen in the quarter-finals, but neither are firing on all cylinders and it looks to represent an excellent opportunity for him to go on a deep run.

The latter stages of a tournament is when the four-time world champion really comes into his own.

Mark Williams - 14/1

Mark Williams, another two-time UK champion, arrives at York in excellent touch and could be overpriced in his bid to claim a first victory in the tournament since 2022.

The Welshman tends to save himself for the most illustrious events nowadays and he remains a danger to all when confident and performing at the peak of his powers.

Williams won the Champion of Champions last week and did so in style, defeating Wilson, Robertson and Guodong on the way to claiming his first title since the 2024 Tour Championship.

While the 49-year-old has largely underperformed in this competition down the years, he was a quarter-finalist last year and he appears to have a decent draw to work with.

Williams tackles Stuart Bingham in his opener before facing Zhang Anda or Lei Peifan in the last-16.

Trump or Robertson could be lurking in the quarter-final but, if getting there, the Welshman would be on a six-game winning run and that is when he could be at his most devastating.

It appears as if Williams has been putting in a lot of table-time recently, something which isn’t always the case at the back end of his career, and that makes him a serious title threat.

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UK Championship odds

Judd Trump - 5/1
Ronnie O’Sullivan - 11/2
Kyren Wilson - 13/2
Mark Selby - 10/1
Neil Robertson - 14/1
Mark Allen - 14/1
Ding Junhui - 14/1
Mark Williams - 14/1
Zhao Xintong - 14/1

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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.