World Snooker Championship Prediction, Tips and Odds

The World Snooker Championship gets underway on Saturday and Adrian Humphries from the Racing Post has provided his tips ahead of the action.

World Snooker Championship betting tips and predictions

Ronnie O’Sullivan to win the World Snooker Championship @ 9/4
Mark Selby to win the second quarter @ 7/4
Ricky Walden to win the third quarter @ 18/1

World Snooker Championship Outright Tips

Ronnie O'Sullivan - 9/4

Ronnie O’Sullivan has been in imperious form this season with victories in two majors - the UK Championship and Masters - along with triumphs in the Shanghai Masters, World Grand Prix and Riyadh World Masters.

He has without doubt proved that he is the one to beat in Sheffield this year and looks to have the mindset he needs to claim an eighth world title and his sixth of the campaign.

The Rocket has the beating of almost any player in the game and even those who have troubled him in the past - for example, Mark Selby and John Higgins - are now struggling to live with him over the longer distance at the Crucible.

Much of that can be attributed to his long-term physical fitness regime, something which has been absolutely paramount in his success, especially in recent years.

World Snooker Championship - To Win Quarter Tips

Mark Selby - 7/4

Mark Selby is a four-time world champion and one of the best players to have ever graced the baize.

His form has not been that great this season - he even threatened to quit the game recently after a below-par performance - but if anyone can turn up and produce a level something near expected of him, it’s the Jester from Leicester.

If feels as if O’Sullivan may have gone a long way to breaking Selby because the Leicester cueman, probably more than any other player, used to pose most problems for the Rocket.

O’Sullivan used to struggle to deal with Selby’s slower, more methodical approach to snooker, but credit to the Rocket, he has found a way to thwart the Jester.

Because of that, Selby is probably best backed to reach the final when the market is issued, but until that happens punters can definitely take the 7/4 about him winning the second quarter, a section that also includes Mark Allen, John Higgins and Kyren Wilson.

Ricky Walden - 18/1

It’s difficult to be confident about which of the qualifiers could do most damage this season, but Ricky Walden’s game is in pretty good order and he could be worth a modest interest for anyone wanting a third outright interest.

Walden is still only 41, but he reached the semi-finals in 2013 - he had a definite chance to reach the final that year - and could prosper in Sheffield again this year.

The Cheshire cueman has endured back problems for some of his career, but judging by the way he is performing he looks somewhere near his best. And if so he could give outright punters a decent run for their money.

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.