For the next two week’s the eyes of the watching sporting world will be on the Crucible for the 2025 Snooker World Championships. The biggest event of the year, it is where legends are forged and careers are made.
This year’s tournament looks like it has several interesting contenders and from a betting point of view there looks to be several leading contenders.
Let’s take a look at how the outright market is looking and who could provide the very best value for the week.
The Favourites
Judd Trump will start as the favourite for the title and his position at the top of the market is interesting. Whilst on one hand he has to be considered as the favourite due to his performances over the last twelve months, his form in 2025 has been patchy at best and he has plenty to prove this year.
The strange thing about Trump is that he is well on course to end his career as the all - time leader when it comes to regular season titles, but when it comes to the World Championships he has just netted the one championship so far.
To be considered great, it is in this tournament where the credentials need to be high. He has often blinked when the lights have been brightest and he can’t allow for that to happen again.
Having lost in the quarterfinals in three of the last five years, the pressure is well and truly on for Trump to deliver this fortnight. His one and only win came all the way back in 2019, he will be desperate to change that record this year.
Mark Selby has a long affinity with this tournament having been crowned as the World Champion on four separate occasions.
Having been there and done it all at the Crucible, there certainly won’t be any fears for Selby as he sets out to cement his legacy by winning a fifth World Championship title.
Whilst it can be argued that Selby isn’t quite as consistent as he used to be. He has generally been in good form this year and was the winner of the Welsh Open back in February.
Since his win in Wales, his form has been a little bit patchy with reasonably early exits in both the World Grand Prix, Players Championship and Tour Championship - but in the World Championships where experience can count for so much, he should be ready and raring to go.
The longer format of the World Championships is usually right up the man from Leicester’s street and he should give a really good account of himself at a setting he knows so well.
Completing the top three in the betting is Ronnie O’Sullivan and without doubt the Rocket is the biggest unknown quantity of this year’s tournament.
Set to open his account against his old rival Ali Carter, it remains to be seen whether the seven time World Champion will even cue it up this fortnight.
With real claims to being the best player in snooker history, O’Sullivan easily has the talent to win this tournament but whether he has the form or temperament remains very much to be seen.
Interestingly for those who want to back O’Sullivan this week they should take heart from the fact that back in 2013 he came into the World Championship in similar circumstances and was able to win the tournament.
When O’Sullivan is in full flow there is nothing better to see. He will have his work cut out to make the latter stages but if O’Sullivan can advance and play well, he could be one of the stories of the tournament.
The value plays
When it comes to unlocking value the one player that looks hugely overpriced is Kyren Wilson.
Due to his win at this tournament last year, Wilson will start the week as the number one seed and arguably the form player in the game.
The winner of the German Masters and the Players Championship, Wilson will certainly believe that he is the man to beat and that he can become the first man since Mark Selby to successfully defend his World Championship crown since Mark Selby.
Due to meet his rival Judd Trump in the final, Wilson has recently had the better of the world number one beating him on three of the last four occasions, including in the Masters semifinal and final of the Players Championship.
He knows what it takes to beat the very best players in the world on the biggest of stages and at a price of 7/1, his odds look a real steal.
The other undisputed value pick has to be John Higgins. Like Mark Selby, Higgins is a four time World Champion and knows exactly what it takes to taste success at the Crucible.
Having turned professional in 1992, Higgins has enjoyed a career that only few can dream of and despite being in his 50s he will have dreams of winning a world title in his 50s.
Having reached the quarterfinals of the Welsh Open, he was able to build on that momentum and form at the World Open making the most of a relatively light draw to claim glory.
His title winning wouldn’t stop there.
Boosted by his win in China, he was able to win the Tour Championship, defeating Guodong Xiao, Barry Hawkins and Mark Selby on his way to victory.
At the start of the year few would have believed that Higgins would have been a legitimate world champion contender, but thanks to his recent victories and wealth of experience at the Crucible, it would be foolish to rule out his chances.
Nobody will want to face Higgins in this year’s draw and the man from Scotland looks to be more than capable of going all of the way. His price of 12/1, looks like being the bet of the tournament.
Andrew Blakely
At 35, Andrew Blakely stands as a seasoned expert in both snooker and its betting intricacies. A dedicated player and analyst, he offers keen insights derived from years in the field. Through his writings, Andrew aspires to guide enthusiasts navigating the captivating world of snooker betting.
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