Championship League outright predictions & snooker betting tips: Warrior could prosper in short-format season-opener

Where to watch the Championship League

Live on bookmakers' websites - table one live on Viaplay Xtra

Best bets

Kyren Wilson to win Championship League title
1pt 12-1 Betfair, Hills, Paddy Power

Ashley Carty to win Championship League Group 30
1pt 10-1 general

Championship League predictions

Of the big-name players who have entered the Championship League, which cues off the 2023-24 season at Leicester's Morningside Arena on Monday, it's no surprise to see Ronnie O'Sullivan, Judd Trump and Neil Robertson head the outright betting.

O'Sullivan is edging favouritism at 8-1, Trump is 9-1 and Robertson is 10-1. Of the three, Trump has shown most intent down the years when it comes to prospering in this competition, capturing titles in the series in 2009, 2014 and 2016 and finishing runner-up in 2012, 2020 and in the first of this year's two editions. 

The Ace in the Pack has to be respected and can definitely be considered, but Trump may play second fiddle to Kyren Wilson in the coming weeks.

The Warrior has shown a definite liking for the short-format schedule-filling event with title triumphs in 2020, when it was a ranking tournament, and 2021 when it wasn't.

Mark Williams, Shaun Murphy, Stuart Bingham and Ali Carter are next in the outright betting and David Gilbert went all the way at the Morningside Arena in another CL ranking bash in 2021, but they could all have to bow to Wilson should the Nuneaton ace take his A-game to this year's midsummer marathon.

In the opening action in Leicester, Neil Robertson is a 1-3 shot to top Group Three but could find 10-1 chance Ashley Carty the most troublesome of his three opponents who also include Liam Highfield and Adam Duffy.

Yorkshireman Carty has shown promise on the main tour before but after a five-year run on it he lost his professional status. However, he came up trumps in the Q Tour playoffs in March and has another chance to take on the world's best.

Group 30, the other opening heat, is a competitive section with contestants Graeme Dott, Daniel Wells, David Grace and Andrew Higginson all priced at between 15-8 and 4-1 to finish top.

Wells possesses plenty of potential, Grace was in good nick in reaching the World Championship finals at the end of last season and Higginson has underachieved since his run to the Welsh Open title match in 2007.

But Dott, 46, was also in decent fettle towards the end of the 2022-23 campaign and the 2006 world champion could still prove tough to beat.

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