Monday's Masters predictions and snooker betting tips: Ding value to ground the Rocket

Where to watch

BBC & Eurosport, 1pm & 7pm Monday

Best bet

Ding Junhui
1pt 2-1 bet365

Ali Carter
1pt 11-8 BoyleSports

Masters first-round predictions

Ronnie O’Sullivan begins his bid for an incredible eighth Masters title against Ding Junhui on Monday afternoon, with the Rocket starting the tournament as 4-1 joint favourite alongside Judd Trump.

O’Sullivan has already won the Shanghai Masters and UK Championship this season, but he has won only three matches on his last three visits to the Masters and the 48-year-old can be vulnerable in this event, no matter what his trophy cabinet suggests. 

Ding enjoyed something of a mini resurgence in 2023 and he showed that there are still some top-level performances in his locker when finishing runner-up to O’Sullivan in the UK Championship last month.

Defeat to the Rocket in York was a second UK final loss in as many years for the Chinese cueman, who lost out to Mark Allen at the Barbican Centre in the 2022 final.

Ding has made three ranking event quarter-finals this season and there is enough in his recent form to suggest that he can cause the Rocket problems. 

Alexandra Palace hasn’t always seen the best of Ding, but he did make the Masters semi-finals there in 2019 and won the event in 2011 when it was held at Wembley Arena. At 2-1, the 36-year-old is worth a punt to upset the seven-time Masters champ. 

Ali Carter has enjoyed a pretty productive season, highlighted by a run to the final of the Wuhan Open in November, and the 11-8 on offer about the Captain mastering Mark Williams underrates his chances. 

The Essex potter is making his first Masters appearance in four years but he was a losing finalist when last qualifying in 2020. 

Williams remains a talented and dangerous opponent, and the Welshman will be buoyed by his recent Macau Masters success. However, quotes of 8-13 look a tad short and Carter can be backed to upset the three-time world champion.

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