Saturday's World Snooker Championship predictions and betting tips: Jack Lisowski may be going in under the radar

Where to watch the World Snooker Championship

BBC & Eurosport, 10am, 2.30pm & 7pm Saturday

Best bets

Jack Lisowski to beat Anthony McGill
1pt 3-4 Coral, Ladbrokes

Si Jiahui to beat Robert Milkins
1pt 10-11 Hills

Gary Wilson +4.5 frames v Mark Selby
1pt 4-6 general

World Snooker Championship day eight second-round predictions

Anthony McGill v Jack Lisowski (10am)

Anthony McGill leads Jack Lisowski 4-1 in their personal series – one of those wins was in the one-frame Shoot Out – and the Scottish qualifier has already been well supported to progress to the quarter-finals.

However, while McGill is clearly in good form – as advertised by his 10-6 first-round win over Lisowski's pal Judd Trump – and the Glaswegian possesses an excellent temperament for the Crucible, Jackpot will be starting to warm to the Sheffield venue following two hugely promising performances there 12 months ago.

Lisowski upset Neil Robertson in round two then went close to defeating four-time world champion John Higgins in the last eight.

He has had 2002 Sheffield king Peter Ebdon in his coaching camp for a some time now and while any help will be gratefully received on stopping McGill, whose game has few weaknesses, let's not forget that there aren't many more precocious talents on the baize than Lisowski.

After ousting Noppon Saengkham in round one, this could be the game in which Lisowski opens up so side with the seed to turn on the style against the qualifier.

Robert Milkins v Si Jiahui (7pm) 

Robert Milkins played his get-out-of-jail card when fighting back from 7-2 down to pip Joe Perry 10-9 in his opener, but the Welsh Open champion cannot afford to give talented qualifier Si Jiahui as much of a head start.

Si edged Shaun Murphy for the second time in as many meetings with the Magician, who said afterwards that the 20-year-old could become China's first world champion.

That's high praise considering that country's talent pool, but Si definitely possesses a well-rounded game for such an inexperienced performer.

And if Milkins gets off to another slow start, he could find his round-of-16 opponent a lot less charitable than Perry was.

Milkins won their only previous encounter 6-4 in the 2020 UK Championship, when each player compiled two tons. However, while Milkins is enjoying a career-best season, Si has a decent chance of drawing level in their personal series, especially as his opponent is far from guaranteed to settle in the hallowed auditorium.

Gary Wilson v Mark Selby (7pm)

Mark Selby was advised as trophy value before the World Championship started but he is no value whatsoever to win his last-16 clash with Gary Wilson, who beat the Jester from Leicester 13-10 in the 2019 Crucible quarter-finals.

Selby posted breaks of 120, 84, 81, 72, 72 67, 66 and 64 that day, but Wilson scored more heavily with runs of 115, 100, 97, 92, 86, 78, 68, 60, 55, 55 and 52.

Whether or not Wilson is playing well enough to stage a repeat Crucible win over Selby is open to question, but neither seed was at their best in this year's first round.

Both recorded 10-8 successes but Wilson struggled to get over the line after forging an early lead over fellow Tynesider Elliot Slessor while Selby merely did enough to thwart Matthew Selt.

With neither player in top form yet, Wilson may have another chance to defeat the four-time world champion. But Selby, 39, has won nine of his previous 11 meetings with Wilson and he knows a more solid display will be required in his second Crucible date with the 37-year-old from Wallsend.

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