Betfred World Championship snooker tournament preview & free tips

Preview, tips and analysis for the 2020 Betfred World Championship snooker which starts at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield on Friday.

When to watch

BBC and Eurosport, from 10am Friday

Best bets

John Higgins to win title
1pt each-way 22-1 Hills

Shaun Murphy to win fourth quarter
1pt 7-2 Betfred

Tournament preview

Snooker has done a terrific job as one of the sports leading the way as sport returns to normality.

The Betfred World Championship, the sport’s flagship tournament which is taking place three months later than usual this year, will host the first reduced indoor sporting crowd at the Crucible Theatre.

For the 16 seeds and 16 qualifiers taking part, it will be the first time they have played in front of an audience for four months or more. The qualifiers have it all to do after playing two or three extra matches in recent days, so for outright betting purposes it’s probably wiser to stick with the seeds.

Humphries' top tip
John Higgins 22-1

Judd Trump is hoping to become the first maiden Crucible champion to retain the title, but while the world number one and top seed has taken the game to a new level he may not be value to hold on to his crown.

Trump, winner of six titles this season, could have it tough from the outset with clashes against Tom Ford and possibly Yan Bingtao. Kyren Wilson or Stephen Maguire could make life uncomfortable for Trump in the quarter-finals, but should he pass that test a more refreshed John Higgins could offer stiffer resistance to the Ace in the Pack in the semis than he did in last year’s final.

Higgins is without an individual title this season, although he and Maguire lifted the World Cup for Scotland at the start of the campaign.

But the Wizard of Wishaw, who is bidding to reach his fourth world final on the spin, could reap the benefit of a quieter 2020 to snaffle a fifth world crown and draw level with Ronnie O’Sullivan, who is in the opposite half of the draw.

Early outings against Matthew Stevens and Dave Gilbert are unlikely to be easy, but Higgins could frank the form of his 2019 Crucible win over Tamworth talent Gilbert and then Mark Allen or Jack Lisowski could find the fifth seed too sharp in the quarters.

Next best
Shaun Murphy to win fourth quarter 7-2

The oddsmakers expect second seed Neil Robertson to produce the goods in the fourth quarter of the draw, but while the Australian is good enough to add to his 2010 Crucible crown his draw could be tougher than many believe.

Robertson is hugely talented but could face tricky battles against Liang Wenbo, then possibly Barry Hawkins before maybe Mark Selby or Shaun Murphy in the quarter-finals.

Hawkins hasn’t had a great campaign, but after some difficult early Crucible visits, the penny dropped for the Londoner in the last decade and the 2013 runner-up became a stern test for his foes.

The best bet for fourth-quarter honours, however, could be Murphy. The tenth seed, one of only two qualifiers ever to go all the way in this event, has enjoyed a fine season with title triumphs in the China Championship and Welsh Open, in which he beat Wilson 9-1 in the final.

Losing great friend Brandon Parker this month could make the Magician even more determined and three-time Crucible ace Selby may not be safe should the pair clash in round two.

Others to note

Mark Williams
O’Sullivan will probably boss the third quarter, but don’t rule out a gallant effort from three-time champion Mark Williams, who looks capable of winning two matches at least.

Anthony McGill
If a qualifier is going to come up trumps over the next 17 days, Anthony McGill could have the best credentials. The Scot was below his best on recent Crucible trips, but he has an excellent engine for longer matches and looks to be back performing near his best.

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