Betway UK Championship: snooker predictions, free tips & TV details

Free snooker tips, best bets and analysis for the Betway UK Championship from Milton Keynes.

Where to watch

Eurosport, from 9am Monday

Best bets

Ding Junhui
1pt each-way 20-1 Ladbrokes, Coral

Stephen Maguire
1pt each-way 66-1 Ladbrokes, Coral

Tournament preview

Twelve months ago Ding Junhui lifted his third Betway UK Championship trophy after a sensational return to form, but this time around it wouldn't be such a shock to see the world number ten back in the winner's enclosure and he should be backed to successfully defend his title in Milton Keynes.

Snooker has a new temporary home at the Marshall Arena. All five tournaments so far this season have been held at the venue and 128 players take to the green baize in Buckinghamshire once again over the next two weeks rather than the traditional home of this event at the Barbican Theatre in York.

The 32-year-old Ding has reached three quarter-finals in the four tournaments he has entered this season, but as the defending champion is seeded number one he lines up in the opposite half of the draw to world champion Ronnie O'Sullivan.

Last year's success is Ding's only win in the last three years, but the 14-time ranking event winner has shown flashes of brilliance since the action resumed in September.

The 2011 Masters champion has produced some wonderful snooker this month, dropping only three frames in his two German Masters qualifiers and playing well in the Northern Ireland Open last week.

Ding lost out to O'Sullivan in the quarter-finals on Friday, but he had lost only three frames in his four matches before that, which included a 4-1 win over John Higgins.

The draw has been kind to Ding. He will be a strong favourite for his first four games before a possible quarter-final clash with Mark Allen or Higgins.

O'Sullivan and Judd Trump were battling it out in the final of the Northern Ireland Open on Sunday and both are well drawn this week, in particular the Rocket, who is odds-on with Betway to win the fourth quarter.

However, at the prices it is worth taking a chance on the man Ding Junhui beat in last year's final, Stephen Maguire, to go well from that segment of the draw at the expense of O'Sullivan and the inconsistent Shaun Murphy.

Last year's final was one of three the 39-year-old Glaswegian reached last season, including his win in the lucrative Tour Championship.

Although the 2004 UK Championship winner has been far from his best this season, Maguire is an experienced professional and capable of beating anyone. Should he get to the latter stages, he will be a contender to go one better than last year and looks overpriced.

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