Friday's Masters predictions and snooker betting tips: Magician to repel Bingham

Free snooker tips, best bets and analysis for day six of the Masters at Alexandra Palace on Friday.

Where to watch

BBC & Eurosport, 1pm & 7pm Friday

Best bets

Judd Trump -1.5 frames v Barry Hawkins 1pm Friday
1pt 4-5 Coral, Lads

Shaun Murphy to beat Stuart Bingham 7pm Friday
1pt 3-4Coral, Lads

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Day six preview

There has been no shortage of upsets at Alexandra Palace with first-round Masters favourites Neil Robertson, Kyren Wilson, Mark Selby and Mark Allen all falling at the first hurdle.

Judd Trump was one of the fancied runners who managed to make it through to the quarter-finals, but the Ace wasn't at his best and was fortunate to squeeze past Ryan Day 6-5.

That effort poses punters a problem when the Bristol potter takes on Barry Hawkins this afternoon.

Hawkins was extremely impressive when dismantling the in-form Allen 6-0 in round one and that performance was by far and away the best the Hawk has managed for some time.

Hawkins arrived at the Masters after early exits in the British Open, Northern Ireland Open, Scottish Open, English Open and World Grand Prix, and while the 43-year-old is a classy cueman, the showing against Allen was unexpected.

The question now is can Trump be as bad as he was against Day and can Hawkins repeat his superb first-round display? It’s a tricky puzzle, but the prices do offer some assistance.

Take away their first-round matches and it’s hard to see how Trump would be as big as 1-2 to make it through to the semi-finals. Of course, his performance against Day is fresh in the mind, but that’s just one match and the betting does seem to have overreacted a little too much to that showing.

With a better showing from Trump expected and Hawkins uncertain to maintain his high first-round level, take the bigger price about the Ace giving up 1.5 frames on the handicap.

Shaun Murphy and Stuart Bingham were two players who caused first-round upsets and they clash in the quarter-finals. Bingham has shown next to nothing this season, but he produced when it mattered to down Wilson 6-3 in his opener.

Murphy beat the much-fancied Robertson in his Ally Pally opener and the Magician had been showing signs of his old magic returning in recent events.

He appears the more solid option and quotes of 3-4 about Murphy making it through to the semi-finals look worth taking.

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