Saturday's Champion of Champions predictions and snooker betting tips: Higgins and Allen set for a semi-final scrap

Where to watch

Live on ITV4, 7pm Saturday

Best bet

Over 9.5 frames
1pt 11-10 Betfair, Paddy Power

Saturday's Champion of Champions predictions

The second Champion of Champions semi-final sees John Higgins do battle with Mark Allen in what promises to be a cracking best-of-11 contest.

Higgins is favourite after building on a 4-0 whitewash of Chris Wakelin with a 6-1 demolition of Ding Junhui, when he scored 566 points in total to Ding's 144.

However, Allen compiled breaks of 135, 100, 98 and 70 in his 6-2 victory over Ali Carter on Monday, which followed an easy 4-1 win over Jimmy White, and after a quiet season he may finally be on the way back to better things.

The Pistol came alive at this time last year, winning the Northern Ireland Open before taking the UK Championship title, and the signs are becoming more encouraging ahead of his title defence at York’s Barbican Centre later this month.

So with both players evidently in fine scoring fettle and the fact that three of their last six meetings have gone to a deciding frame, this should to be a tight heat in which neither are likely to give an inch.

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