Tour Championship predictions & snooker betting tips: Higgins set to capitalise

Free snooker tips, predictions, best bets and analysis for the Tour Championship, which starts in Llandudno on Monday.

Where to watch

Play starts on ITV4, 1pm Monday

Best bets

John Higgins
1pt 6-1 bet365, BoyleSports

Tournament preview

The top eight players on the one-year ranking list compete for the Tour Championship in Llandudno and John Higgins, the man that snuck in via the final spot, could be reaping the rewards.

The legendary Scot had an anxious wait before his place was sealed and will be ever thankful to Robert Milkins, who beat Kyren Wilson in the final in Gibraltar on Saturday to deny the Warrior his place in Wales.

Higgins has endured early exits in his last three tournaments but this longer best-of-19 format is when the four-time world champion comes alive and, despite being bottom seed, his draw looks a decent one.

There are no easy matches in an event as illustrious as this but the Scot, who is a four-time runner-up this season, should be delighted with an opening-round clash with Zhao Xintong.

The Chinese prodigy was crowned UK Champion and won the German Masters earlier this season but his form has tailed off of late, with eight of his last 14 matches resulting in defeat.

Higgins is fancied to see of the youngster and on the evidence of Gibraltar he should have little to fear from Judd Trump or Luca Brecel in the last four.

A semi-final showdown with Trump looks likely but the Juddernaut was brushed aside 4-0 by Ricky Walden last time out and although showing a recent upturn in form, still appears a bit below his brilliant best.

The bottom half features defending champion Neil Robertson and his final victim of last year Ronnie O’Sullivan, although there are reasons to be taking both on at their current prices.

Robbo has lost six of his last seven meetings with his quarter-final challenger Mark Allen, which has to be of some concern, while Ronnie, who faces Mark Williams, is difficult to predict and has been beaten by Walden and Ben Woollaston in his last two tournaments.

In a field this classy and with all cueman in decent form there are many possible outcomes, but the make-up for Higgins suggests he is a value selection at 6-1.

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