Betfred World Snooker Championship 2019: day one match tips, odds and betting

TV: BBC & Eurosport, Saturday

Stephen Maguire v Tian Pengfei 7pm

It has been pretty much one-way support for debutant Tian Pengfei to upset Stephen Maguire and the Chinese was certainly in rare touch in the qualifiers.

Tian thrashed Ryan Day 10-3 then stayed resolute as Matthew Stevens threw the kitchen sink at him in the final round earlier this week.

Maguire is a potential world champion but while being crowned UK champion wasn't an issue way back in 2004, the Glaswegian has yet to put in the requisite application needed to reign at the Crucible.

This duo are playing each other for the first time competitively and, with Maguire having been no stranger to tight opening-round battles in Sheffield down the years, backing over 15.5 frames could be prudent.

Recommendation
Over 15.5 frames
1pt 8-15 Hills

Neil Robertson v Michael Georgiou 2.30pm

Most observers are predicting a cakewalk for red-hot Neil Robertson, but it may pay to respect the claims of his opponent Michael Georgiou.

The Cypriot, the first from his nation to compete at the Crucible, deserves huge praise for defeating Lee Walker, Peter Ebdon and Yan Bingtao in the qualifiers.

Robertson, winner of the Riga Masters, Welsh Open and China Open this season, will almost certainly take the spoils but it's just possible it may be a shade closer than many expect.

Georgiou is showing he's made of pretty tough stuff and he compiled breaks of 121 and 101 against Ebdon and 117 against Walker.

Robertson leads their personal series 3-0 and outscored Georgiou 365-44 in terms of points scored in their latest meeting on the way to victory in Cardiff in February.

But Georgiou is playing better now than he was then and the proud debutant may just take the game to Robbo more in Sheffield, so back the outsider with a handicap start of 6.5 frames.

Recommendation
M Georgiou +6.5 frames
1pt 1-2 general

Ding Junhui v Anthony McGill 2.30pm

Ding Junhui has come in for early support to extend his 4-0 head-to-head lead over Anthony McGill and the fact that the first Chinese player to win a world title would now make a decent betting heat could galvanise that country's number one player into better things.

It's all been rather mediocre from Ding this season and he has been quoted at a whopping 40-1 for the title, but he's so talented that it wouldn't be a surprise to see him produce seasonal-best performances in the coming days.

Ding hammered McGill 13-4 at the Crucible last year, but the Scot is playing better now than he was 12 months ago. How well is difficult to tell. Robert Milkins was impressed with McGill's fightback in their final-round qualifier, but the Milkman was woeful after carving out a 7-2 first-session lead.

For some unknown reason McGill has never shone against Ding – he's failed to compile a ton against the Chinese ace in the 38 competitive frames they have contested.

But it may be worth taking a chance that Ants fares a bit better on this occasion. McGill with a handicap start of 3.5 frames at 8-11 can be considered, but it may be worth having another frame on side and going with over 15.5 frames at a shorter price.

Recommendation
Over 15.5 frames
1pt 8-15 Coral, Hills, Ladbrokes

Mark Williams v Martin Gould 10am

Defending champion Mark Williams has the honour of cueing off this year's Betfred World Championship but while the Welshman remains a class act, his opponent Martin Gould has troubled him enough in their personal series to suggest that the title-holder could be in for a tough time.

Top seed Williams has spent a lot of the last few days practising with his son on the golfing greens, so he'll certainly be fit and ready for his Crucible return.

Five of their eight previous meetings have been in the Championship League, an event in which Gould has enjoyed more success than Williams.

However, of their three other clashes in regular competition, Gould has won two and the two latest ones at that.

It seems the Pinner potter is capable of troubling the Cwm ace, so the chance to get with the outsider on the handicap can be taken.

Recommendation
M Gould +3.5 frames
1pt 8-11 Betfred, Coral, Ladbrokes

Luca Brecel v Gary Wilson 10am

This should be a cracker between two players who have been at or near the top of their games.

Gary Wilson, who notched two century breaks on his only previous appearance at the Crucible, blasted in runs of 134, 112 and 100 in his 10-6 final-round qualifying win over Liang Wenbo.

He's 8-13 with bet365 to make at least one ton and that can be considered, but with opponent Luca Brecel having rediscovered his touch after a quiet period in mid-season it may be safer to expect a closely-fought clash.

The match, the first long one the pair will have contested against each other, could be a nip-and-tuck thriller if Wilson manages to keep tabs on the Belgian and over 15.5 frames could be the way to go.

Recommendation
Over 15.5 frames
1pt 8-15 Hills

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