World Snooker Championship day three predictions and snooker betting tips: Si set for scoring spree

Where to watch the World Snooker Championship

Live on BBC One, BBC Two, BBC iPlayer & TNT Sports, from 10am Monday

Best bets for day three of the World Snooker Championship

John Higgins -2.5 frames vs Joe O'Connor
1pt 10-11 Hills

Ding Junhui -3.5 frames v Zak Surety 
1pt Evs Hills

Si Jiahui to beat David Gilbert 
2pts 8-11 general

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World Snooker Championship predictions

John Higgins vs Joe O'Connor predictions

Match starts 10am

Three more first-round World Championship matches start at the Crucible today and it could be day when favourites dominate. 

Defending champion Kyren Wilson has already departed Sheffield, while the well-fancied Neil Robertson is in big trouble, but John Higgins is unlikely to make the same mistake against Joe O'Connor. 

The Scot arrives in Sheffield on the winning thread having taken down the Tour Championship prize this month and that victory followed success in March's World Open. The four-time world champion has no issue producing his peak at the Crucible and Higgins has won his last ten first-round World Championship matches. 

The run of opening round Sheffield success has come from scorelines of 10-6, 10-3, 10-7, 10-7, 10-5, 10-7, 10-7,10-6, 10-3 and 10-5 and Joe O'Connor looks to face a tough task staying within 2.5 frames of the Wizard of Wishaw. 

Ding Junhui v Zak Surety predictions

Match starts 2.30pm

Ding Junhui returned to winning ways when claiming this season's International Open title and the Chinese Sensation looks a lively contender in Sheffield. 

The former World Championship finalist played well to beat Mark Williams and Kyren Wilson in the Tour Championship and the Chinese cueman has the scoring power to be a runaway winner against Zak Surety. 

The Basildon potter makes his Crucible debut after beating Antoni Kowalski, Jack Lisowski and Ricky Walden in the qualifiers, and while that was an impressive effort, there has been little evidence to suggest the Surety can trouble Ding. 

Si Jiahui v David Gilbert predictions

Match starts 7pm

The World Championship has offered some comfort for David Gilbert, who has reached two semi-finals in the last six years at Sheffield, but there have also been three first-round defeats, and those efforts are more akin to what Gilbert has been producing on tour. 

Away from last season's Sheffield showpiece, Gilbert hasn't been past the quarter finals of any ranking event for the last three years and the 43-year-old takes on a star on the rise in Si Jiahui this evening. 

The Chinese player made the last four on his debut at the Crucible two years ago and downed Mark Williams in the first round last term while he has also reached the final of two ranking events. 

At 8-11, Si looks the pick of today's first-round prices. 

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