Players Championship Predictions: Can Shaun Murphy eclipse market leaders?
A stellar field featuring the top 16 players on the one-year ranking list heads to the Telford International Centre for the Players Championship, but Kyren Wilson won’t get the opportunity to defend his crown having failed to make the cut this year.
Ronnie O'Sullivan qualified to compete, having been eighth on the one-year ranking list after the World Grand Prix, but has elected not to play, which has enabled John Higgins to creep into the line-up.
The seedings are determined by the one-year ranking list, which is why world number three Neil Robertson is top seed and this is the 14th ranking event of the 2025-26 season, following the World Grand Prix and preceding the Welsh Open.
The first round, quarter-finals and semi-finals are played over a best-of-11 format, before the final turns into a best-of-19 played over two sessions and Judd Trump, Shaun Murphy and Mark Allen are chasing a third win in the event.
Players Championship Snooker Betting Tips
- Mark Selby to win the Players Championship @ 4/1
- Shaun Murphy to win the Players Championship @ 10/1
Tip 1 - Mark Selby to win the Players Championship @ 4/1
Mark Selby has enjoyed an excellent season and finds himself second behind only Robertson on the one-year ranking list following victory at the UK Championship in December, when he defeated Trump 10-8 in a thrilling final.
Selby warmed up for this event by winning the Championship League for a third straight time earlier this month and he could be a difficult man to halt on the back of that success.
The Jester from Leicester will be motivated to make his presence felt in Telford, having failed to make a single final in this tournament and he has a nice draw to work with.
Selby avoids Robertson and Trump until the final and opens up against the inconsistent Jack Lisowski, who has lost six of their last nine meetings, before a potential quarter-final clash with Wu Yize or Mark Allen.
Selby has won all six rivalries with Yize and Allen has lost three of his last six outings, highlighting that he may be some way below his peak performance.
The four-time world champion has won 12 of his last 16 matches and has had four centuries in his five most recent appearances, showing that he arrives right at the top of his game.
Tip 2 - Shaun Murphy to win the Players Championship @ 10/1
Another player in the bottom half of the draw worthy of interest is Murphy, who always seems to raise his game for the big occasion and has won this title twice before.
The Magician’s last Players Championship success came in 2023, when he overcame Ali Carter 10-4 in the final and he is third on the one-year ranking list after a consistent campaign.
Murphy has made three ranking finals already this season, winning the British Open before runner-up efforts at the Xi'an Grand Prix and the German Masters earlier this month.
The 43-year-old was outclassed by Trump in the German Masters final but he had beaten Allen 5-0, Wilson 5-1 and Robertson 6-1 prior to that to show himself to be in full working order.
Murphy should see off Zhang Anda in his opening assignment and, although reigning world champion Zhao Xintong may await in the quarter-final, the Magician has triumphed in six of their eight meetings.