World Snooker Championship Betting Tips
The 2026 World Snooker Championship gets underway on Saturday and, as always, the Crucible is set to provide plenty of drama and entertainment.
Zhao Xintong claimed his maiden World Championship title in style last season and he is the 2/1 favourite to retain his crown.
However, Zhao must overcome the Crucible curse if he is to make it back-to-back titles, as no first-time winner has ever successfully defended their world title since the tournament moved to Sheffield in 1977.
Seven-time Crucible king can reign
Tip 1 – Ronnie O’Sullivan each-way @ 13/2
Ronnie O’Sullivan will bid for a record-breaking eighth World Championship crown when he heads to Sheffield and the Rocket looks set for takeoff.
The 50-year-old’s appearances on the baize have been in short supply this season, but it’s not as though punters have needed him to prove that he is good enough to become a world champion.
The Chigwell cueman did make the final of the lucrative Saudi Arabia Masters early in the campaign and he also played extremely well when finishing runner-up at last month’s World Open.
Those performances indicate that O’Sullivan is still capable of an excellent level of performance and he is a player that thrives on the big occasion, winning a record 23 Triple Crown titles in his illustrious career.
Clearly there are some concerns over how much O’Sullivan has left to give the sport, but on balance, there have been enough positive performances to think there is still some gas in the tank.
A best-of-seven-frame English Open or low-key Home Nations events have never been of interest to the Rocket. Therefore the fact he has skipped many of those events, or been beaten in the early rounds, has no real relevance to the match-play marathon that is about to unfold in Sheffield.
The experience, safety game and mental fortitude are all in place for the Rocket at the Crucible, and if the seven-time world champion can find his peak break-building form, he will be extremely difficult to beat.
Defending champion Zhao Xintong stopped the Rocket at the semi-final stage at the Crucible last year and the Cyclone looks to have an excellent chance of defending his title.
Zhao has been handed a kind draw and arrives in Sheffield in excellent form.
However, there is now a weight of expectation following last term’s success and 2/1 looks a mighty skinny price.
O’Sullivan is fancied to negotiate a path past He Guoqiang in round one, before a second-round tie with either John Higgins or Ali Carter.
A repeat semi-final with Zhao is possible, but at 13/2, there is enough in the price to chance that O’Sullivan can once again prove that he is the greatest of all time.
Expect thunder from down under
Tip 2 – Neil Robertson each-way @ 22/1
Neil Robertson is another player that could contend for the title and the 2010 champion looks a serious each-way option given the form he has shown this season.
The Australian won the Saudi Arabia Masters in August and the current campaign has also yielded semi-final appearances at the high-profile UK Championship, Tour Championship and Champion of Champions.
Robertson should progress past Pang Junxu in round one and a last-16 tie against either Chris Wakelin or Liam Pullen has to be viewed as a nice draw.
Robertson is on course for a quarter-final clash with O’Sullivan, but the prices are big enough to play the two top potters each-way in the half of the draw that appears to be more favourable.
Odds correct at time of publication but subject to change