Ronnie O’Sullivan v Stephen Hendry
This is a semi-final line-up that those at 888 could only have dreamed about. Hendry hasn’t won the World Championships since 1999, but has shown that class never fades at this years Crucible event.
Some say that Hendry is the greatest snooker player ever in terms of results and competitions won, and that O’Sullivan is the greatest snooker player ever in terms of natural talent.
This match is a mouth-watering prospect for snooker fans, with two greats of the game going head-to-head.
Ronnie is the favourite at 3/8 with Pinnacle, and rightly so after his impressive form thus far - his 147 this week was certainly something to behold.
However, I suggest backing Hendry on the handicap of +3.5 with Bet365 - we know he has the big match temperament, and he should push Ronnie all the way.
It’s worth having a look at Sporting Index as well if you can ‘bet in play’. They offer spreads on the number of points in each frame, and there is some money to be made on minority sports like this.
Snooker Betting - Rocket Ronnie in action
Ronnie O’Sullivan takes his bow in the 2008 World Snooker Championship this afternoon, and this usually causes a flurry of betting activity.
He faces Liu Chuang of China, and will want to make his mark on a tournament that he is a strong favourite to win -the best odds on him lifting the trophy are 3/1 at William Hill.
He is available at just over 3/1 on Betfair to make the highest break on the championship, whilst Sporting Index are offering a spread of 134-136 as his highest break of the championship. This is a good one to sell, since if he does achieve a higher break than 136, you will be limited to an 11-point loss - if he crashes out early one without really firing, this might offer a good payout.
For the first round match, take Liu Chuang on a handicap of +5.5 at 1.73 with Bet365.
This week on The Betting Blog
It’s another Champions League week as we embark on the semi-final stages, and with three English teams in the last four once again, the interest from football punters will no doubt be high.
We have another Liverpool v Chelsea showdown to look forward to, whilst Manchester United take on Barcelona - what price an all-English final. Stand by for some special offers on both ties in the middle of the week.
The snooker World Championships continue as well, so we’ll keep an eye on any good-looking opportunities, and then at the weeken, it’s the Heineken Cup semi-finals.
With several of the big guns having already fallen, the coveted prize is up for grabs - the quarter-finals saw one or two upsets, and there could well be more this weekend.
Not necessarily Pot Luck at the Snooker World Championships
Snooker’s biggest event begins on Saturday at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield and as usual, all the talk is of snooker’s biggest star - Ronnie O’Sullivan.
To be honest, he’s a betting man’s nightmare - always unpredictable with the ability to breeze past everyone in the tournament, but equally liable to lose interest and bow out in the second round.
He’s currently the favourite at 7/2, so you might be better off laying him on Betfair, rather than backing him. Everyone likes to see him winning, but there’s no room for sentiment here!
Defending champion John Higgins is looking slightly out of form this season. He’s at 13/1 with BetDAQ and although such a proven winner cannot be ruled out on the big stage, these odds don’t seem to offer great value.
On the other hand, Higgins’ first round opponent, Matthew Stevens, is definitely worth considering - twice a runner-up at the Crucible, Sheffield is one of his favourite venues with the longer matches, and if he gets past Higgins, I’d back him each way (at 50/1 with Extrabet) to make the semis.
On form alone, Mark Selby is the one to watch and worth backing at 6/1 with Boylesports and totesport. However, like a golf competition, we can look for good value at Round 1, and then lay the player later on.
With this in mind, have a look at Joe Swail at 319/1 on Betfair. He has a good championship record, and his first round match against Stephen Lee (100/1) really could go either way, and if Swail wins, his odds will shorten dramatically.
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