World Championship Snooker Tips: Can Ronnie O’Sullivan Capture His Seventh Title?

World Snooker Championship Tips:

• Back Ronnie O’Sullivan to win the World Championship 2.4 with Ladbrokes
• Back Ronnie O’Sullivan (-2.5) frames vs John Higgins at 1.91 with Ladbrokes
• Back Mark Willams (+2.5) frames vs Judd Trump at 1.91 with bet365

Betting sites have installed Ronnie O’Sullivan as the favourite to win the World Snooker Championship after he dismantled Stephen Maguire in the quarter-finals.

It was another commanding performance from the world number one, who is now just two victories away from a record-equalling seventh Crucible crown.

His reward for beating Maguire 13-5 is a semi-final showdown with four-time former world champion John Higgins, who rallied to beat Jack Lisowski 13-12.

The other semi-final sees Mark Williams, who is bidding for a fourth world title, take on 2019 winner Judd Trump.

Both matches should be full of excitement, drama and intrigue, and there is some great value on offer in the handicap betting on snooker betting sites.

World Snooker Championship winner

World Championship Details

The World Championship began at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield on Saturday, April 16. It features 32 elite players: the top 16 professionals in the world rankings, along with 16 additional players that made it through the qualifying rounds.

The draw is divided into four quarters, with the biggest names kept apart until the latter stages of the tournament and the World Championship runs until the final on May 2.

The total prize pool this year is £2,395,000. The winner will take home £500,000, making it the most lucrative snooker tournament in the world.

Ronnie O’Sullivan Tops World Championship Betting

Odds of 2.4 on O’Sullivan winning the World Championship with Ladbrokes look attractive after witnessing him demolish Mark Allen and Stephen Maguire.

The world number one should get the better of Higgins in the semi-finals, and he would be the favourite against either Trump or Williams.

Another interesting option could be Mark Williams at 6.0 each-way with bet365.

They pay a third of the odds on the place for a top-two finish, so you would still profit if he were to reach the final and lose. It will be tough for the Welshman against the younger and potentially hungrier Trump, but his form has been magnificent so far.

The best odds available on Trump are 3.5, while you'll find Higgins priced at 5.5 to lift the trophy.

Mark Williams vs Judd Trump

Trump joked that he has ended up “stuck in the middle of a world seniors’ championship” after scraping through to the semi-finals.

Williams, Higgins and O’Sullivan are all part of the fabled Class of ’92, and they have rolled back the years to thrill the crowd at the Crucible. Trump is 15 years Williams’ junior, and he will rely upon youthful exuberance in this eagerly anticipated clash.

Williams has been the best player of the event so far. The Welsh Potting Machine turned professional 30 years ago, and at the age of 47, he is now the oldest world semi-finalist since Ray Reardon in 1985.

O’Sullivan argues that the Welshman is in the form of his life, hitting the ball firmer and with more authority, while fellow professionals have lauded Williams’ mindset.

He had to operate at the peak of his powers to put Yan Bingtao to the sword in the quarter final, and that should give him confidence ahead of this showdown with Trump. The Englishman was out of sorts during the opening session against Stuart Bingham, but he eased to a 13-8 victory after winning five frames in a row during the evening.

Trump will now carry momentum into the semi-finals, but Williams has been magnificent, and if he loses, it is likely to be a narrow defeat. Giving the Welshman a (+2.5) handicap at odds of 1.91 is, therefore, an appealing prospect.

John Higgins vs Ronnie O’Sullivan

Higgins has dominated the recent head-to-heads between these giants of the modern game.

He has six wins from his last seven matches against O’Sullivan, including a 3-0 victory in the Championship League earlier this year and a 6-1 drubbing in the semi-finals of the Scottish Open back in December.

You have to go back to March 2021 for the last time O’Sullivan beat Higgins – a 10-8 triumph in the quarter-finals of the Tour Championship. However, The Rocket is the clear favourite with the bookies to win this match, best priced at just 1.53 with Betfair.

O’Sullivan should be able to justify those odds if he plays close to his full potential. His talent has never been called into question, but a lack of motivation and psychological issues have frequently caused him to underperform in the past.

When he is focused, nobody can stop him, and he looks highly focused right now.

The Rocket has been exceptionally sharp so far at the Crucible. He will match Stephen Hendry’s record of seven world titles if he beats Higgins and then prevails against either Williams or Trump.

Hendry said he struggles to see how anyone can compete with O’Sullivan right now, as he looks supreme in every department.

You cannot write Higgins off, but he was uncharacteristically loose in the 13-12 win against Jack Lisowski. If O’Sullivan makes a strong start, he should pull away and cover a 2.5-frame handicap at 1.91.