George Weyham previews the 2024 World Snooker Championship and picks out his two favourite bets for the tournament.
World Snooker Championship 2024
There’s regular talk of the World Snooker Championship moving elsewhere. “It’s not big enough” is the usual remark. Though it’s technically correct, where to? Dubai? Saudi Arabia? Germany?
I think the majority of the tour, writes snooker tipster George Weyham, would be gutted to potentially see it leave Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre, its spiritual home since 1977. The history, the drama, the atmosphere, the lights - nothing beats it.
Luca Brecel is defending champion (best price 20/1 on BetMGM) and he is the 19th player to attempt to break the Crucible curse - no first-time champion has ever won this title back-to-back.
It will take a performance of behemoth proportions to retain but if anyone can, it just might be the unpredictable Belgian Bullet whose talent is frightening.
Who is the favourite to win the World Snooker Championship?
Ronnie O’Sullivan is the bookmakers’ favourite to win the 2024 World Snooker Championship (best price 9/4 William Hill) as he attempts more history in the coming 17 days.
The 48-year-old is aiming to win a season triple crown for the first-time in his career and a record breaking eighth World crown.
A serial winner this season with five titles, the Rocket has nearly every record in the game and though he will say he doesn’t care, would dearly love to knock old rival Stephen Hendry off his perch as the King of the Crucible. He tees off with Mark Williams’ mate Jackson Page in his opener.
World Snooker Championship Odds
| Player | Best Odds | Worst Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Ronnie O'Sullivan | 9/4 | 2/1 |
| Judd Trump | 9/2 | 4/1 |
| Mark Selby | 9/1 | 7/1 |
| Mark Allen | 11/1 | 9/1 |
| Mark Williams | 14/1 | 11/1 |
| Luca Brecel | 20/1 | 14/1 |
World Snooker Championship Predictions & Tips
Now, to my predictions for the tournament. Equal on five events won this season, and in the same half of the draw as O’Sullivan, is the 2019 champion, JUDD TRUMP.
It will be a surprise if the Bristolian doesn’t add at least two more Worlds before he calls it a day, though nobody has a god forbidden right to World Championships, no matter how gifted you are.
Trump has played in 17 tournaments this season and only failed to make the quarter-final on three occasions, outlining his consistency is quite phenomenal.
The one negative is Trump’s record in the majors.
He started playing in the triple crowns close to 20 years ago, and has won in just four. Though he’s won the Masters twice, the Worlds have been probably kindest to him. He’s made the one table semi-final set up five times, made the final three times and as a seed only endured two first round defeats.
Trump can pot balls like no one can and scoring wise is off the charts - he will end up with more career centuries than O’Sullivan. He’s learnt how to win ugly too which is a great trait to have and he might require that against Iran’s danger man in round one, Hossein Vafaei.
Maybe it’s just what Judd needs as we know he is a very hard man to beat in session snooker and providing he’s not got season burn out, he’s a very strong contender indeed.
Judd Trump to win the World Championship @ 9/2 Ladbrokes/Coral
1st Quarter Winner
Going back to Brecel, he has a real test on his hands in his opening match with ‘The Angry Farmer’ DAVID GILBERT on Saturday which is played to a finish.
If he isn’t right on the money here, Gilbert can fully capitalise. The 42-year-old was in sparkling form in the qualifiers brushing aside former World Seniors champion David Lilley 10-4 with three big centuries then swatted away experienced Xiao Guodong 10-6 in the final match.
Gilbert is making his 10th appearance at the Crucible and he had his best run here in 2019 when he lost in a semi-final decider to John Higgins. It remains to be seen whether or not he can recreate that form as he’s dipped down the rankings since to just inside the top 32; however, he has the pedigree and most importantly the draw to do some damage.
A win over Brecel would pitch him with 16th seed Rob Milkins or qualifier Pang Junxu then a place in the semi-final potentially against Ali Carter or Shaun Murphy - it’s not the strongest of quarters.
Gilbert’s temperament isn’t the world’s best which puts me off him becoming the third qualifier to lift the trophy but in my eyes he has a real squeak in the quarter at 7/1 on bet365.
