2025 World Snooker Championship: Predictions & Tips

  1. Update April 29, 2025: The second round is over at the 2025 World Snooker Championship, so it’s time for the MightyTips experts to have a look at the quarterfinal ties and try to predict the outcomes, as well as find some valuable prop bets for you.

    Zhao Xintong vs Chris Wakelin - 1.40 / 2.75

    We start with the battle of two qualifiers, who stormed through the first two rounds. Chris Wakelin was impressive by knocking out two top-10 players in Neil Robertson and Mark Allen. However, MightyTips will go against the Englishman for the third time in a row, as we have tipped Zhao Xintong to win the tournament at 15.00. He is the third favourite at 7.00 now, and we probably can already relish his battle against Ronnie in the semis. The Chinese player should make over 2,5 centuries at 1.83, and that looks a bargain, considering he made 12 in the first two matches.

    MightyTips prediction: Xintong to win 13-9

    Ronnie O'Sullivan (5) vs Si Jiahui (13) - 1.25 / 4.00

    With Ronnie in outstanding form and playing well, we can't see him stumbling against Si Jiahui. This match will probably be a bit tighter than the odds suggest, but the Rocket should win confidently here, even though his temper often goes against him. As for the prop bet here, we'll go with O'Sullivan winning -3,5 frames at 1.80.

    MightyTips rediction: O'Sullivan to win 13-8

    John Higgins (3) vs Mark Williams (6) - 1.57 / 2.37

    All three Class of '92 players made it through to the quarterfinals, and here we'll have a head-to-head battle between two of them. While this game will be very close, as the odds indicate, MightyTips believes that Higgins will come on top in the end. It's very hard to go against his grit and determination, while Williams has vision problems and will have surgery in Summer. We won't invent the wheel here and advise on betting Higgins at 1.57.

    MightyTips prediction: Higgins to win 13-11

    Luca Brecel (7) vs Judd Trump (2) - 3.40 / 1.33

    The world number one is fresh from making 100 centuries in a season, which is a truly remarkable achievement. It's time to state that he is a clear favourite to go through to the final from the bottom half of the draw. Brecel easily beat Ding, who forgot to attend the arena in the first session, but MightyTips just can't see the Belgian producing a sensation here. Another win for the favourite here, and Trump -3,5 frames at 1.90 looks very promising.

    MightyTips prediction: Trump to win 13-8

  1. Update April 25, 2025: The World Snooker Championship 2025 is up and running, with the first round almost finished. While two of the first round matches will end on Thursday, the second phase will start on the same day. That means it's time for another round of predictions by the MightyTips pundits. We'll update this page once all the pairs are known, but we already know four matches to play this week. Last thing to note: all second round matches are best-of-25 frames. Once again, we took the odds from our well-trusted partner, bet365.

    Lei Peifan vs Zhao Xintong - 5.50 / 1.14

    The only debutant to go through, Peifan made a good account of himself by beating the defending champion, Kyren Wilson, to keep the Crucible Curse running. However, MightyTips can't see him winning against the player we tip to claim the title (the odds on that were 15.00 before the event, and it's only 5.50 now). While the odds of Xintong winning this match are not worth a bet, him making over 2,5 centuries at 2.00 looks like an excellent option.

    Prediction: Xintong to win 13-8

    Chris Wakelin vs Mark Allen - 3.50 / 1.30

    Wakelin produced one of the biggest sensations of the first round by knocking out Neil Robertson. However, the Australian almost completed a comeback in that match, and Wakelin visibly shook, which is never a good sign. Allen showed much better form by confidently going past a dangerous player, Fan Zhengyi. While Wakelin already proved us wrong, we'll go against him again. Allen should win here, and this looks like a good parlay piece if you fancy those kinds of bets.

    Prediction: Allen to win 13-10

    Ronnie O’Sullivan (5) / Pang Junxu - 1.14 / 5.50

    We have predicted that the 7-time world champion won't get past Carter, yet he had an easy 10-4 passage, making four centuries in the process. The Rocket hasn't played competitive snooker since January, but he was practising apparently and is clearly determined to claim the record eighth world title. In such a form, it's very hard to see him not beating Junxu, a promising player whose best times are yet to come. As for the props on this match, O'Sullivan making over 2,5 centuries at 1.57 looks like a sure bet.

    Prediction: O’Sullivan to win 13-7

    Si Jiahui (13) vs Ben Woollaston - 1.40 / 3.00

    Well, well, well. Ben Woollaston knocked another seed out in Mark Selby, but both played poorly, to be perfectly honest. Not taking anything away from Woollaston, Si Jiahui was levels above in his first round match. Snooker can be unpredictable sometimes, but we just can't see the Chinese player, a semifinalist two years ago, stumbling here. In fact, him winning -2,5 frames at 1.80 is a very promising bet in MightyTips experts' opinion.

    Prediction: Jiahui to win 13-8

    John Higgins (3) vs Xiao Guodong (14) - 1.36 / 3.20

    We tipped John Higgins to win his quarter at 3.00 (it's 2.10 already), and he convincingly passed the first hurdle by beating the dangerous Joe O'Connor. While Xiao is showing excellent form this season and stormed past Matthew Selt, Higgins is just a different type of animal. The Scotsman definitely has everything to reach another final, and he should be the winner, although it will be close. Higgins' victory looks like another decent accumulator piece, but MightyTips experts suggest betting over 3,5 match centuries at 1.83.

    Prediction: Higgins to win 13-11

    Hossein Vafaei vs Mark Williams (6) - 2.62 / 1.50

    This is the battle between two showmen, so it's a shame we can't bet on the number of crazy shots or crowd laughter during this game. We were very wrong, predicting against both players in the first round. Both played very well, winning close matches against strong opposition. MightyTips believes this is a good time for an underdog bet. The Iranian will knock the 3-time world champion out, as age is always a significant factor in such long and exhausting matches.

    Prediction: Vafaei to win 13-11

    Luca Brecel (7) vs Ding Junhui (10) - 2.30 / 1.61

    Brecel made a comeback in his match against unstable Ryan Day, but he wasn't that convincing. The Belgian himself said in the post-match interview that he doesn't care much about results, as it is all about entertaining the crowd and having fun for him. Such an approach can be self-defeating in the battle against very pragmatic Ding Junhui, undoubtedly the best player in Chinese snooker history. Ding has only one Crucible final to his name so far, so it's not his favourite arena, but he should beat the former champion. Ding's victory -1,5 frames at 1.83 is just too good to pass by.

    Prediction: Junhui to win 13-9

    Shaun Murphy (15) vs Judd Trump (2) - 3.40 / 1.33

    The pick of the second round matches is the battle between two former champions who were simply brilliant at the start. Both won 10-4, making three and five centuries, respectively. The head-to-head record says that Trump has an advantage with 18 wins in 29 matches. Even more impressive is that the Ace in the Pack won the last seven (!) matches against Murphy, and only two of those were close. MightyTips experts have to go with the statistics in this case, and we believe betting Trump -2,5 frames at 1,66 looks very promising.

    Prediction: Trump to win 13-9

The season's biggest tournament will start on April 19, bringing more than two weeks of excellence and drama to all snooker geeks. The draw for the Crucible just took place, and it's time for MightyTips experts to predict how the first round matches will unfold and give some tips for long-term betting. We took the odds from our old-established partner, bet365. Please check our list of the other best snooker betting sites.

Kyren Wilson (1st seed) vs Lei Peifan - 1.11 / 6.50

The defending champion starts his campaign against one of three debutants in Peifan, the 2024 Scottish Open champion. While the Chinese player should be in good form, as all the other qualifiers who played at least two best-of-19 matches, it’s hard to see Wilson get knocked out at the very first stage. The Crucible Curse, under which not a single first-time champion has retained the title since 1977, will probably stay for another year though.
Prediction: Wilson to win 10-5

Jak Jones (16) vs Zhao Xintong - 3.00 / 1.40

This pair features the only amateur in Xintong, yet he is also the only qualifier to be the favourite in his first round match. He already won a 2-year tour card from the 2025-26 season through Q Tour and took qualifying stages by storm, winning four games and making 12 centuries in the process. Jones, the finalist in 2024, has a mount to climb, and his poor form in the current season suggests the same.
Prediction: Xintong to win 10-5

Neil Robertson (9) vs Chris Wakelin - 1.25 / 4.00

While Robertson wasn't stable during the season, he still won two ranking events, notably whitewashing Stuart Bingham 10-0 in the World Grand Prix final. With all the pedigree and outstanding break-building skills, the Australian shouldn't have many problems in the match against Wakelin.
Prediction: Robertson to win 10-4

Mark Allen (8) vs Fan Zhengyi - 1.20 / 4.50

It is another pair with a heavy favourite, but MightyTips pundits believe this match should be much closer than the odds suggest. A handicap bet on Zhengyi looks decent, even though Allen defeated him 10-5 at the World Championships two years ago. An upset is possible, but we predict Allen will win in the deciding frame.
Prediction: Allen to win 10-9

Ronnie O’Sullivan (5) vs Ali Carter - 1.25 / 4.00

This is, without a doubt, the tie of the first round. The two definitely don't like each other, and we all remember the Shoulder Incident at the Crucible. It was a bit of a surprise that Ronnie didn't pull out of the tournament, just like he did almost always during this season. We don't doubt his genius, but practice and determination should be decisive here. Our bold prediction is that Carter will go through here.
Prediction: Carter to win 10-6

Zhang Anda (12) vs Pang Junxu - 1.66 / 2.20

It's a tough call in the battle between two Chinese players, as they are very evenly matched. This is a classic Dog or Pass situation, so if we had to bet on this game, Junxu would be our pick. Once again, he played two best-of-19 matches recently, confidently defeating a very good player in Jamie Jones.
Prediction: Junxu to win 10-8

Si Jiahui (13) vs David Gilbert - 1.61 / 2.30

While Jiahui is seeded and reached the semis here two years ago, this match is our third underdog pick in a row. The Chinese was far from convincing this season, and while Gilbert didn’t show excellent results either, his experience, home crowd, and two decent wins in qualifying should bring him over the line.

Prediction: Gilbert to win 10-7

Mark Selby (4) vs Ben Woollaston 1.11 / 6.50

The last pair of the top half features the four-time champion Selby, who always shows his best snooker at the Crucible. We don't see any intrigue here, as the Jester from Leicester has a relatively easy passage to the second round. With all due respect, we'll eat our hats if Woollaston somehow goes through here.
Prediction: Selby to win 10-5

John Higgins (3) vs Joe O’Connor - 1.36 / 3.20

Higgins, another four-time champion, looked unbeatable when he won the Tour Championship this Spring. While age is slowly playing its part, the Scotsman is one of the hardest players to battle against with iron nerves and a never-quit attitude. O'Connor is a good player with a bright future, but here we have to go for experience.
Prediction: Higgins to win 10-6

Xiao Guodong (14) vs Matthew Selt - 1.33 / 3.40

Guodong is playing the best snooker of his career recently, and MightyTips experts think he will have a relatively easy victory in the first round. Selt's temperament is going against him way too often, and we'll predict that this is the first round match that will be won by the most significant margin.
Prediction: Guodong to win 10-3

Barry Hawkins (11) vs Hossein Vafaei - 1.44 / 2.75

This match should be very close, as Vafaei played well in qualifying, making seven centuries in two games. The Iranian is a tough nut to crack, but Hawkins should outplay him in this one. However, betting him at 1.44 looks risky, so we'd suggest skipping this one in terms of gambling.
Prediction: Hawkins to win 10-8

Mark Williams (6) vs Wu Yize - 1.66 / 2.20

The three-time champion and crowd favourite goes up against a promising Chinese player who already has two ranking finals. While we all love Williams, he doesn't spend much time practising these days, which could decide the outcome. This is another underdog prediction, as we believe Yize will defeat Willo in a very close one.
Prediction: Yize to win 10-8

Luca Brecel (7) vs Ryan Day - 1.44 / 2.75

Here, we have a former world champion who seems to not care about snooker anymore against one of the most talented but volatile players. This looks like a toss of the coin, and we advise always avoiding betting in such cases. If we have to pick the winner, it'll be Day.

Prediction: Day to win 10-8

Ding Junhui (10) vs Zak Surety - 1.22 / 4.33

Surety, another Crucible debutant, made serious progress recently, yet it’s hard to see how he can win here. His opponent was tipped to become the first Chinese champion a long time ago, but he reached the final just once, losing 10-6 to Selby in 2016. Can 2025 finally be the year for Ding Junhui?
Prediction: Junhui to win 10-5

Shaun Murphy (15) vs Daniel Wells - 1.14 / 5.50

MightyTips experts respect Wells, who is about to make his Crucible debut, but Murphy is just too strong for the Welshman. The 2005 world champion has reached just two finals since, but he is still a very dangerous opponent for anyone. In fact, we believe Murphy is one of the dark horses this year.
Prediction: Murphy to win 10-5

Judd Trump (2) vs Zhou Yuelong - 1.11 / 6.50

Trump is the favourite of the tournament this year at 4.50. While it remains to be seen whether he can make another run deep into the event, we expect his starting match to be much harder than the odds suggest. A handicap bet on Yuelong looks promising, although Trump should go through in the end.
Prediction: Trump to win 10-8

Long-term thoughts

MightyTips experts believe it's worth betting on John Higgins to win his quarter at 3.00, beating Joe O'Connor and, probably, Xiao Guodong. If we talk about the tournament winner, Zhao Xintong at 15.00 is a pretty good bet, given his excellent form. Finally, you might want to bet on the nationality of the winner. There are no odds for this market currently, but China might be an excellent bet on high odds, as there are 10 Chinese players in the draw.

Deniss Novickis

Deniss Novickis

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Deniss Novickis

Deniss Novickis

Deniss Novickis is a dog person who loves sports that are not the most popular. An ardent fan of the Latvian ice hockey national team with three world championships on tour and counting. A human being who believes that sense of humour is one thing you can’t live without.