Ronnie O’Sullivan travels to Sheffield as the defending champion, having won his sixth title in 2020, and since he already won the event before, he at least doesn’t need to worry about the Crucible curse. Will that be enough for him to go all the way for the record seventh time, however, remains to be seen.
2021 World Snooker Championship – Day 1 Betting Picks
In today’s snooker betting preview, we focus on the opening five games, scheduled for Saturday, April 17. Here are our free snooker betting tips and predictions for Ronnie O’Sullivan v Mark Joyce, Yan Bingtao v Martin Gould, Stephen Maguire v Jamie Jones, Neil Robertson v Liang Wenbo, and Dave Gilbert v Chris Wakelin.
Ronnie O’Sullivan v Mark Joyce
Saturday, April 17 – 10:00 BST
Ronnie O’Sullivan begins his road to his seventh title on Saturday, when’ll meet with Mark Joyce. Although the World Snooker Championship features some of the best snooker players in the world, it’s fair to expect a very one-sided affair.
O’Sullivan will be facing Joyce, who will make his debut at the Crucible, after trying to get here throughout his entire career. Although a very good player, it’s hard to believe he is mentally prepared for the Crucible.
Like any year before, success at the season-culminating event largely depends on the player’s mentality and the ability to perform in high-pressure situations. Although round one game can hardly be viewed as a high-pressure match for the seasoned veteran, it might hit the debutant a bit differently.
One thing going for Joyce is that he has nothing to lose since no one expects him to win. That said, he is not a player who will go all out solely because of that and will likely approach this match a bit more tactical. Unfortunately, there are not many players that are better at that than O’Sullivan.
Prediction: Ronnie O’Sullivan – 5.5 frames
Yan Bingtao v Martin Gould
Saturday, April 17 – 10:00 BST
Yan Bingtao enters this match with high expectations on his shoulders as the best Chinese snooker player at the tournament. Unfortunately, he will have his work cut out for him as he needs to face a tough opponent in his tournament opener.
Martin Gould last met with Bingtao in September 2020, when he edged out a 5-4 victory. These two previously met twice in 2018, when Bingtao won twice with 4-2 and 4-1, and once before in 2016 when the Chinese won 4-2.
Despite his impressive 3-1 head-to-head record, we aren’t too big on Bingtao. He has been relatively mediocre since his Masters’ victory and has suffered losses against much weaker opponents. Gould might seem weaker on paper, but he has looked good enough for us to take a shot with him.
Prediction: Martin Gould to win, over 16.5 frames
Stephen Maguire v Jamie Jones
Saturday, April 17 – 10:00 BST
Stephen Maguire enters the World Championship off a very decent season, however, we wouldn’t like to praise him too much. Although he has had a few flashes of greatness, Maguire was largely inconsistent.
Jamie Jones might seem like a worse player overall, but you can’t really underestimate someone who has a lot to prove and holds a relatively solid record at the Crucible. He has reached the quarter-finals on his Crucible debut in 2012 and made two subsequent appearances since.
These two met only once, with Jones claiming a comfortable 5-0 victory. That result, however, doesn’t mean much seeing how the match happened way back in 2014.
That said, Jones is playing well and is 8-2 across his last 10 outings, which includes five consecutive wins leasing to the Championship. He is in good form and hungry to prove himself, and you can’t really bet against a player like that.
Prediction: Jamie Jones to win, over 16.5 frames
Neil Robertson v Liang Wenbo
Saturday, April 17 – 10:00 BST
Neil Robertson enters this match in exceptional form and is in eyes of many one of the main players to watch at the Crucible. He has demolished O’Sullivan (4-10) in his recent finals and if he can show the same form in Sheffield, there is no telling how far can he go.
Robertson has also already won here in 2010 but has oddly enough never managed to reach the finals since. Robertson’s iffy showings at the Crucible over the last 10 years are quite a mystery with no explanation but many theories.
One thing we do know, however, is that Robertson is at his best when he is required to perform at 100%, and with the draw he has been put in, anything less than his best won’t cut it.
Winning this match will be crucial for Robertson and he knows it. Although Liang Wenbo is by no means a weak player, Robertson has already won this bout in August with 10-5. He is also 5-0 in the head-to-head dating back to 2013.
Prediction: Neil Robertson -4.50 Frames
Dave Gilbert v Chris Wakelin
Saturday, April 17 – 10:00 BST
Dave Gilbert came close to reaching his first World Championship final in 2019, when he had to admit defeat to John Higgins (16-17), who then went on to lose against Judd Trump 9-18.
Gilbert was unable to emulate his performance from 2019 last year when he lost against Kurt Maflin (8-10). The Norwegian went on to eliminate Higgins (13-10) in the next round, so perhaps we should give Gilbert some slack for that loss.
Gilbert will face off against a tough opponent in Chris Wakelin in his 2021 World Championship opener. Wakelin has not only proven to be a strong competitor with his performance at the qualifiers but has also shown how much qualifying means to him – stating he was ready to quit the sport only a few months prior.
Facing an opponent that has a lot to prove is never an easy task, especially if you had such an underwhelming season as Gilbert. On a more positive note, Gilbert has beaten Wakelin before (0-4), albeit way back in 2013. The two haven’t met since.
This one is tough to call, but at the offered odds, you can’t pass on Wakelin. He has looked good in the qualifiers and as long as he can keep his fire going, we can imagine him taking the W here.
Prediction: Chris Wakelin to win
This concludes our 2021 World Snooker Championship Day 1 betting preview, but don’t forget to check out our tournament betting preview as well. If you wish to bet on 2021 World Snooker Championship with us, join our premium membership for only 50€ per month.
