2021 World Snooker Championship – Day 4 Betting Picks
Check out our free betting picks for Mark Allen vs Lyu Haotian, Judd Trump vs Liam Highfield, and Barry Hawkins v Matt Selt. These predictions are a part of our premium membership, which you can join for 50€ per month.
Mark Allen vs Lyu Haotian
Tuesday, April 20 – 10:00 BST
Mark Allen hasn’t made much noise this season, suffering early defeats in both Triple Crown events. Regardless, he travels to the Crucible Theatre as one of the main favorites to go all the way and win his first World Championship title.
This marks Allen’s 15th appearance at the World Championship. During that stretch, he has made one semi-final (2009), and three quarter-finals (2010, 2011, and 2018).
Despite his relative success over the years, Allen has crashed out of the tournament in the first round in his last two appearances. That combined with his poor season would suggest Allen might be in for another early exit, but we would disagree.
The poor season might work as an added motivation to prove his worth, and he can’t really complain about his round one opponent. That said, Lyu Haotian isn’t one to be underestimated either.
The Chinese snooker player came through the qualifiers with a solid 10-6 victory against Chang Bingyu, having previously beaten Gao Yang 6-5 in the qualification qualifiers.
Allen has met Haotian twice before, in 2012 and 2018, and won both matches with 5-2, and 5-1. This one feels like it could easily end the same way. As long as Allen can get ahead early, he should have a fairly straightforward road to a victory.
Prediction: Over 2.50 Centuries
Judd Trump vs Liam Highfield
Tuesday, April 20 – 14:30 BST
We have already backed Judd Trump in our 2021 World Snooker Championship Tournament preview, so we won’t be betting on this match. Mainly due to the low odds offered on the tournament favorite, which we can’t really argue with.
Trump is the world no.1 player for a good reason, and without the Crucible Curse looming above him, he should be in a good spot to win it all. Liam Highfield will be eager to spoil Trump’s plans, but there aren’t many arguments to be made in his favor here.
Highfield has done well to qualify for the tournament with a 7-10 victory over Zhou Yuelong, having previously edged past Fan Zhengyi (6-5) and Elliot Slessor (6-5). But those performances hardly convince us he can overcome Trump.
No Prediction
Barry Hawkins vs Matthew Selt
Tuesday, April 20 – 19:00 BST
Barry Hawkins and Matthew Selt met quite a few times in their careers – nine to be precise – including at this stage of the competition way back in 2015. That match ended with Hawkins edging out a 10-9 victory, to which he added another tight W in 2018 (5-4) but lost his most recent bout with Sett by – you guessed it – a single frame (4-5).
At this point, it’s fairly clear where we’re heading with this prediction, but for the sake of keeping it consistent, let’s mention how the two have been performing of late.
Selt has done well to qualify, with three centuries in his victories against Nigel Bond (6-5) and Scott Donaldson (10-3), with 140, 137, and 135. Although Hawkins is viewed as a favorite for this match, Selt form should make him a bit anxious about Tuesday’s bout.
Still, Hawkins has had a great season, which includes a 10-7 victory over Trump in the quarter-finals of the Tour Championship. Unfortunately, he crashed out of the tournament in the next stage with a 9-10 loss to Ronnie O’Sullivan.
What we expect to see on Tuesday is another exciting match that shouldn’t disappoint any snooker fans. Expect a few centuries along the way as well, and don’t forget to stock up on snacks as we might be in for a long match.
Prediction: Over 16.50 Frames
Prediction: Over 2.50 Centuries
