Snooker Masters 2018 Set to Offer Plenty of Betting Value

Snooker’s crème de la crème convene at London’s Alexandra Palace next week for the 2018 Dafabet Masters, better known to snooker betting enthusiasts as the Snooker Masters. The week-long invitational event involves the world’s top 16 players doing battle against each other to determine who really is top dog.
Defending champion Ronnie O’Sullivan is bidding to win the title for the eighth time, but there are plenty of players who’ll have something to say about that. With the tournament just around the corner, it’s time to take a look at the contenders and the bets you may want to consider!
Ronnie the Man to Beat as Usual
Who else are you going to pick as favourite other than the man who’s won more times than anyone else? Ronnie O’Sullivan has won pretty much everything there is to win in snooker and broken almost every record imaginable, but there’s no tournament he’s dominated more over the last two decades than the Masters.
Since becoming the youngest ever player to win the title at the age of just 19 in 1995, ‘The Rocket’ has gone on to rack up a further six Masters titles, including three in the last four years. As someone who grew up and still lives in Chigwell, near London, Ronnie is always popular with the audience at Alexandra Palace and it’s seen by many as his tournament.
He thrives on the big stage and has admitted himself he prefers playing against other top players. When Ronnie’s in the groove, there are few who can compete with him. O’Sullivan is generally priced at 5/2 among the best snooker betting sites, while Paddy Power has odds of 11/8 on the seven-time winner to reach the final that look generous.
Selby Looking for Improvement
Of course, when you’re considering your betting strategy, you can’t ignore the world number one in the sport. Mark Selby has won the Masters on three occasions, although he’s failed to go beyond the quarter-finals in the last three years.
After a disappointing second-round exit in the UK Championship – the first ‘Triple Crown’ event of the season – Selby will be out to reaffirm why he’s been ranked the world’s best player for over two years. The reigning World Snooker champion is best priced at odds of 5/1 with William Hill, while Betfair has the 34-year-old at odds of 9/4 to reach the final.
Selby and O’Sullivan – the current top two in the rankings – have been placed in separate halves of the draw so they are on course to meet in the final for the fourth time. Betfair’s odds of 6/1 on an O’Sullivan/Selby final therefore look good value.
Murphy Always a Contender
Another player whose name is always among the favourites for these major tournaments is Shaun Murphy. The 35-year-old won his only Masters title in 2015 but was knocked out at the first-round stage in the last two years. He’s having a decent 2017/18 season so far, though, reaching three ranking event finals and winning the Champion of Champions tournament, where he beat O’Sullivan in the final.
He should get past Ali Carter in the first round and on his day, Murphy’s capable of beating anyone. If 10Bet’s odds of 14/1 on Murphy to win don’t tempt you, then perhaps consider Betway’s price of 6/1 on ‘The Magician’ to be in Sunday’s final.
On the way he could face Judd Trump in the quarters. Trump is above him in the world rankings and in the betting for the 2018 Masters, but the furthest he’s ever reached in the tournament is the semi-finals and he’s exited in the first round in three of the last four years. The 28-year-old has never quite lived up to his hype, and he doesn’t look particularly appealing at a best price of 13/2 with Black Type.
Debutants to Watch Out For
There are a couple of players competing in the Masters for the first time this year. Scotland’s Anthony McGill is one of the sport’s brightest young talents and has been steadily progressing up the rankings over the last few years. He has two ranking titles to his name and has reached the quarter-finals of both the UK Championship and World Championship, but he’s a rank outsider at 80/1 with William Hill.
Another youngster making his Masters debut is Luca Brecel. The Belgian became the first player from mainland Europe to win a ranking event in August when he won the China Championship. However, if Brecel overcomes Mark Allen in his first-round match, he’s likely to face Ronnie O’Sullivan in the next round. His odds of 40/1 with Coral are probably not worth considering.
Recommended Betting Sites
- 1
100% Welcome Bonus up to £50 Promo Code: TONY50
18+ New Players only. For free bet wagering requirements and minimum odds read T&C’s. www.begambleaware.org Terms Apply In order to activate this bonus on the personal TonyBet account, please, enter the bonus code TONY50 when a deposit is made and wager your deposit 10 times on betting markets with odds of at least 1.65 within 30 days. This offer is available to new players who made the first deposit. All players must be 18+ years old and of a required legal age to gamble. Odd/even, no action (bets made on both sides of the same bet), cancelled bets, replicated bets and bets that have had their odds equated to 1 are not included into the bonus wagering. - 2
Bet £10, Get £30 in Free Bets + £10 Casino Bonus
Sig terms: Min deposit of £/$/€10 • A qualifying bet is a ‘real money’ stake of at least £/$/€10 • Min odds 1/2 (1.50) • Free Bets credited upon qualifying bet settlement and expires after 7 days • Free Bet stakes not included in returns • Deposit balance is available for withdrawal at any time • Withdrawal restrictions & full T&Cs apply - Full Terms Apply - 3
Bet £10 Get £10
18+ New Players only. For free bet wagering requirements and minimum odds read T&C’s. www.begambleaware.org Terms Apply 18+. New UK customers only. Min bet £10 to receive £10 Free Bet (placed and settled 35 days from registration). Min odds of 3/5. Free Bet credited at qualifying bet settlement and placed within 35 days. T&C's apply. Please gamble responsibly, www.begambleaware.org - Full Terms Apply - 4
Get up to £100 in Free Bets + up to 100% in Boosts
18+ New Players only. For free bet wagering requirements and minimum odds read T&C’s. www.begambleaware.org Terms Apply 18+, New customers only. Deposit + bet £20-£100. Must Deposit £50 and opt in for marketing preferences for Boosts. Boosts credited 24 hours after deposit. Full T&Cs apply. Begambleware.org - 5
Open Account Offer - Up to £100 in Bet Credits for new customers at bet365
Min deposit £5. Bet Credits available for use upon settlement of bets to value of qualifying deposit. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and T&Cs apply. 18+. New players only. www.begambleaware.org - Full Terms Apply - 6
Bet £10, Get £10
18+ New Players only. For free bet wagering requirements and minimum odds read T&C’s. www.begambleaware.org Terms Apply 18+, Welcome Bonus: New Players only, 1st Deposit, Min Deposit: €10, max €10 bonus, valid for 14 days, bets must be placed at odds of 1/1 or greater and be settled within 14 days of placement.System bets no eligible. Click to see full T&Cs - 7
EXCLUSIVE: Bet £15, Get £10
18+ New Players only. For free bet wagering requirements and minimum odds read T&C’s. www.begambleaware.org Terms Apply 18+, Welcome Bonus: New Players only, 1st Deposit, Min Deposit,: £10, max £10 free bet valid for 14 days, bets must be placed at odds of 1/1 or greater and be settled within 14 days of placement. System bets not eligible. Neteller,Skrill and Paypal not eligible. T&Cs apply - 8
50% Deposit Bonus up to £100 Promo Code: FBWELS
18+ New Players only. For free bet wagering requirements and minimum odds read T&C’s. www.begambleaware.org Terms Apply New UK customers only; 6x wager requirement with 90 day expiry; Only sports bets contribute to wagering; Min. 2 selections at 1.4 min odds per selection; Max £100 per bet. 18+. T&C's Apply. Please bet responsibly. begambleaware.org - 9
Bet £20, Get £10
18+ New Players only. For free bet wagering requirements and minimum odds read T&C’s. www.begambleaware.org Terms Apply 18+ New Customers Only. Minimum Deposit and wagering on sport to activate the Free Bet is £20. Customers who deposit using Neteller, Paysafe, Skrill or Skril 1-Tap will not be eligible for any free bet offer.BeGambleaware.org - 10
Bet £10, Get £20 in Free Bets
18+ New Players only. For free bet wagering requirements and minimum odds read T&C’s. www.begambleaware.org Terms Apply Qualifying bet must be min odds of 1/2 and cannot be placed in-play or cashed out. E.g. Place a £10bet at minimum odds of 1/2. When that bet has been settled, you will be given a free £5 fixed odds bet to use that day. New customers only. See full Ts&Cs apply. 18+ begambleaware
Stay In The Loop With Free Bets, Insider Tips & More!
Live Betting. Sports Promos. Sent Weekly.