Snooker begins with a bang in 2023, as the Cazoo Masters takes place this week from January 8th to 15th. In what is one of snooker’s most prestigious tournaments, the world’s Top 16 players are invited to Alexandra Palace in London for eight days of hotly contested snooker action. The winner will walk away with one-third of a coveted triple crown and the bragging rights of having beaten the world’s best.
With the exception of Yan Bingtao and Zhao Xintong, who have just been suspended from playing professional snooker, all of the Top 16 players in the world will be competing this week. Defending champion Neil Robertson will be looking to go back-to-back here for the first time in his career, while Ronnie O’Sullivan is chasing a record-extending eighth Masters crown. Both will receive hot competition from the rest of the field, however, in what should be a fantastic week of snooker.
| Tournament: | World Snooker Tour 2022-23, The 2023 Cazoo Masters |
| Venue: | Alexandra Palace, London, United Kingdom |
| Date: | Sunday 8 January to Sunday 15 January, 2023 |
For those who want to bet on snooker, here are the best 2023 snooker Masters odds from major bookmakers:
There are some familiar names in these World Snooker Tour 2023 odds, as yet again, Neil Robertson and Ronnie O’Sullivan lead the pack as join favorites this week. While the two leaders are on 5.00 (4/1) to win, World No. 4 Judd Trump is just behind at 5.50 (9/2) as well. The rest of the world’s Top Five are slightly off the pace, with World No. 2 Mark Selby paying 7.50 (13/2) and Mark Allen rounding out the favorites at 12.00 (11/1).
Many sportsIn-play modeLive streaming25+ sportsSuperb bonusesEasy to useVIP programLive gamesMany bonusesMany bonuses24/7 supportMobile appsGreat supportMobile appsLive bettingThe Cazoo Masters is the second longest-running snooker tournament in history, having first been played in 1975. As an invitational event, it collects the best of the best in the world to compete, and while it is not a ranking event, is considered one of snooker’s most prestigious titles.
Here’s how the action has unfolded over the last five years:
While Ronnie O’Sullivan has won the most Masters titles of any snooker player, the World No.1 has not picked up a win here since 2017. The 47-year-old will be eager to extend his record and is drawn on the same side of the draw as three-time winner Mark Selby.
Those looking to put a bet or two on the Masters this week can find some excellent wagers to take at betting sites UK. Here are our top two picks heading into the weekend’s first match:
Any bet placed on Ronnie O’Sullivan to win a snooker tournament barely needs justification. O’Sullivan comfortably sits atop the world snooker rankings at the moment and has won this tournament a record seven times. However, there are two additional reasons to back O’Sullivan this week.
Firstly, O’Sullivan is experiencing something of a drought here at the Cazoo Masters, having not won in over five years. With O’Sullivan’s first win coming as a 19-year-old, he will be eager to continue his winning ways and get towards his goal of winning 10 Masters in his career.
Secondly, the last time all of snooker’s best players were called together for an invitational tournament – the Champion of Champions in November – O’Sullivan came out on top. The Englishman is a big match player, and these types of events bring out the best of him.
Betting on Ronnie O’Sullivan to win here is an excellent punt and still offers healthy odds of 5.00 (4/1).
As outlined above, one side of this equation is already looking like a great bet. However, there’s a great case to be made for Judd Trump to be the player facing Ronnie O’Sullivan in the final.
These two are placed on opposite sides of the draw, with Trump in the same half as the defending champion Neil Robertson. To reach this semifinal, he’ll need to first navigate a potential quarterfinal against Mark Allen. Trump is in fine form, however, having recently just won his first two matches of the year over Mark Selby and Ricky Walden in under an hour, 3-0. As well as this, the last major tournament of 2022, the Champion of Champions, also saw these two men meet in the final.
Business gurus on Instagram are always talking about how you should seek opportunities to 10x your investment – well, this is it, with odds of 10.00 (9/1) for Trump and O’Sullivan to meet in the final.
Those who aren’t happy with a simple 10x return may want to make an even more lucrative wager when they bet on the Cazoo Masters 2023. Here’s our recommendation:
Belgium’s No.1 snooker player is a heavy underdog heading into this week’s play, with all eyes on the big names in snooker. However, this puts Brecel in an excellent position to pull off an upset, something the 27-year-old has done before. Less than a month ago, Brecel knocked out both Judd Trump and Mark Allen in a run to the final of the English Open, where he narrowly lost to Mark Selby.
It’s undeniable that when he’s seeing the ball well, Luca Brecel can bet the best in the world. With a first-round match-up against World No.1 and tournament favorite Ronnie O’Sullivan, Brecel has his work cut out for him. With a return of 29.00 (28/1), if he manages to repeat his late 2022 form, there’s money to be made here.
This coming week promises to bring some exciting snooker action. The world’s best will be on show, and as is the case in such tightly contested tournaments, it’s anyone’s to win. Our betting preview says that Ronnie O’Sullivan will have what it takes to come away victorious and extend his dominance at the Cazoo Masters; however, don’t expect his path to be easy. If you think you know how this tournament will go, jump onto one of the best apps for betting and place your wager now.
