The World Snooker Tour heads back to England next week after spending the week in Wales for the Welsh Open 2023. In what will be the 12th ranking event of the 2022/23 snooker season, the world’s Top 16 players from the past year will come together for a week of furious snooker action in Wolverhampton to determine the Players Champion in 2023.
All the usual suspects are at play in the Players Championship 2023, with Ronnie O’Sullivan and Judd Trump leading the pack. O’Sullivan is looking good at the Welsh Open at the time of writing, while Trump has already suffered a shock exit in the Round of 32. How will the Englishman respond – can he bounce back, or will O’Sullivan claim his third Players Championship title? With the defending champion Neil Robertson failing to qualify, this tournament is anyone’s for the taking in Wolverhampton.
We break down all the best bets to make on the Players Championship 2023 ahead of the first break on Monday.
| Tournament: | World Snooker Tour 2022-23, The 2023 Players Championship |
| Venue: | Aldersley Leisure Village, Wolverhampton, England |
| Date: | Monday, 20 February to Sunday, 26 February 2023 |
For those who want to bet on snooker this week, here are the latest World Snooker Tour 2023 odds ahead of the Players Championship getting underway this Monday:
Looking at the outright winner odds for the Players Championship 2023, it’s no surprise who is leading at the bookies. For most of the 2022-23 snooker season, Ronnie O’Sullivan has been the form player to beat, and this week is no different for those wanting to bet on the Players Championship 2023. O’Sullivan leads at 5.50 (9/2), with Judd Trump just behind at 6.00 (5/1). The two Marks – Selby and Allen – are third and fourth favorites at 8.50 (15/2) and 12.00 (11/1) before Kyren Wilson rounds out the top five at 15.00 (14/1).
Many sportsIn-play modeLive streaming25+ sportsSuperb bonusesEasy to useVIP programLive gamesMany bonusesMany bonuses24/7 supportMobile appsGreat supportMobile appsLive bettingFor more than a decade, the Players Championship has been one of the most entertaining fixtures on the snooker calendar. First played in 2011, the Players Championship originally saw the top 24 players in the world invited before expanding to 32, then contracting to the current status of 16. After being played across various locations, it has now settled in Wolverhampton, England.
Here’s a look at how the Players Championship has unfolded over recent years:
It’s been four years since a player went back-to-back at the Players Championship. That record will be extended again this year, with Neil Robertson unable to defend his title, given that the Australian has not qualified for the 2023 Players Championship. Can Ronnie O’Sullivan take advantage of this slip to claim his third title here, or will the Englishman himself fail to qualify?
There are plenty of great opportunities to place bets on the Players Championship 2023 ahead of the first break this Monday. Here are some of the best wagers we see at online bookies right now:
While the Welsh Open 2023 is yet to conclude at the time of writing, Ronnie O’Sullivan is looking in excellent form. Technically, the Englishman needs to reach the final at least in order to qualify for the Players Championship 2023. However, with some big names upset in Wales already, the draw is looking open for the Rocket to walk through to the final in Llandudno this weekend.
O’Sullivan is the No.1 ranked player in the world rankings right now, holding a healthy +200,000 point lead over his nearest rivals. There’s a reason for this—the Englishman has consistently been a cut above the rest of the snooker field over the past decade. With lofty goals for the rest of his career, and his ego perhaps a little bruised by the potential of not qualifying for the Players Championship, expect O’Sullivan to win in Wales this weekend, then roll that momentum on into a win in Wolverhampton next week as well.
Speaking of bruised egos, Judd Trump was the latest big name to fall victim in the Welsh Open 2023 this week. The World No.4 was dispatched 4-2 by Daniel Wells in the Round of 32, putting an end to dreams of an inaugural title in Llandudno for the Englishman.
With a few extra days to ponder where he went wrong, we expect Trump to come back strong at the Players Championship. While O’Sullivan should win the event, Trump has a good chance of fighting back and approving snooker predictions, getting to the final at healthy odds of 4.00 (3/1).
For those after higher return odds, Englishman Jack Lisowski is an underdog who has been showing strong form over recent months. While he’s far from guaranteed to win in Wolverhampton, the World No.12 does come into the Players Championship as the No.8 seed, and off the back of some good results. He’s recently made deep runs at the German Masters, World Grand Prix, and the Masters and has every chance of getting a breakthrough result next week.
Next week promises to be yet another entertaining week of snooker, with the current World Top 16 coming together for seven days of competition at the Players Championship 2023. While this week’s Welsh Open 2023 has produced plenty of upsets, we say next week will go with the online bookies’ odds and see Ronnie O’Sullivan claim the title. Watch out for a mini-comeback by Judd Trump, however, and underdog Jack Lisowski to put in a strong showing too.
