The Masters Snooker 2026 Betting Tips: Three picks for Ally Pally glory!

The 2026 snooker season commences with distinction on Sunday as one of the sport’s three Triple Crown events, the Masters, takes place at Alexandra Palace in London. The tournament features the top 16 ranked players, who compete in a dynamic atmosphere where each of the fifteen matches carries significant importance.

With that in mind, here are our snooker expert, Craig Edwards' The Masters Snooker 2026 Predictions...

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History, Location and Format

The Masters is the 52nd running of this event, having been first held in 1975 for 10 invited players. Since then it's developed into the largest non-ranking event on the snooker calendar and forms part of the 'Triple-Crown', alongside the World and UK Championship's.

The top 16 players in the world rankings qualify for the event and yet again Alexandra Palace in London is the host venue, with the tournament running from Sunday, January 11, through to Sunday, January 18. The action will be broadcast live on the BBC in the UK.

There have been twelve multiple winners of this event, with Ronnie O'Sullivan an eight-time winner, Stephen Hendry (6), Mark Selby, Cliff Thornburn, Steve Davis and the late Paul Hunter (who the Masters trophy is named after) all winning it three times.

The defending champion is Englishman Shaun Murphy, who beat his compatriot Kyren Wilson 10-7 in the 2025 final, to pick up his second masters title.

Masters Snooker Draw

Shaun Murphy [1] v Wu Yize
Mark Selby [8] v Xiao Guodong
Neil Robertson [5] v Ronnie O'Sullivan
Kyren Wilson [4] v Si Jiahui
Judd Trump [3] v Ding Junhui
Mark J Williams [6] v Mark Allen
John Higgins [7] v Barry Hawkins
Zhao Xintong [2] v Gary Wilson

Prize Money

The Masters Snooker Odds

Quarter 1

The defending champion opens the tournament on Sunday afternoon, facing off against the talented Chinese player Wu Yize, who recently claimed victory at the International Championship. Wu stands out for his enthusiastic presence during major matches, showing more emotion than many of his peers—a trait that could benefit him against Murphy, whose comfort in performing before a packed audience is well known.

Whoever wins will go up against either Mark Selby or Xiao Guodong next. Selby, especially after consecutive pre-Christmas tournament triumphs, is a popular pick among fans. This section of the draw is highly competitive and, considering the current odds, does not offer much value. I do believe Wu Yize will put in a robust performance, although his odds have shortened from 33/1 earlier in the season—when I took the opportunity for some early bets—to just 18/1 now.

Wu’s odds of beating Murphy are now a tight 5/4, which explains the drop to 18/1 overall, but he is already proving himself at the highest level and can no longer be considered merely a rising star.

Quarter 2

1.5 pts Neil Robertson each-way @ 9/1

The second quarter appears notably less competitive, with three players showing signs of recent decline in form. Neil Robertson, known as the “Thunder from Down Under,” is the exception; he continues to make significant advancements in the World Rankings following his early season victory at the Saudi Masters.

Notably, Robertson's title came at the expense of Ronnie O’Sullivan, and their first-round encounter is among the most anticipated matches. It is surprising that betting markets favour O’Sullivan; although Betfred has priced the opening match evenly at 10/11 each, O’Sullivan’s overall odds of 13/2 appear shorter than Robertson’s 9/1.

Given Robertson’s experience and O’Sullivan’s limited recent match play, Robertson should be considered the favourite in this contest. The winner will go on to face either Kyren Wilson or Si Jiahui, both of whom have not been performing at their best and will need to elevate their game.

An each-way bet on Neil Robertson at 9/1 with Betfred may represent value, particularly considering the possibility that O’Sullivan could withdraw from the event at short notice.

Quarter 3

1 pt Mark Williams each way @ 20/1

The value play each-way in quarter 3 is the winner of the Mark’s clash between Welshman Mark Williams and Irishman Mark Allen.

With Judd Trump well below his best all season he must be overlooked at prohibitive prices despite making a couple of finals recently and he plays Ding Junhui in round 1 with the winner playing Williams or Allen.

Mark Williams is the one that holds the slightly greater value given his strong overall form profile of recent seasons and his liking for the Masters.

The evergreen Welshman is such a handful for the top players these days and unlike his “class of 92” colleagues, Ronnie O’Sullivan and John Higgins you can make a coherent argument that he gets better with age while the other two have undoubtedly shown the natural wear and tear of a long life at the highest level in recent years.

Mark Williams will quietly fancy his chances to come through the third section and challenge for the Masters.

Quarter 4

0.5 pts Gary Wilson to win @ 40/1

Quarter 4 appears less competitive compared to the other quarters, with World Champion Zhao Xintong positioned as the favourite. Zhao faces Gary Wilson in the first match—a potentially tricky encounter for the Chinese star, since Wilson leads their head-to-head record 4-2, even though he lost their last two meetings.

The winner of this match will go on to face either John Higgins or Barry Hawkins. While every match at Alexandra Palace presents its challenges, neither opponent is likely to be intimidating.

Unlike many competitors who spent the holidays travelling around China and Tibet for lucrative events, Wilson stayed put and looked sharp during last week’s Championship League, which could serve as better preparation.

Gary Wilson presents each-way value for the Masters at small stakes, having returned to the top 16 after a solid year featuring a final in China and wins over top players.

Check out the rest of our Snooker Betting Tips over at Betfred Insights.