British Open Snooker 2025 Predictions: Three for glory at Cheltenham

It was oh so close for ex-snooker professional and snooker tipster Craig Edwards (@EdwardsTips_) in the English Open last week, with 66/1 shot Zhou Yuelong narrowly beaten in the final by Mark Allen. However, it was enough to secure profit for us here at Betfred and we will attempt to do the same again this week.

It's a rapid turnaround with play getting underway on Monday but Craig has three each-way selections for Cheltenham who play later in the week, so here are his British Open Snooker 2025 Predictions...

History, Location and Format

The British Open is the thirtieth running of this once well-established event back in the halcyon days of the 80s and 90s, so it was great to see the event back on the WST schedule again from 2021 having been missing for seventeen years.

The Centaur at Cheltenham Racecourse is once again the host venue, with the tournament running from Monday 22 September through to Sunday 28 September.

The event is unique in identity, in that seeding is not used and there is a random draw between rounds and that was the old mantra back in the 80s and 90s when Steve Davis was a five-time winner.  Stephen Hendry and John Higgins both won on four occasions, while funnily enough Higgins was the last winner in 2004 before the hiatus.

There have been some notable shocks over the years, Bob Chaperon at 500/1 in 1990 springs to mind as the biggest.

The event will be broadcast on ITV and ITV Sport.

The defending champion is Mark Selby, who beat Higgins 10-5 in the 2024 final.

Prize Money

Since the 2021 renewal of the British Open of 2021, Mark Williams won that year and 2023 so can the Welshman keep that trend going?

Dangerously, we are fielding against the popular Welshman who has drawn a particularly difficult round 1 opener against Si Jiahui from the random draw.

All our three selections have proven their class with the opening two looking ready to claim their first ranking title while our veteran outsider’s form is suggesting an Indian Summer could be around the corner.

British Open Snooker Odds

1 pts Joe O'Connor each-way (1/2 - 2 Places) @ 25/1

Our first selection, Joe O’Connor looks overdue his breakthrough as a tournament winner, and I wonder if there are solid reasons to give the diminutive Midlands player a strong chance this week in Cheltenham.

Firstly, many of O’Connor’s best results have come in home nations events which are all best of 7 frames until the quarterfinals.  Interestingly, this year the British Open has changed their format in the early rounds from best of 5 frames, to the best of 7 frames and mimic the Home Nations series throughout.

Secondly, the twenty-eight-year-old has already won a difficult pre-qualifying game against Ricky Walden and does not join the competition until Wednesday when he plays the lowly ranked Allan Taylor which steals a march on his opponents.

The last factor for the Joe O'Connor pick this week is he is now talking a good game in interviews and appears ready for the step up to ranking event winner.

1 pts Jak Jones each-way (1/2 - 2 Places) @ 20/1

If we have Joe O’Connor in the conversation for the best player awaiting his first win in a ranking event, then we must consider Jak Jones who was the runner-up in the World Championship of 2024.

Just last weekend, Jones came agonisngly close to making the final of the English Open when he led Mark Allen 5-3 only to lose 5-6 to the plucky Northern Irishman who won his last four matches in deciders from behind.

Interestingly, the twenty-nine-year-old Welshman reached the quarter finals last year when he lost by the odd frame to Oliver Lines which indicates this is a venue, he feels comfortable playing at.

The opening round versus an improved Amir Sarkhosh looks like an awkward one coming off Saturday's disappointment.  They do say the best thing is to get back on the bike straight away when you have fallen off, so if he can get this match behind him, Jones good form and confidence will rise to the fore.

0.5 pts Marco Fu each-way (1/2 - 2 Places) @ 40/1

Finally, this week’s outsider is a blast from the past, in the veteran classy Hong Kong player, Marco Fu whose form in the early events of the season has been eye-catching.

Since Covid-19, the forty-seven-year-old has required a special exemption tour card to compete. Although Fu has faced vision issues, these now seem resolved, as shown by his impressive record: twelve century breaks in 67 frames and a 2.39 rate for 50+ scores—an elite performance.

Yes, Marco Fu was always an elite break builder and tournament winner but as well as those stats this year he has won eight of his eleven matches and that means he hits our radar this week in Cheltenham.

His shot time is an impressive 15.2 seconds, and at a venue famous for horse racing, Marco Fu may prove the quickest this week.

Please keep stakes sensible with most of these selections being big prices and enjoy the snooker.

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