Snooker Champion of Champions 2024 Predictions: Dean’s best bets for Bolton

Next up on the snooker calendar is the Champion of Champions. One of the more prestigious events on the tour since its revival in 2013 with all the Champions of WST events in the last 12 months competing for the title.

Our snooker expert Dean Strand (@DSSnookerTips) takes a look at the upcoming tournament from Bolton.

This event has been dominated by the big names with Ronnie O’Sullivan winning four times, and last year Mark Allen lifted the trophy for the second time with dominant wins throughout, including a 10-3 victory over Judd Trump in the final.

Shaun Murphy

My first pick in the outright market is Shaun Murphy. Murphy is a player who often rises to the occasion in the bigger matches and tournaments and his form so far this season has been decent.

Quarter finals in the recent Northern Ireland Open and Wuhan Open as well as a deciding frame semi-final defeat in Saudi Arabia to Judd Trump.

It’s generally been taking some very good performances to stop Murphy and with his draw this week I think 10/1 looks decent.

First up he faces Mark Selby, a player he’s definitely has the measure of lately, winning their last three meetings. This includes a 10-8 win earlier this season in the Shanghai Masters semi final.

O’Sullivan is the big name in this section but he has been nowhere near his best for a long time now and I find it tough to justify him being favourite for Group 2.

Luca Brecel

Looking at the form there is no reason to back Brecel, since winning the World Championship last year he has been in freefall and there’s even a chance he could drop off tour this season if his form doesn’t improve.

Regardless of this though I still think the price for him to win Group 3 looks decent for a player with his ability. He’s never been a player with any kind of consistency but he’s still won a ranking in each of the last three years with a further two finals and these runs often come out of nowhere.

He begins his campaign against Kyren Wilson on Tuesday afternoon and these two have won two matches each on the head to head, with Brecels two wins coming in much bigger matches, a German Masters semi final and a UK Championship semi final.

If he progresses past Wilson he’ll face Mark Williams, a player who he’s won his last two matches against, both last year.

Williams has never won a match at this event and Kyren has only managed to win his group once in the last four years.

Ali Carter

Group 2 contains four very good experienced players and it’s the outsider Ali Carter who’s odds appeal to me here.

He’s the underdog in his last 16 match against Neil Robertson but I'm not sure I’d agree with that, in a best of seven it’s pretty much 50/50 for me and Carter is the higher rated player out of the two, having been much more consistent over the last couple of years.

Robertson has shown some of his brilliance in patches this season but he’s still not at his best and was beaten 6-1 by Hawkins last time out.

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