Premier League Snooker Semi-Final Betting Analysis

You may remember that one of my favourite sports is Snooker. On Saturday 28th November the semi-finals of Snookers Premier League is taking place with John Higgins, Ronnie O’Sullivan, Judd Trump and Shaun Murphy battling for the title of 2009 Premier League Snooker Champion. Snooker betting is a fun way of following the coverage which is live on Sky Sports each year and my tips are below for who I feel are the best bets for these snooker matches.

The players love the format and fight for qualification each season because as well as the winning prize of £30,000 and the runners-up prize of £15,000, the semi-finalists each win £5000. The other players do not miss out as a frame win in the round robin stage earns the player £1,000 with a £1,000 bonus if that frame is won with a century break. The winner of the last five Premier Leagues Ronnie O’Sullivan has managed to bank £79,000, £83,000 and £75,000 respectively since 2006 and this is only one tournament in the larger snooker season! The format rewards players who play good snooker and encourages them to always try their best for a century even when the frame is secured. There is a total prize fund of £200,000 for the event making it one of the richest in the snooker calendar.

John Higgins 1.55 versus Shaun Murphy 2.30

Snooker has certainly benefited from John Higgins’ renewed application to the game after admittedly taking it easy for a few seasons. Both players have already added over £20,000 to their snooker earnings and will be eager for more. The obvious favourite is John Higgins as on week two of the Premier League the snooker match between the two saw Higgins win 4-2. Shaun Murphy is good at springing surprises on people thanks to his practise work ethic and excellent cue action which saw him win the World Championship in 2005 ranked 48th in the world. It will undoubtedly be a close match with chances for both players but Higgins has shown his match winning skills in the last twelve months winning many tournaments and I think he will make the final. Playing the match over a longer distance rather than the best of six frame matches during the round robin stage suits the honed matchplay skills of John Higgins. I am looking forward to what should be a great contest between two of the very best snooker players in the world.

Ronnie O’Sullivan 1.30 versus Judd Trump 3.20

Judd has already banked £24,000 in this his first season in the Premier League. He was tipped as a future star of the game in 2007 and just one year later made his crucible debut, aged 17. Judd managed to beat Ronnie O’Sullivan in the group stages besting him 4-2 during week eight. He did lead 4-1 in the match but a good break from Ronnie sealed the final frame. What can you say about his opponent other than he is simply the best player currently playing snooker today. Ronnie has won the Premier League a record eight times and has lifted the trophy every year since 2005, a year where there was a spring and summer league and he won both. In terms of experience it is a no contest, but Trump has shown that the ‘on paper’ research has no bearing on him as he is a player who is building his own reputation with a steady record of excellent snooker performances. Perhaps this is too early to see him beat the master O’Sullivan but Ronnie will not be taking this young man lightly. Judd has shown Ronnie already that he can rise to the occasion and to beat him requires good snooker. I still think Ronnie will win the match but it will be very close.

Enjoy your snooker betting this weekend.

By Malcolm Clarke