UK Championship Snooker Odds: Judd Trump leads the betting in York
A fortnight of top-class snooker begins on Tuesday 23rd November with the return of the UK Championship from the Barbican Centre in York. Australian Neil Robertson will be looking to defend the trophy after his victory over Judd Trump in the final last year.
128 competitors are taking part in the draw and there is live coverage every day on Eurosport. The BBC join the party from Saturday broadcasting the action from the second round onwards.
We’ve taken a good look at all the odds and analysed the favourites for the Championship and a couple of interesting long shots.
The favourites:
The top four in the betting have won this trophy for nine of the last ten years it's been held. Its hard to see beyond them against this year.
Judd Trump: 10/3
The favourite in the betting is Englishman Judd Trump. The 32-year-old Bristolian is currently ranked number two in the world and is in superb form having just won the Champion of Champions trophy. He has won Player of the Year three times on the trot and has picked up eleven ranking titles in the last 24 months. He's also dabbled in nine-ball pool, making his debut in the US Open Pool Championships.
He's not won this Triple Crown tournament since 2011 and will be desperate to repeat the feat and reclaim the number one in the world ranking from his rival Mark Selby.
Neil Robertson: 11/2
The defending champion and three time holder of this title, Robertson is second in the betting and loves it in York. The Thunder from Down Under is a fantastic break builder and has compiled over 800 centuries in his career. He was also the first player ever to make 100 centuries in a single season back in the 2013/14 season.
Robertson, 39, also comes into this tournament in hot form, having won the English Open in Milton Keynes earlier this month.
Ronnie O'Sullivan: 13/2
If Robertson loves it in York, Ronnie has the freedom to the City. He's won this event a record seven times as part of his record 20 Triple crown wins and 37 ranking titles (also a record). O'Sullivan is now one of the elder statesmen of the tour and at 45 years old is the second oldest player ever to win a ranking event after his former coach Ray Reardon.
'Rocket Ron' has compiled over 1100 century breaks in his illustrious career and still holds the fastest ever maximum break of a little over 5 minutes. He's currently ranked number three in the world, even though he carefully picks and chooses which events he will compete in.
Last season was the first season in his career where O'Sullivan didn't win a single event and he'll be looking to strike early in the 2011/22 season at one of his favourite hunting grounds.
Mark Selby: 13/2
The world number one and current World Champion, 38-year-old Selby brings a wealth of experience to his challenge here. He's a four-time World Champion and has won this event twice, in 2012 and lastly in 2016.
The Jester in Leicester recently made his 700th Career century and will be looking to improve on his performance in this seasons events - his best placed finish so far a quarter final loss in the Champion of Champions tournament. However, Selby tends to thrive in the longer frame formats and if he can make it to the later stages here he will be a real threat.
The outsiders:
Mark Allen: 25/1
Mark Allen is having a terrific start to the year having won his home tournament, the Northern Ireland Open, and was a runner up in the Championship League. He last reached the final here back in 2011, where he lost to Judd Trump.
He could go deep at this one if he can continue his form.
Mark Williams: 40/1
Welsh veteran and former three-time World Champion Williams is another player coming into this one in some sort of form. He won the British Open in Leicester back in August and will be looking to get to the second week at least here.
Ding Junhui: 40/1
Junhui is considered the most successful Asian player in the history of the sport and is another one who loves it in York. Ding has won this event three times (2005,2009 and most recently in 2019) and should be a threat again here.
He enters this tournament in poor form though and hasn't reached a semi final since he won this event back in 2019.