It’s one of the most exclusive snooker tournaments of the year, and as Ally Pally transforms from the chaos that is the World Darts Championship, it’s time for something a little more serene, as the Masters rolls into town.
As an invite-only event, we get to sample the top 16 players in the world battling it out over the next week, meaning that every match is a cracker. There are no ranking points, but it does make up part of the elusive Triple Crown, which is legacy territory for the best players in the world.
News broke late on Friday night about Ronnie O’Sullivan’s withdrawal for medical reasons, and you can almost hear the tournament sponsors wince as interest will diminish as a result, such is the Rocket's lure. But from a Masters betting perspective, it only adds more spice to the mix. Let’s jump straight in.
2026 Masters Snooker Tip and Best Bets
With just hours before the opening match of the 2026 Masters kicks off, we’ve got three pre-tournament bets that are packed with value. Each of our picks has been compared across the best betting sites to find the biggest odds, which we’ve listed below.
| Market | Pick | Odds | Bookmaker |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tournament Winner | Neil Robertson | 9/2 | Betfred |
| To Reach the Final | Mark Selby | 5/2 | William Hill |
| Tournament 147 | No | 8/15 | William Hill |
*Odds correct at 11:10 GMT on 10/01/2026. Odds subject to change.
Bet 1: Tournament Winner – Neil Robertson
There’s no doubt that Ronnie O’Sullivan’s omission has opened up the tournament winner market. He carries so much clout, not just in terms of talent, but also volume of bets for casual fans, that markets can be skewed towards him.
There won’t be many people more pleased to hear the news that O’Sullivan is out than his due-to-be-first-round opponent, Neil Robertson. It was probably the tie of the opening round, and while he won’t publicly admit it, he’ll be doing cartwheels that he now gets to play Chris Wakelin instead of the seven-time world champion.
But let’s not take away from the fact that Robertson was a huge threat regardless of who he plays. This is the two-time Masters champion here, winning it as recently as 2022.
He’s in good form as well. In the last 12 months, he’s won the Saudi Arabia Masters, came runner-up in the Riyadh Season World Masters, and has made semi-final appearances in both the Champion of Champions and the UK Championship.
Robertson’s pre-tournament odds have been cut from 8/1 to 9/2 in a little over 24 hours, but as we’ve stated, that’s all relative. We’re backing him to make it a hat-trick of Masters wins this year, and we’re delighted to get on at 9/2.
Bet 2: To Reach the Final – Mark Selby
Sometimes in sports betting, you find markets that just scream value and Mark Selby at 5/2 with William Hill to make the final is exactly that.
We’re talking about the three-time Masters champion here and also the current holder of the UK Championship, beating none other than a certain Judd Trump in the final. He’s also beaten Trump in the Champion of Champions final, 10-5 no less, and he’s in good form heading into Ally Pally this week.
He’s got a tricky opening game against Xiao Guodong, but he’s a player that he’s got a good record against, winning 11 of their 16 meetings (68.75%).
For those looking to back Selby to go all the way this week, then Godspeed to you, my friends, as he’s good value at 9/2 with the best snooker betting sites. But we’re opting for a little bit of security here for him to make the final at a crazy price of 5/2.
Bet 3: No 147 Break
Let’s run through some numbers for a second here. There have only ever been six 147 breaks in the 52 editions of the Masters up to 2025. That’s just 11.76% based on the historical data.
It’s also worth noting that we’ve lost one of the best 147 potters the game has ever seen in Ronnie O’Sullivan, so that makes the chances of seeing one in 2026 less likely.
So, with all that in mind, seeing the 147 break market priced at 6/4 for yes (40% implied probability) is nothing short of bonkers. With only 16 players and a relatively short format throughout, there aren’t all that many chances to land a maximum, especially compared to tournaments like the World Championship.
Fair odds should be closer to 8/1, which makes 6/4 almost laughable. We’re happy to take the other side of the market, though at odds of 1/2 for no 147 to be scored. Granted, not a huge ROI here, but it’s a great bet to add into a double somewhere with either of Robertson to win or Selby to reach the final.
