Northern Ireland Open predictions, snooker betting tips and odds: Back home hero

Free snooker tips, best bets and analysis for the Northern Ireland Open from the Waterfront Hall in Belfast.

Where to watch

Eurosport 1, from 12.30pm Sunday

Best bet

Mark Allen
1pt 16-1 Betfair, Power

Luca Brecel
1pt 50-1Hills

Tournament preview

Mark Allen lifted the Northern Ireland Open trophy in front of a jubilant home crowd at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast last year and the Antrim Ace looks set to make a strong defence of his title.

The Pistol put in some stirring performances to beat top-level operators Judd Trump, Stephen Maguire, Ricky Walden and John Higgins on the way to claiming the crown last term and if anything the path to glory looks more straightforward this time.

Trump and Higgins have been drawn in the same tough-looking quarter alongside Shaun Murphy, Stuart Bingham and Dave Gilbert, so at least one of those top potters will be out before the quarter-final stage, and a second section containing Neil Robertson, Ding Junhui, Barry Hawkins, Mark Selby and Jack Lisowski is sure to see some title contenders fall.

Allen takes on Chinese youngster Chang Bingyu in a held-over qualifier before a possible first-round contest against Chen Zifan. There’s very little quality opposition in the Pistol’s way until a potential third-round clash with Walden and the toughest possible quarter-final, in terms of rankings, would come against Kyren Wilson.

There was a lot to like about the Northern Irishman’s effort when he reached the final of the British Open earlier this month and the Antrim Ace looks good value to shine again.

Ronnie O’Sullivan holds strong claims from the fourth quarter, but that is reflected in the prices and at 50-1 Luca Brecel looks better value. The Belgian Bullet wasn’t the most consistent of performers in the early part of his career but in the last two seasons the 27-year-old has won the Championship League and Scottish Open, made the final of the UK Championship and built a strong CV.

Yan Bingtao and Zhao Xintong are taking plenty of the fourth-quarter market but those two potters have been in pretty poor form and Brecel looks a far better punting option.

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