Saudi Arabia Masters outright predictions and snooker betting tips: Zhang can land Riyadh riches

Where to watch the Saudi Arabia Masters

Eurosport 1, midday Friday

Best bets for the Saudi Arabia Masters

Zhang Anda
1pt each-way 50-1 general

Barry Hawkins
1pt each-way 28-1 bet365, BoyleSports, Hills 

Saudi Arabia Masters predictions

The inaugural Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters begins on Friday afternoon with 144 cuemen heading to Riyadh in a bid to land a share of the bumper £2 million prize pool. 

It’s a convoluted format with the world’s top 16 players set to enter the fray at the last-32 stage, and given that the early rounds are contested over the best of seven frames, it’s difficult to look beyond the potters who will be joining the party in the latter stages.

Ronnie O’Sullivan, Zhang Anda, Tom Ford and Luca Brecel are the seeded players in the second quarter of the draw and it’s no surprise to see the Rocket at the top of the outright betting. However, at 50-1, Zhang could offer better value. 

The Chinese cueman enjoyed the most productive campaign of his career last season, winning the International Championship and making the final of the Players Championship and English Open. 

And there is no reason to think Mighty Mouse has reached the ceiling of his ability just yet, even if he was beaten in the first round of the recent Xi’an Grand Prix. If Guangdong native Zhang can find a way past O’Sullivan, the draw could open up nicely for the 32-year-old. 

Judd Trump has been handed a kind draw in quarter three, but the 10-3 on offer about the Ace doesn’t hold a great deal of value and Barry Hawkins could progress from the bottom half of the draw. 

The Hawk, who is housed in the fourth section alongside Mark Allen, Shaun Murphy and Ali Carter, showed enough last season and in this month's Xi’an Grand Prix to suggest he retains plenty of his ability and there is little doubt that a near-peak Hawkins would be a major threat in Riyadh. 

The Kent cueman beat Ryan Day and Mark Allen in China a couple of weeks ago, and if it wasn’t for a major slice of bad luck in his quarter-final against Daniel Wells, the 45-year-old may have had a good crack at winning the Xi’an title. 

The 28-1 on offer about the Hawk swooping in to land the spoils in Saudi Arabia looks worthy of each-way interest.  

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