World Snooker Championship 2025 Qualification Concludes: Top Betting Strategies for Underdogs
Hitting the Green Baize: 2025 Snooker World Championship Special
Written by Tommy 'Nosey' ParkerLast Updated: 29.05.2025
The 2025 Snooker World Championship begins this weekend!16 players have booked their tickets to the Crucible through tough qualificationsGrab the best betting tips for the underdogs
Who's Made It to the tables at the Crucible?
The 2025 Snooker World Championship is just a few days away. The top 16 players in the WST World Ranking [Link in English] have already secured their spots in the tournament through their rankings.
16 others have battled through the qualifiers and conquered their tickets to this year's Snooker World Championship field.
Here are the 16 players who qualified:
- Zak Surety (73)
- Chris Wakelin (20)
- Daniel Wells (49)
- David Gilbert (23)
- Zhao Xintong
- Zhou Yuelong (32)
- Ryan Day (36)
- Ben Woollaston (44)
- Matthew Selt (34)
- Pang Junxu (27)
- Ali Carter (18)
- Lei Peifan (39)
- Wu Yize (22)
- Fan Zhengyi (46)
- Hossein Vafaei (24)
- Joe O'Connor (30)
Even though these players are qualifiers, some could have a real shot at wearing the trophy. Last year, Jak Jones, a qualifier, reached the final of the 2024 Snooker World Championship.
While Judd Trump, Mark Selby, and Ronnie O'Sullivan are among the bookies' front-runners, let's take a look at the underdogs who could shake things up in sports betting.
Zhao Xintong: The Rising Dragon
Zhao Xintong, 28, is definitely worth keeping an eye on as the Championship approaches. Zhao is known to many as one of China's brightest snooker prospects. However, he was hit hard by a 20-month ban due to his involvement in a match-fixing scandal** [Link in English].
Post-ban, he has been making waves with impressive performances. As an amateur, he faced the qualifier rounds from the start. He knocked it out of the park with stunning performances: He made four century breaks in his first clash against Ka Wai Cheung, 26.
He continued by defeating Long Zehuang, Lyu Haotian, and Elliot Slessor [Video in English].
Video: Zhao Xintong's Road to the CrucibleWelcome back to the Crucible, Zhao! After passing every round of the World Championship qualification, he clinched his return with a nail-biting 10:8 victory over Elliot Slessor.
Zhao Xintong's Impressive Qualifier Matches [Video]
As the tournament approaches, Zhao is expected to be one of the toughest challengers for the seeded players. Currently, betting markets offer a quote of 12.00 for Zhao to win it all.
David Gilbert: The 2024 Semi-Finalist
David Gilbert, 43, also secured his place in the 2025 Snooker World Championship. Gilbert is no stranger to snooker fans, given his impressive run in last year's competition.
Gilbert has been somewhat quiet this season, failing to make it to the finals of any major tournaments. His qualification process went smoothly. Due to his world ranking, Gilbert only needed to win two matches to secure his spot.
Gilbert scored a 10:6 victory over the young Gong Chenzhi, 18, and later defeated Aaron Hill. The game went down to the wire, with a decider at 9:9, which Gilbert clinched.
Bookies aren't too optimistic about Gilbert's chances of winning. Gilbert's current odds stand at 50.00.
Notable Absentees: The Winners the Crucible Missed
While players like Zhao and Gilbert have secured their seats at the Crucible, some stalwart players have missed out on the tournament this year.
Jack Lisowski, Gary Wilson, Stuart Bingham, among others, won't be attending due to various reasons, including Lisowski's shocking defeat to Zak Surety in the third round and Wilson's loss to Daniel Wells in the fourth round.
Other notable absentees include Jackson Page, 23, and Jimmy Robertson, 38, who simply failed to qualifiy.
Joe O'Connor: The Bright Spark
Joe O'Connor, 29, is also ready for the Crucible. He defeated young sensation Iulian Boiko, 19, in the third round and hammered Jackson Page yesterday.
O'Connor is a promising talent waiting to blossom. In the 2024/2025 season, he reached the final of the World Open but lost to John Higgins.
Last year, O'Connor pulled off a major upset by defeating four-time champion Mark Selby in the first round of the 2024 Snooker World Championship. Betting enthusiasts can currently place a wager on O'Connor with odds of 33.00 to win it all.
Another Qualifier in the Final?
The Crucible will see some strong qualifiers this year, providing sports bettors the opportunity to back a dark horse. Maybe another qualifier will make it to the final!
Stay tuned for continued coverage of the 2025 Snooker World Championship from the news team at OnlineCasinosDeutschland.com.
- What are some underdogs in sports betting for the 2025 Snooker World Championship?
- Zhao Xintong and Joe O'Connor could have a real shot at winning, as both are among the qualifiers who have shown impressive performances.
