*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widget, while in-copy odds are accurate at time of publication but subject to change
The Masters continues at The Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes this Thursday, with the first two-quarter finals taking place. Paddy Power TV’s Graham Temple previews the action and believes there’s a profit to be had by betting on both matches to be tight.
1.00pm – Dave Gilbert v Kyren Wilson
First up Dave Gilbert takes on Kyren Wilson. Both players played well for easy wins in the first round and I expect this to be a hard-fought battle. It was nice to see Gilbert rekindle some of the sparkle he showed when reaching the semi-finals of the World Championship in 2019 and this certainly won’t be an easy task for Wilson.
The Warrior usually only comes unstuck against the very elite in the game and he will be confident of booking his place in the semi-final. He needs to make sure he doesn’t take Gilbert lightly though as the Derby cueist was very clinical against an out-of-sorts Joe Perry in the first round and will relish this challenge against Wilson.
Wilson leads Gilbert 4-3 on the head-to-head stats. They played in the German Masters final in 2019 with Wilson coming from behind to win 9-7, but Gilbert then knocked Wilson out of the World Championship at the quarter-final stage that same season. It all points to a close game and we reckon Wilson can come out on top 6-4 or 6-5.
Top Tip: Over 9.5 frames
OUTRIGHT BETTING: Snooker tips for 2021: 15/2 play is our best bet for the World Championship
7.00pm – Stuart Bingham v Shaun Murphy
Defending Champion Stuart Bingham takes on Shaun Murphy in the evening session and this is another match that we expect to be very close. Murphy potted for fun and deserved his win over Mark Williams in the first round. His break building is faultless, but we feel he lacks a killer instinct. Meanwhile, Bingham nearly chucked away his match against Thepchaia Un Nooh by going for a 147 when leading 5-1 & subsequently only falling over the line 6-4 in that match. Bingham’s trouble is that he is prone to miss the odd easy pot at a crucial stage.
This match should be brilliant entertainment and again we expect it to be a close nervy affair. They haven’t met too often in recent years, with Bingham beating Murphy 9-8 in the semi-finals of the 2016 China Open and Murphy beating Bingham 10-9 in the final of the Grand Prix the same year. Both players would have expected to meet Selby or Robertson in the semi-final and the fact that both are now out will add to the tension as these lads will be confident of winning through to the final should they win this game.
It all points to a final frame shoot out and if you fancy either player to win then we wouldn’t put you off a correct score of 6-5 either way. At a push, we’ll side with Murphy.
Top Tip: Over 9.5 frames
*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widget, while in-copy odds are accurate at time of publication but subject to change
Masters tips for Thursday
1.00pm – Dave Gilbert v Kyren Wilson: Over 9.5 frames
7.00pm – Stuart Bingham v Shaun Murphy: Over 9.5 frames
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