Mosconi Cup Betting: Back Europe to beat Americans at their own game

Other / David Hendon / 10 December 2008 / Leave a Comment

Betting.Betfair snooker correspondent David Hendon follows Tony Drago on to the smaller tables as he picks the best bets at the Ryder Cup of pool - the Mosconi Cup which begins this weekend.

Nine ball pool is an American game but Europeans dominate at the moment and the five-strong team of Tony Drago, Mika Immonen, Ralf Souquet, Niels Feijen and Mark Gray should be backed to retain the Mosconi Cup in Malta this weekend.

It says a lot about the strength in depth in European pool that Darryl Peach, the reigning world 9-ball champion, and Darren Appleton, winner of the world 10-ball crown, were not even selected for the team. There is a thriving pool circuit on the continent with a large number of players capable of winning titles and the overall standard has been boosted by defections from snooker, a game which demands greater levels of all round skill.

Immonen is favourite at [3.75] to score the most points for Europe but it's worth remembering that just two years ago he was clearing up for victory, broke down and handed the Mosconi Cup to the Americans. He has impressed in several tournaments since but the mental scars may resurface in what is always a hotly contested, at times bad tempered event.

Drago was MVP last year but the former snooker ace is on home soil and that brings its own pressures to someone so highly strung. The man nicknamed 'Tornado Tony' will receive huge support but this may put him on edge to the extent that it affects his play. So Souquet at [4.0] may be a better bet in this market. He is a very solid player who has won back-to-back titles on the Euro Tour this year as well as the world 8-ball crown. The call him 'The Surgeon' and not for nothing: he's a good operator and the linchpin of the European side.

Shane Van Boening is trading at [3.75] to be the US team's top scorer. He is the best player in their side but was noticeably nervous in last year's Mosconi Cup. Pool, like snooker, is not usually a team game and the pressure of playing for your team-mates as well as yourself sometimes causes top stars to wilt. Rodney Morris, at [4.0], is a better bet and in useful form having played so much pool this year and as a veteran of several Mosconi Cups has experience on his side.

Earl Strickland, the Alex Higgins of US pool, is back again. Most people would not rate 'The Pearl' as one of the best five pool players in America on current form but his participation guarantees controversy by the bucketload. The man could have an argument in a phone box. He once told a bunch of British spectators who were cheering an opponent: "You suck and everyone in London sucks." Last year, he was described by Peach as "the scum of the earth" after a match between them that dripped with acrimony. Strickland can still play to a very high standard but his presence in the event is more likely to fire up the Europeans than give the Americans an edge.

As with the Ryder Cup, this annual pool clash can take a little time to heat up so it may not be a bad idea to back the USA at [2.5] to lead after the first day. As for correct score betting, I reckon 11-7 to Europe won't be too far away from the eventual result. That scoreline is currently [15.5].