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Snooker Betting Market Focus: Player to score the highest break

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Paul Krishnamurty recommends a favourite and two outsiders in what can be an unpredictable market

This is probably the most open market of the event, with all 32 players theoretically holding a chance. Whereas at least half that number can be confidently written off as potential world champions, everyone is capable of producing one, very big break. After all, they knock in tons for fun in practice.

Nevertheless, the players who progress to the latter stages, therefore playing many more dozens of frames than the first round losers hold an obvious advantage which is clearly evident from past results. There have been three surprise winners of the high break prize in the last decade - Joe Perry, Ali Carter and Joe Swail. Unlikely as they may have been pre-tournament, all reached at least the quarter-finals. And besides them, the other winners were extremely obvious. Since 1980, Steve Davis won it four times, Ronnie O'Sullivan and Jimmy White three apiece, John Higgins and Matthew Stevens twice each.

Though I could never take the short odds about O'Sullivan winning matches or tournaments, he does looks a strong favourite in this market, and very fair value at around [6.0]. Whatever his temperamental frailties and general unreliability, he has always been a relentlessly consistent centurion. As the aforementioned preview of the 147 shows, its only a [2.8] chance that a maximum is the tournament high break. And the Rocket is the undisputed king here, with eight official 147 breaks in tournament play, two this season and one incredibly in the deciding frame of a semi-final. With what appears to be an easy route to the semis, O'Sullivan looks certain to play a large number of frames and therefore have many opportunities to get his third maximum of the year.

As big-priced alternatives to the favourite, I also like the look of Mark Allen at [36.0], and Stuart Bingham at [80.0]. This pair of qualifiers are both heavy-scorers at their best, and both could very plausibly get a run going from their draws. Youngster Allen already has a number of Crucible centuries to his name, and won't fear Stephen Hendry in his opening match or indeed anyone he's scheduled to meet in his quarter. Bingham looks a good thing to knock out his seeded opponent Steve Davis in the opener, and with a very winnable second-round match scheduled, he has an excellent chance of making the quarters at least.