World Snooker Championship 2025 odds
The 2025 World Snooker Championship will be staged at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield from 19 April to 5 May. The Crucible Theatre has hosted this prestigious tournament since 1977, and nearly five decades later, it remains the spiritual home of snooker, drawing the attention of fans worldwide for this iconic 17-day showdown.
Who will win the Snooker World Championship 2025?
Snooker World Championship winner odds
The tournament will feature 32 of the world’s best players, including 16 who have come through the qualifying rounds to earn their spot among the elite. Sponsored by Halo, the event carries a total prize fund of £2,395,000, with the winner set to receive £500,000. So, who are the leading contenders? We assess the primary favourites according to the bookmakers.
Odds to win World Championship
World Snooker Championship 2024 Favourites
The British bookmakers believe that Judd Trump is the main favourite of the tournament. He won the World Snooker Championship in 2019. Now, he’s approaching this event holding 1st position in the world ranking.
His key rivals are believed to be Mark Selby and Ronnie O’Sullivan. Selby is a 4-time world champion, while Ronnie O’Sullivan won this trophy on 7 occasions. Current champion, Kyren Wilson, is supposed to have a good chance to get his second title in a row, too.
Below, you can find the detailed profiles of the top 5 contenders to win the 2025 World Snooker Championship.
Judd Trump
At 35, Judd Trump leads the world rankings by a significant margin, holding a gap of over 500,000 points ahead of second-placed Kyren Wilson. Trump is in superb form, playing with maturity and consistency. He tops the season’s list for century breaks with 93 and is on the verge of becoming the only player in history to record more than 100 centuries in two separate seasons. Having matched Neil Robertson’s 2019/20 achievement, he now stands on the brink of repeating that historic feat. Trump is second only to Ronnie O'Sullivan on the all-time list for career century breaks, with 1,073, and is steadily closing the gap.
He currently leads both the official world rankings and the season rankings. This season, he has captured titles at the Saudi Arabian Masters in Riyadh and the prestigious Shanghai Masters, and narrowly defeated Barry Hawkins 10–8 in the UK Championship final. His career haul includes 30 titles, featuring two UK Championships, two Masters crowns, and the 2019 World Championship, where he beat John Higgins 18–9 in the final. Since then, he has reached at least the quarter-finals in five of the last six editions, with the exception of 2023, when he suffered a surprise opening-round elimination to Anthony McGill, 10–6. Now fully focused and well-prepared, Trump looks set for another strong campaign at the Crucible Theatre, much to the anticipation of his global supporters.
Mark Selby
Now 41, Mark Selby is ranked fourth in the world, having previously held the number one spot for an extended period since first attaining it in 2011. With 24 ranking titles to his name, Selby ranks eighth on the list of the most successful players in the sport’s history. A four-time world champion, he belongs to a select group to have lifted the Crucible Theatre trophy more than once — only Ray Reardon, Steve Davis, Ronnie O'Sullivan, and Stephen Hendry have achieved it more often. This season, Selby has compiled 71 century breaks, placing him second for the campaign, and his career total now stands at 892 — among the top five all-time.
He has reached four finals this season, winning three: the Championship League, the British Open, and the Welsh Open, while narrowly losing the Tour Championship final to John Higgins 10–8. It’s been a strong season for Selby, who rightly enters the Crucible Theatre as a top contender. After claiming his fourth world title in 2021 by defeating Shaun Murphy 18–15, he has progressed beyond the second round only once since. In 2023, he reached the final but was beaten 18–15 by Luca Brecel. In 2022, he lost 13–10 in round two to the now-suspended Yan Bingtao, and last year suffered a first-round elimination at the hands of Joe O'Connor, 10–6.
Ronnie O'Sullivan
Despite a relatively quiet campaign and withdrawing from several recent tournaments, Ronnie O'Sullivan remains one of the front-runners. He holds virtually every significant record in the sport: 1,282 career century breaks, 15 maximum 147s, and 41 ranking titles — including seven World Championships. Victory this year would see O'Sullivan break clear of Stephen Hendry with a record eighth world title. However, his prospects appear uncertain. He last competed at the UK Championship and has since pulled out of every event, including the Masters.
Nevertheless, it would not be the first time O'Sullivan has surprised the snooker world. After winning in 2012, he took the following season off, only to return and win again, defeating Barry Hawkins in the final — a testament to his unparalleled natural ability and mental resilience. In 2022, he beat Judd Trump 18–13 in the final, but in the past two editions, he has been eliminated at the quarter-final stage — losing 13–10 to Luca Brecel in 2023 and to Stuart Bingham in 2024. While not in peak form, O'Sullivan remains the one player capable of capturing the title without recent match play.
Kyren Wilson
At 33, Kyren Wilson is the reigning world champion and currently ranked second globally. Since lifting the title at the Crucible Theatre last year, Wilson has claimed four ranking titles this season — more than any other player. He has triumphed at the Grand Prix in Xi’an, the Northern Ireland Open, the German Masters, and the World Grand Prix. Notably, Wilson overcame Judd Trump in three of those four finals, a significant shift for a player who had long played in Trump’s shadow. Now, he is asserting himself as one of the sport’s key figures. His break-building has also improved markedly. This season, Wilson surpassed 500 career century breaks, placing him 14th on the all-time list. Still in his prime, he has plenty of time to enhance his legacy further.
Attention will inevitably turn to whether Wilson can break the so-called “Crucible Curse” — no first-time world champion has successfully defended their title the following year. The closest were Joe Johnson in 1987 and Ken Doherty in 1998, both of whom lost in the final. In fact, many have failed to make it beyond the first round the year after their maiden triumph. Much will depend on the draw and who Wilson faces in the opener. Still, Wilson is showing such poise and control that he poses a threat in any scenario, especially when trailing.
John Higgins
Another stalwart from the famed Class of ’92, John Higgins is currently ranked third in the world. He reached the summit after each of his four World Championship victories — in 1998, 2007, 2009, and 2011. He also contested three consecutive finals from 2017 to 2019, though he lost all three — to Mark Selby, Mark Williams, and Judd Trump respectively. This season, Higgins has captured two titles: the World Open, where he beat Joe O'Connor 10–6, and the Tour Championship, where he edged Mark Selby 10–8. The latter was held just ahead of the Crucible Theatre campaign, which could either help or hinder him. On the positive side, Higgins is clearly in good form, and the Tour Championship marked his 33rd career title — placing him third on the all-time list.
However, the so-called “China Open curse” looms large — the player winning the final tournament before the World Snooker Championship has often struggled in Sheffield. Only Mark Selby managed to win both in 2017. Higgins shares many strengths with Selby — both excel in long formats and are masters of safety play and tactical control. Higgins, in particular, is renowned for his composure under pressure and ability to dictate the pace of a match. Now nearing 50, Higgins continues to deliver top-level performances and could benefit from a favourable draw. If he maintains current form, a deep run is certainly possible.
According to analysts and betting markets, Judd Trump, Kyren Wilson, and Mark Selby are the standout favourites to capture the 2025 World Snooker Championship. These players have proven their ability to thrive on the sport’s biggest stage. Yet the Crucible Theatre always carries an element of unpredictability — history shows that a dark horse can emerge, find top form over 17 days, and claim snooker’s ultimate prize.
Read more:
Tottenham
Nottingham Forest
Al-Hilal
Al-Shabab Riyadh
Al-Ittihad
Al-Ettifaq
Girona
Real Betis
Manchester City
Aston Villa
