European Masters snooker odds
2022 European Masters
The European Masters as a tournament represents a turning point for the whole game of snooker. This turning point presents itself through the fact that European Masters (more correctly the European Open) is the first ranking snooker tournament played on the European soil. The first ball was played in Deauville, France in 1989, that marked the starting point of the new chapter for international snooker. Snooker is without a doubt most viewed billiard game in the world since snooker is available to watch for everyone in the world. The start of everything was the European Masters.
The most ironic thing in this year’s edition of European Masters is that it will not be played in Europe. It will be played in Milton Keynes instead, because of Covid. The date is set for the 21st to 27th of February in Marshall Arena. The champion will gain £80000 while the total prize fund amounts to £407000.
Favorites
Without a doubt, the first player that comes to mind is Judd Trump, the absolute dominant force of todays snooker. To be fair he is not really at his best in the time of writing this article, but the players know, fans know, and he knows that he is the best player in the world at his best. He was the world Number 1 for the least 2 years, more correctly up until November when Mark Selby jumped him due to better form. Judd is surely on the hunt to retake what belongs to him. Other players are knocking on the door and waiting for him to lose his touch, that’s why he needs to pick up his current form. This season he didn’t win a single ranking tournament, but he did win the Champion of Champions non-ranking event proving he is still among the best.
The Thunder from Down-Under as they call him holds 5 Triple-Crown titles winning all of them at least once. This season Neil Robertson has one final where he lost to Ronnie O’Sullivan in a shocking ending where he lost his lead in the last few frames when it all looked set and done. In the European Masters he is looking for his 22nd career ranking title. This achievement would put him tied in the 6th place on the all-time list with Judd Trump.
Ronnie O’Sullivan – does he even need introducing at this point? The Rocket Ronnie O’Sullivan is the most controversial, most talented, most popular, craziest, and ultimately the best snooker player that ever graced the game. Time and again showing what he is made of. Even though he likes to say he is too old to do it at the highest level he still wins tournaments, and he is still the favorite to beat anyone on the snooker table. At the time of writing this article Ronnie is the last weeks World Grand Prix winner in Coventry, beating Neil Robertson in the final after trailing 7-5 and climbing back to win it 10-8.
Next in line to take home the European Masters trophy is the “Jester from Leicester” – Mark Selby. How could anyone think differently when he is almost synonymous with the world Number One epithet in the last decade. Selby held that honor on 8 different occasions from 2011, and he also held it for four years from 2015 to 2019, when Judd Trump ended his run.
Someone who also likes to point out that he is too old but continuously ends up in finals of the biggest events is John Higgins. This season he was in four finals already, losing all of them, but surely proving to everyone that he is still among the best. With some luck we’re sure the four-time world champion will get his 32nd ranking title eventually. Maybe even here, on the European Masters.