Betfair Masters Snooker Tips Day Five: Consistent Murphy a must-bet

17Jan 2013

Betfair

We're down to the last eight at Ally Pally, where Paul Krishnamurty argues that Shaun 'The Magician' Murphy can live up to his nickname against John Higgins...

As if a spate of final frame deciders and memorable comebacks isn't enough, snooker fans could be in for a further treat today with two match-ups of the highest class.

It would be easy to construct a case for any of this world-class quartet to win either this match or the title but under the circumstances, the best betting sense may lie in backing one of the outsiders, so Shaun Murphy gets the nod for tonight's contest with John Higgins.

Very few players - if any - have been cueing better in recent months than the ultra-consistent Murphy, even if he has developed a frustrating habit of underperforming in major finals. That won't be an issue tonight. Murphy put up a scintillating performance at this stage 12 months ago to knock out tournament favourite Mark Selby and at 2.54 represents fair value to repeat the trick.

Shaun wasn't particularly convincing in his 6-4 first round defeat of Ricky Walden, but nonetheless cued pretty well and may have been caught napping at 4-1 up. The way he nearly catastrophically threw away the tenth and final frame will hopefully serve as a wake-up call and ensure better focus.

There's no sense in trying to manufacture an argument against the legendary Higgins, except to say that he is no less beatable than the other top stars in these competitive times. Everyone has a correct price and you'll struggle to make long-term profit backing 1.64 chances in these elite matches. For that reason, I'm happy to be with the outsider.