2025 Champion of Champions snooker betting tips: Murphy the creme of the crop?

One of the most enjoyable stops on the professional snooker circuit, this year's Champion of Champions invitational takes place at a new home of the Mattioli Arena in Leicester between Monday 10 to Sunday 16 November. 

An annual fixture since 2013, the Champions of Champions brings together players who have won titles on the snooker scene from across the past 12 months. 

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2025 Champions of Champions: The format

In its current guise, the tournament features 16 players, and this year all the contestants are reigning champions - organisers didn't need to top-up the field from the ranking list. 

The entire competition is played on just one table, adding to the prestige with all participants being the centre of attention. 

The format is straight knockout although you may hear people refer to the opening stages as 'groups'. What this really means is that sections of the draw will be completed across the first four days. 

It leaves two round one fixtures taking place in the afternoon and then the winners of those ties coming back that evening to face each other in what is essentially a quarter-final. 

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These four 'daily winners' all return at the end of the week for the semi-finals held on Friday and Saturday nights, and then the two-session final is played across afternoon and evening sessions on Sunday. 

First round matches are quite brutal at this level - only the best of seven frames with no interval - but the quarter and semi-finals rise to the best of 11, and the final is best of 19. 

A star-studded line-up is set for the ITV4 cameras, although record four-time champion Ronnie O'Sullivan, who featured in our 2024 biggest bookies upsets, won't feature, having not won a top-flight event since March last year.

Trump the favourite but showman Murphy can strut stuff on big stage

This has been one of the most unpredictable and open starts to a snooker season, ever. From nine events there have been nine different winners, and 17 of the 18 finalists have been unique, too. Only Shaun Murphy has made it to multiple finals.

Judd Trump is favourite for the 2025 Champion of Champions title, but the world number one hasn’t won a title since last December, and something still seems to be missing from his game despite making the Belfast final last month. 

Trump – who has been getting used to a new cue - has reached four of the last six CofC finals (winner in 2021) and he plays world women's champion Bai Yulu on day one.

Bai crafted a 145 at the recent International Championship - the highest break ever made by a woman in professional competition - but Trump should get past her to set up a meeting with either Murphy or Lei Peifan.

Lei was a big surprise winner of the Scottish Open and is making his debut here, but 2017 Champion of Champions Murphy is expected to win that tie and meet Trump in a blockbuster on Monday evening.

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Murphy has enjoyed red-hot spells in 2025. He was magic at the start of the year in winning The Masters and claimed the last event in front of the ITV cameras at the British Open in September before a run to the final of the Xi'an Grand Prix.

On his way to the British title Murphy eliminated Trump, and there is no reason why he can't defeat him again here, and in fact go all the way at the Mattioli and pocket the £150,000 top prize.

The winner of Monday’s ‘group’ will face the last cueist standing from Tuesday’s programme in the final four.

This quartet features world number two Kyren Wilson against newly-minted Northern Ireland Open champion Jack Lisowski, and English Open winner Mark Allen up against reigning world champion Zhao Xintong. 

Wilson, Lisowski and Allen have all won titles in recent months but have had sketchy seasons overall, although Lisowski - on debut here - will be high on confidence. 

Zhao has had a disappointing start to life wearing the world crown, but he did make the last four in Nanjing last week at the International Championship. 

A refreshed Allen, who wasn't in China last week having failed to qualify, would be my pick for this very open section, although I would make Murphy favourite against any of them in the semis.

Pick: Shaun Murphy to win the 2025 Champion of Champions: 8/1 - (Betfred, Ladbrokes, Betway, Coral)

Pick: Shaun Murphy to win his group/quarter: 15/8 - Betway

Robertson the pick of the bunch in the top half

In the top half of the draw, defending champion Mark Williams returns to action for the first time since winning in Xi'an early last month. 

After a break, then illness, Williams might be a little bit rusty, but he should see off world seniors champion Alfie Burden who is currently off the professional tour.

The other tie in this very experienced top quarter is Mark Selby versus Stephen Maguire in a repeat of the Welsh Open final earlier this year.  

The final section to be completed will be on Thursday, and it features another player who will be a fancied name for the title; Neil Robertson. 

The Australian has won this crown twice before (2015, 2019) and came through his 'group' six times from his 11 appearances. 

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It has been a career-rejuvenating spell over the past 15 months for Robertson who has zipped back up to world number three after claiming a trio of ranking titles.

Robertson meets Shoot Out champion Tom Ford - who is playing on home soil in Leicester - first up, and should he navigate him, he'd play either John Higgins or Xiao Guodong. 

Higgins - who is now 50 but won two titles back in the spring - lost to Wu Yize in the final of the International Championship in the Far East on Sunday, and I'm not sure how that defeat and quick turnaround will affect him. 

Xiao is one of the most improved and consistent cueists on the circuit since the start of last season and went all the way to the final of this event last year on his maiden appearance before being denied the trophy by Williams.

Pick: Neil Robertson to win the 2025 Champion of Champions: 13/2 - (Betfred, Ladbrokes, Betway, Coral)

Pick: Neil Robertson to win his group/quarter: 13/10 - Betway

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Odds correct at the time of writing.