Snooker
Masters: Mark Selby vs Ali Carter Odds, Tips and Prediction
Mark Selby and Ali Carter meet in the second triple crown tournament of the 2024/25 snooker season at the Masters. Selby enters the event as the fourth seed, with Carter the 12th seed. With the first-round matches played from Sunday through Wednesday, Selby and Carter will walk out onto the green baize on Monday night in a first to six frames encounter.
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Mark Selby of England//Getty Images
SportsBoom has provided a detailed preview of this meeting as we offer an in-depth analysis ahead of the year's biggest tournament.
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Match Details
Date: Monday 13th January
Start time: 7 pm local time
Venue: Alexandra Palace, London
Last Meeting: 17th January – 2024 World Grand Prix Last 16, Selby won 4-3
Pre-Game Odds and Win Probability
Selby Heavy Favourite
Mark Selby: 4/9 (1.44) – 69.2%
Ali Carter: 7/4 (2.75) – 36.4%
*Forecast Odds* - Check out 1Win for odds closer to event
Head-To-Head
The pair has been on the tour for over two decades and have played against each other 41 times. Four-time world champion Mark Selby has won 24 of those games and four of the last five meetings, with Carter winning 16.
Despite 41 meetings between the pair, they both have faced off at the famous Alexandra Palace once before. Carter edged out Selby 6-4 at the 2020 Masters in the first round before completing a run to the final.
Selby and Carter played three times in 2024, with two matches in Selby’s hometown of Leicester. Selby produced convincing 3-0 and 3-1 victories over “The Captain”, then edged him in a final frame decider at the 2024 World Grand Prix.
Last Five Matches
| Tournament | Stage | Score line |
| 2024 World Grand Prix | Last 16 | Mark Selby 4-3 Ali Carter |
| 2024 Championship League | Semi-Final Group 2 | Mark Selby 3-1 Ali Carter |
| 2024 Championship League | Group 2 | Mark Selby 3-0 Ali Carter |
| 2023 Champion of Champions | Last 16 | Ali Carter 4-3 Mark Selby |
| 2023 WST Classic | Semi-Final | Mark Selby 5-0 Ali Carter |
Player Career Timeline
Mark Selby
- Ranking Seed: 4
- Masters Champion: 2008, 2010 and 2013
Mark Selby arrives at the Masters playing in solid form after picking up another ranking title to his ever-improving snooker CV at the British Open. He came a whisker away from a second final of the 2024/25 season at the recent Snooker Shoot Out but is still battling away at the top end of the rankings after a difficult few years where he revealed his mental health struggles.
Despite not making the final in over a decade, Selby should never be ruled out of any tournament, especially at a triple crown event. The Jester from Leicester’s achievements are endless, but his mental willpower and perseverance in winning these tournaments put him alongside the greats.
Last 5 Ranking Tournament Runs:
- 2024 Snooker Shootout – Semi-finalist
- 2024 UK Championship – 1st Round
- 2024 International Championship – 3rd Round
- 2024 Northern Ireland Open – 1st Round
- 2024 British Open – Winner
Last 5 Masters Appearances:
- 2024 – Quarterfinalist
- 2023 – 1st Round
- 2022 – Quarterfinalist
- 2021 – 1st Round
- 2020 – 1st Round
Ali Carter
- Ranking Seed: 12
- Masters Best Result: Finalist – 2020 and 2024
Ali Carter returns to the Masters after reaching the final for the second time in a row, having come up short against Ronnie O’Sullivan. The six-time ranking event winner had four years away from the 16-player invitational but reached a second final after rising back inside the world’s top 16 elite.
With three of his four triple crown event defeats coming up against O’Sullivan, Carter is on the same half and could meet him in the semi-final. He has a challenging draw against Selby, but when the pair met in the first round in 2020, Carter won and had an inspired run to the final. Could the same occur for this edition?
Carter’s year this season has seen him lose at the first hurdle once, which arrived at the 2024 Northern Ireland Open. However, he ended a near 18-month drought between ranking titles to win the 2024 Championship League despite two defeats to Selby en route.
Last 5 Ranking Tournament Runs:
- 2024 Snooker Shootout – 3rd Round
- 2024 UK Championship – 2nd Round
- 2024 International Championship – 2nd Round
- 2024 Northern Ireland Open – 1st Round
- 2024 Wuhan Open – 3rd Round
Last 5 Masters Appearance Runs:
- 2024 – Finalist
- 2020 – Finalist
- 2018 – 1st Round
- 2017 – 1st Round
- 2015 – Quarterfinalist
Ali Carter//Getty Images
Value Bets
Total Frames – Under 9.5: SportsBoom predicts this matchup will be finished in under 9.5 frames. The last time both played each other in a best-of-11 frames contest was at the same tournament back in 2020. Though that game ended with ten total frames, three of their five most recent meetings saw incontestable victories for Selby.
Total Frames Even/Odd – Odd: Previous games relied heavily on the format being shorter games, but four of the last five games ended in an odd number; therefore, a repeat is likely to be on the cards that Monday evening.
Either Player to Win Successive Frames – Mark Selby: When Selby is out in front, it’s hard for players to put themselves back in contention. Selby’s dominant victories against Carter in recent memory mean a strong start inside the first mini-session could be replicated. Therefore, it could be a bridge too far for Carter despite boasting a 100% winning record over Selby in London.
Prediction: 6-3 Selby
SportsBoom predicts a 6-3 win for the Leicester-born star. Despite Carter producing the goods on the stage previously, Selby’s convincing wins earlier in the season provide the justification that he will win. Recently, the three-time Masters champion narrowly defeated Carter in matches, too, concluding that Carter will undoubtedly be up for the task. This all-English affair can potentially be one of the most interesting ties of the round, considering both have won ranking titles this season.
Henry Cheal is a versatile freelance sports journalist with extensive experience in the industry. Henry has previously worked at the 2024 World Snooker Championship and earned a Multimedia Sports Journalism degree from UCFB in 2023.
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