Snooker
Scottish Open: Ronnie O’Sullivan vs Xing Zihao Odds, Tips and Prediction
Ronnie O’Sullivan and Xing Zihao will face off for the first time in the first round at the Scottish Open. O’Sullivan will be looking to bounce back from a shock first-round exit to Barry Hawkins at the UK Championship to kick start his 2024/25 season. SportsBoom has provided a thorough preview of this matchup as both players will contest in Edinburgh on the 10th of December at 7 pm. Don’t forget to explore the various snooker betting sportsbooks and betting platforms to place your bets and potentially win big.
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Ronnie O'Sullivan of England//Getty Images
Match Details: Ronnie O’Sullivan vs Xing Zihao
Date: Tuesday 10th December
Start time: 7 pm local time
Venue: Meadowbank Sports Centre, Edinburgh, Scotland
Last meeting: N/A
Pre-Game Odds and Win Probability
Ronnie O’Sullivan the clear favourite to win.
Ronnie O’Sullivan: 1/4 (1.25) – 80.0%
Xing Zihao: 7/2 (4.50) – 20.0%
Forecast Odds*
Player Career Timeline
Ronnie O’Sullivan
Current Ranking: 4
Ronnie O’Sullivan’s 2024/2025 season thus far hasn’t gone the way he had opened after an impressive previous campaign where the seven-time champion of the world won five ranking titles and the Masters.
Despite this widely being considered a great season for anyone, the 48-year-old acknowledged his game is slowly declining.
After revealing this to SportsBoom, he was knocked out at the first hurdle in the English Open and UK Championship but won only one game at the International Championship against He Guoqiang.
While things may seem difficult, the 23-time Triple Crown winner should never be overlooked due to his longevity and long list of accolades. O’Sullivan arrives in Scotland aiming to add a third title to his portfolio after winning the event previously in 1998 and 2000.
Last 5 Ranking Tournament Runs:
- 2024 UK Championship – 1nd Round
- 2024 International Championship – 2nd Round
- 2024 English Open – 2nd Round
- 2024 Saudi Arabia Masters – Quarterfinalist
- 2024 Xi’an Grand Prix – Semi-finalist
Last 5 Ranking Tournament Wins:
- 2024 World Grand Prix
- 2023 UK Championship
- 2022 World Snooker Championship
- 2021 World Grand Prix
- 2020 World Snooker Championship
Xing Zihao
Current Ranking: 77
Xing Zihao enters his second year on the tour after winning a place on the snooker circuit after qualifying from the CBSA qualifying events.
The 20-year-old is among the youngest on the tour and has played in multiple events since claiming the elusive tour card.
Perhaps more famous for his wins against Jimmy White in the 2023 UK Championship and 2024 World Championship qualifies, the unafraid Chinese star has shown he can deliever against some of the sport’s best.
This season, he has played in only three events, the furthest run arriving at the third round at the Saudi Arabia Masters, but the more tournament practice he gets, the more he can show the tour his true capabilities.
At his first Scottish Open appearance this time last year, he fought hard against the then-defending champion Gary Wilson and forced the affair into a last-frame decider. Still, an inspired Wilson defended the title trophy after holding his nerve from that match.
Last 5 Ranking Tournament Runs:
- 2024 Wuhan Open – 1nd Round
- 2024 Saudi Arabia Masters – 3rd Round
- 2024 Championship League – Round Robin
- 2023 German Masters – 1st Round
- 2023 Scottish Open – 1st Round
Xing Zihao of China//Getty Images
Value Bets
Either Player to Win Successive Frames – Ronnie O’Sullivan: O'Sullivan arrives in Edinburgh as the favourite to win this match despite a troubling spell in form. Winning back-to-back frames in a best-of-seven contest builds strong momentum, and SportsBoom selects O’Sullivan to complete this feat.
Centuries Betting – Ronnie O’Sullivan to hit at least 1: O’Sullivan’s prolific break-building is one of the best attributes of his game, arguably the best. Despite an early exit at the UK Championship in York in November, he strung together century breaks of 128 and 114.
Total Frames – Under 6.5: It is unclear which O’Sullivan could turn up in this tournament. As covered previously, his lack of form in recent months is evident, but keeping match sharpness is crucial before the next Triple Crown event at The Masters. He can progress through matches even when his game isn’t at his best – a sign of a true champion.
Prediction: 4-2 O’Sullivan
Zihao has his work cut out and takes on arguably the most formidable opponent of his short career so far, but he shouldn’t be ruled out altogether because of this factor. The snooker world, and O’Sullivan himself, knows that the 20-year-old will turn up confidently, thinking he can win and cause an upset.
It’s hard to find patterns due to the lack of previous matches to compare, but SportsBoom predicts that O’Sullivan will win in Scotland, winning 4-2 despite a noticeable drop in form.
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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