Northern Ireland Open Tips, Odds, Predictions & Snooker Preview
The Northern Ireland Open first broke onto the scene in 2016, set against the backdrop of Belfast’s Titanic Exhibition Centre. Mark King claimed that maiden title, edging Barry Hawkins 9–8 in a tense final to lift his first ranking trophy.
Winners here take home the Alex Higgins Trophy — named for the two-time world champion who passed in 2010 — a fitting nod to Northern Ireland’s own “Hurricane.”
Kyren Wilson arrives as defending champion, having toppled Judd Trump 9–3 in last year’s final — a statement win in every sense.
Northern Ireland Open Tips
I've got two outright betting tips for the Northern Ireland Open as part of my overall tournament preview, exclusive here at Free Bets ahead of the event.
Tip 1: Judd Trump to reach the Final at 13/5 with bet365
Things have to get working for Judd Trump at some point in these ranking events.
The “Ace in the Pack” isn’t exactly playing badly, just coming off on the wrong end of the odd result where he’d usually put his opponent to the sword.
He has happy memories at this event winning it four times and won’t fear the form of anyone in the bottom half of the draw.
These shorter race-to-four frames in the early rounds are known to trip the best players up, but Trump doesn’t usually go this long without making a tilt for a title.
Tip 2: Shaun Murphy to win his Quarter at 9/4 with bet365
Shaun Murphy has reached the last two ranking event finals, winning the British and finishing runner-up in Xi’an.
This form doesn’t look like slowing down any time soon, and he’ll have his sights set on a potential last 16 clash with world champion Zhao Xintong.
Other than that, you’ve got to fancy the “Magician” as the favourite going into most of these early round matches in Belfast, as the 43-year-old stalks his 14th ranking title.
Fast forward to 2025, and the tournament marks its tenth straight year.
It stands as the seventh ranking event of the 2025–26 season — nestled between the Xi’an Grand Prix and the International Championship — and serves as the second leg of the Home Nations Series, following the English Open and leading into the Scottish and Welsh Opens.
Northern Ireland Open Odds
Ahead of the start, here's a look at what the best betting sites think and the latest outright winner odds for the leading contenders.
| Player | Northern Ireland Open Odds |
| Judd Trump | 5/1 |
| Zhao Xintong | 7/1 |
| Mark Selby | 15/2 |
| Shaun Murphy | 8/1 |
| Kyren Wilson | 8/1 |
| Neil Robertson | 10/1 |
| Mark Allen | 12/1 |
| John Higgins | 16/1 |
| Rest | 20/1+ |
*Odds correct at time of writing, 3:00pm on Friday October 17 & are the best price available at time of writing.
Northern Ireland Open Tournament Format
The tournament follows the tiered format first seen in the Home Nations Series back in the 2024–25 season. It starts with players seeded 65 to 96 taking on those ranked 97 and below — a few hand-picked amateurs in the mix, too.
The winners from that opening round move on to face players seeded 33 to 64. From there, whoever comes through meets the top 32 seeds in the last-64 stage.
Every match up to the quarter-finals is a best-of-seven. The quarters stretch to nine, the semis to eleven, and the final — a two-session showdown — goes the distance at best-of-seventeen.
Mark Williams pulled out before the main stage, and Marco Fu had to withdraw with an injury. Their opponents, Long Zehuang and Tom Ford, went straight through to the last 32.
Rounds
- 1st Round: Best of 7 frames
- 2nd Round: Best of 7 frames
- 3rd Round: Best of 7 frames
- Quarter-finals: Best of 9 frames
- Semi-finals: Best of 11 frames
- Final: Best of 17 frames
Prize Money
- Winner: £100,000
- Runner-up: £45,000
- Semi-final: £21,000
- Quarter-final: £13,200
- Last 16: £9,000
- Last 32: £5,400
- Last 64: £3,600
- Last 96: £1,000
- Highest break: £5,000
- Total: £550,400
Northern Ireland Open Top Seeds & Contenders
You've got our snooker tips already, but who are the top seeds coming into this event? The big four, and a bit about their chances, can all be found below.
Kyren Wilson (1)
After swooping to four ranking titles last season, things are slowing down slightly for the “Warrior” Kyren Wilson.
He, like other top seeds, has been eliminated early in recent ranking tournaments, notably falling in the first round at the Wuhan, English and British Opens.
He arrives in Belfast as the reigning Northern Ireland Open champion from 2024 and will be looking to put his recent barren form to one side.
Zhao Xintong (2)
Chinese superstar and reigning world champion Zhao Xintong has struggled so far this season, which probably isn’t a surprise considering the demands put on him since he became the first player from China to win the big one at the Crucible.
The 28-year-old has failed to reach a ranking quarter-final since achieving this feat back in the spring, falling early at the Saudi Arabia Masters and even earlier in Wuhan, at the English and British Opens and most recently in Xi’an.
He’s seeded second here and foots up the draw bracket, but with sharks circling looking to take the scalp of the world champion he may struggle again this week in Belfast.
Judd Trump (3)
Much like Xintong, Judd Trump — the world number one — has struggled to get going in the ranking events this season.
He’s not made a dent so far in five attempts, and most recently fell in the opening round of the Xi’an Grand Prix to world number 48 Matthew Stevens.
But Trump doesn’t always need form to turn up for these events.
He has won four of the last seven Northern Ireland Open titles, reaching the final in a losing effort last season to Kyren Wilson.
Neil Robertson (4)
After running to the title at the Saudi Arabia Masters, Neil Robertson hasn’t made it past another ranking title second round.
But it’s not all doom and gloom for the “Thunder from Down Under”.
Robertson is back up to number three in the world rankings and looking best to his near best after a couple of seasons in the shadows.
He’s in a pretty tasty segment of the draw, aided by the withdrawal of Mark Williams, and will be disappointed if he isn’t able to win through his quarter in Belfast.
He’s never won this event and has only once made the semi-finals stage.
How to Watch the Northern Ireland Open
Coverage of the Northern Ireland Open in the UK comes from three sources, with Discovery+, TNT Sports and DMAX all showcasing the event in different forms.
Full coverage comes on Discovery+, while selected games and tables will be shown on TNT Sports and DMAX. For those looking to live stream this event, Discovery+ is the home of live streaming for the Northern Ireland Open.
More Betting Tips
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