World Snooker Championship: First Round Preview and Top Betting Tips

Mo. Basuony

Published: April 19, 2026 10:24 AM ET

World Snooker Championship: First Round Preview and Top Betting Tips

Filmogaz.com presents a concise World Snooker Championship: First Round Preview with Top Betting Tips from our team. These notes cover the key opening ties and the recommended plays from our preview writer, James Cooper.

Kyren Wilson v Stan Moody

Kyren Wilson returns as the 2024 champion and faces Stan Moody on Monday. Wilson battled cue issues early in the season but won his first Masters title in January.

Wilson is known for long-format play and strong Crucible form. Moody makes his Crucible debut and produced a century in his final qualifying match.

The match finishes on the same day. A frames handicap of +3.5 for Moody was flagged at 10/11.

Wu Yize v Peifan Lei

Wu Yize and Peifan Lei meet in a repeat of their 2024 Scottish Open final. Peifan won that match 9-5, while Wu later claimed the International Championship title.

Peifan stunned defending champion Kyren Wilson on the opening day here last year and then pushed Zhao Xintong hard. Over 3.5 match centuries was highlighted at 7/4 as an appealing market.

Early play this week suggested the Crucible pockets have been less forgiving than in some past renewals.

Shaun Murphy v Fan Zhengyi

Shaun Murphy, the 2005 champion, starts his campaign against Fan Zhengyi on Monday evening. Fan is a ranking-event winner and carries a reputation for being dangerous and occasionally unpredictable.

Fan’s previous two encounters at this venue produced 10-5 and 10-6 scorelines against Mark Allen. Our preview writer chose to refrain from betting on this contest.