Mark Allen vs Barry Hawkins Betting Preview | World Championship | 28 April 2026

Two players who know exactly what it takes to go deep at the Crucible. Mark Allen and Barry Hawkins meet in what is a genuine contest between two seasoned professionals, both arriving at this match unbeaten through their opening two World Championship frames. Neither man is here to make up the numbers, and the winner keeps their title hopes very much alive in Sheffield.

Mark Allen

The world number four has been in fine form at this tournament, winning both matches so far. Allen carries 385 career centuries and has already claimed nine ranking titles, including the UK Championship in 2018. He is a player who can turn a session on its head with sheer aggression at the table. Allen has the kind of scoring power that punishes any lapse in concentration, and at the Crucible, where momentum swings fast, that matters enormously. The market has him as a fairly comfortable favourite at 1.73, and based on his ranking and recent form in Sheffield, that is not unreasonable.

Barry Hawkins

Hawkins is not someone you want to face when he is playing well, and right now he is playing well. Two wins from two at this World Championship, ranked tenth in the world, and carrying a career record that includes 390 centuries and a highest break of 141. Crucially, Hawkins has been to a World final twice, in 2013 and again in 2023. He knows how to handle the pressure of the Crucible atmosphere better than almost anyone else in the draw. Three ranking titles does not tell the full story of a player whose consistency at the highest level has been a defining feature of his career. The 2.10 available on him deserves serious consideration.

Betting Verdict

Allen is the higher-ranked player and deserves his favourite status, but the gap between these two is narrower than 1.73 versus 2.10 suggests. Hawkins has twice reached the World final, and that kind of big-match experience is hard to price accurately. Both players are arriving with identical form at this tournament, so the market is essentially valuing ranking over pedigree. That feels like a misjudgement. Hawkins at 2.10 represents clear value for a player who has shown he can go the distance in Sheffield and perform when it matters most. The Crucible does not faze him, and at those odds, backing him carries genuine appeal.