Shaun Murphy will be looking to defend his British Open title in the 2026 edition at The Centaur in Cheltenham.Murphy saw off the challenge of Anthony McGill in the final 12 months ago, winning the title for the first time with a 10-7 victory.The event will be covered on free-to-air TV in the UK by Channel 5, with the action beginning on August 31 and running until September 6The majority of the world’s top players will be present, however, Ronnie O’Sullivan was a late withdrawal. In our guide we take a deeper dive into the latest British Open snooker odds and we also name our three betting tips for the tournament. British Open snooker outright winner oddsChang Bingyu is the big mover in the latest odds from the best snooker betting sites. He won the 2026 Wuhan Open over the weekend, and as a result, his odds to win the British Open have been slashed to 13/2. Below are the latest outright winner odds covering the favourites:PlayerOddsBookmakerZhao Xintong10/3bet365Judd Trump9/2BetfredMark Selby6/1SBKChang Bingyu13/2bet365Shaun Murphy9/1BetfredWu Yize9/1BetfredNeil Robertson10/1SBKKyren Wilson10/1bet365Xiao Guodong14/1bet365Barry Hawkins14/1BetfredMark Williams14/1BetfredJohn Higgins14/1bet365Jack Lisowski16/1Sky BetDing Junhui16/1BetMGMAli Carter18/1SBKZhang Anda 25/1BetfredOdds correct at time of publication. Please check bookmaker sites for the latest prices. British Open previewDefending champion Shaun Murphy suffered a disappointing blow in the build-up to his title defence. The Wizard was dumped out of the Wuhan Open in round of 32, losing 5-3 to Pang Junxu of China. Murphy will hope that he can rekindle some of the magic that saw him win the title last year at this same venue, but repeating that feat will be a tall order, given the form of some of his major rivals.Zhao Xintong has just been installed as the new world number one in the latest snooker rankings. The 29-year-old confirmed his ascent to the top with a 5-1 win over Neil Robertson in the semi-final of the Wuhan Open.Unfortunately for Xintong, he fell short in the final, losing 10-7 to Chang Bingyu. Chang also defeated Ronnie O’Sullivan 6-3 in the semi-finals and looks set to become the latest emerging talent to come out of China. Unlike other snooker competitions, there are no seedings at the British Open after the top 16 players complete their first round matches. From then on in, the draw for the next round is made at the conclusion of the previous one. This means there is no favourable side of the draw where a potential pathway to the final can be plotted, as any two players can be drawn to take on each other.It’s another of the quirks that makes the British Open such a unique event. British Open snooker betting tipsOnto our betting tips now, and below we have hand-picked three predictions for the tournament based on current form and history at this venue. Outright Winner Pick: Zhao Xintong to win the British OpenWhen it comes to current form, Zhao Xintong is rightly the betting favourite to win the British Open.Xintong’s consistency over the past couple of seasons has helped him climb to the top of the world rankings. And as his run to the final of the Wuhan Open shows, he is in good recent form. In a late switch to the schedule, Xintong’s opening match has been switched to Tuesday, giving him an extra 24 hours to get over his long journey back to the UK from China. This all adds to his chances of winning.Zhao Xintong is our outright winner prediction. Back Zhao Xintong to win the British Open at 10/3 with bet365 Each-way Bet: Shaun Murphy to win the British OpenEven though he suffered a setback in Wuhan, we think Shaun Murphy’s odds and his history at this venue make an each-way bet on the defending champion worthwhile. Murphy has been consistent on the circuit over the past couple of seasons, which is reflected in his number seven world ranking. He overcame Scott Donaldson, Neil Robertson, Judd Trump, Mitchell Mann, Mark Selby and Anthony McGill to win the title last season. Murphy has the ability to beat anybody and the pedigree to win this title again. He is worth backing each-way, as part of this bet will pay out should he reach the final. Back Shaun Murphy each-way to win the British Open at 9/1 with Betfred Dark Horse Bet: Zhang Anda to win the British OpenZhang Anda is enjoying one of the best spells of his career. He reached the final of the World Grand Prix in February, narrowly missing out on the title with a 10-6 defeat to compatriot Zhao Xintong. That form has stuck with him into the new 2026-27 season, and Anda gained his revenge over Xintong by defeating the new world number one 6-5 in the opening round of the recent China Open. Anda’s run ended with a 6-3 defeat to a resurgent Stuart Bingham in the quarter-finals, but this wasn’t before he defeated another seed, Chris Wakelin, in the second round.The open draw could suit him and after his recent win over Xintong, the 34-year-old won’t fear anybody. Anda looks a great outside bet at 25/1. Remember, like with Shaun Murphy, Anda only needs to reach the final for the each-way part of this bet to pay out. Back Zhang Anda each-way to win the British Open at 25/1 with Betfred British Open 2026: Format and drawThe British Open is a tournament like no other. There is no seeding after the opening round, with a random FA Cup-style draw taking place at the end of each round. The random format makes the tournament all the more exciting, as the likes of new world number one Zhao Xintong could potentially be drawn against Judd Trump – the player he just replaced at the top of the rankings – in the early stages. Matches in the early rounds are played over the best of seven frames, with that increasing to the best of nine frames for the quarter-finals. The semi-finals are both the best of 11 frames, with the final played over the best of 19. Where is the British Open snooker being played?The 2026 British Open is taking place at The Centaur in Cheltenham. This is the home of the world famous Cheltenham Racecourse.The tournament begins on 31st August and lasts for a week, with the final played on 6th September. It is the fourth world ranking event of the 2026/27 season. Where to watch the British Open snooker 2026The 2026 British Open will be shown live in the UK on free-to-air TV on Channel 5. This is the first time the competition will have been screened on 5 and is one of three tournaments that the broadcaster will show across the season. About the authorDean EtheridgeDean Etheridge is an experienced freelance sports betting writer who specialises in football, cricket, and darts, with a keen focus on the Premier League and Champions League, as well as in-depth coverage of Premier League Darts and major tournaments. He can turn his hand to all aspects of the beautiful game and beyond, delivering expert analysis across a range of sports. He predominantly covers the Premier League and Champions League but can turn his hand to all aspects of the beautiful game. You can follow Dean on LinkedIn (@deanetheridge)Commercial content notice: Taking one of the bookmaker offers featured in this article may result in a payment to talkSPORT. 18+. 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