The Mosconi Cup returns to London’s iconic Alexandra Palace from December 6-9 as the defending champions Europe host the USA in the sport’s hottest rivalry.
Our nineball pool writer Ben Hudd provides his best bets and analysis ahead of the 30th anniversary edition of the tournament, and favours the Europeans to win for a fourth consecutive year.
Mosconi Cup 2023 betting tips
- Europe to win 11-7 – 13/2 Bet365
- Europe to win 11-8 – 15/2 Bet365
- Joshua Filler to be top overall points scorer – 7/1 SkyBet
- Skyler Woodward to be top American points scorer – 7/2 SkyBet
- USA to be the first team to three points – 6/4 SkyBet
Europe have once again been installed as heavy favourites to regain the sport’s most recognisable slice of silverware and that comes as no surprise when considering that five of the world’s top ten convene their unchanged team.
Francisco Sanchez Ruiz, David Alcaide, Jayson Shaw, Albin Ouschan and Joshua Filler are all renowned champions on the biggest stage and each have Mosconi Cup pedigree, meaning it would be an upset of significant proportions should the Americans emerge supreme.
Nevertheless, the USA producing the shock of all shocks has a much greater chance than previous years as Fedor Gorst switching allegiances means that they now have three world beaters on their roster instead of only Shane van Boening and Skyler Woodward.
That’s without being disrespectful to Tyler Styer, who has been impressive since breaking onto the American team five years ago, as well as rookie Shane Wolford but those three aforementioned players are currently on another level.
Woodward or Van Boening have been the USA’s top points scorer in each of the last five editions, with Woodward notably being named MVP in both 2018 and 2019, and you’d expect either of those two to claim that tag once again even despite Gorst’s involvement.
Van Boening enjoyed one of his most successful cups twelve months ago in Las Vegas, winning four of his six matches in singles and doubles, although Woodward tends to perform extremely well in front of the raucous crowd at Alexandra Palace.
As for the Europeans, two-time MVP Shaw has been the top points scorer overall in two of the last three cups as well as the top European points scorer in four of the last five years, and the Hanoi Open champion loves the Ally Pally atmosphere.
Germany’s Filler pipped him to be the top points scorer as well as the MVP last time around and the current form of the pair of the them suggests that those two will be the key players for Europe once again.
Performing well during the early exchanges will be crucial for the Americans, who have won the opening teams point on four consecutive occasions, and therefore 6/4 odds for them to be first to three points stands out.
The Americans have put Europe under the cosh in recent years, leading 5-4 in both 2021 and 2022, although mounting the pressure on the shoulders of their arch rivals seems to bring out the best in them so luck will need to be in the USA’s favour.
All odds correct at time of publishing
