Robert Milkins vs John Higgins Prediction: Match outcome could be different this time

Robert Milkins will play against John Higgins in the round of 16 matches of the 2022 Northern Ireland Open. Robert Milkins has now lost the last five matches he played against John Higgins and will hope things go his way this time.

Robert Milkins’ performance in his first opening match of the Northern Ireland Open has been at par. The Englishman entered this tournament following a win over Jensen Kendrick in late August qualifying matches. The 25th world-ranked professional has shown how ready he is with his big match win over Gerard Greene, which ended 1-4. However, in this match, Milkins will face a different and difficult challenge because he has to go head-to-head against a tough, well-experienced, and very formidable opponent with a losing streak of six. Still, we do not expect him to lose his guard as he continues in his hope of going home with the trophy.

47-year-old John Higgins continues to impress following a 4-2 opening win over Italian Fergal O’Brien in the qualification round of the Northern Ireland Open on Monday before getting a tough win over Jackson Page. In the match against the Welsh player, Higgins started with a 0-1 point in the first frame being the winner until the third. However, it looked like the 5th ranked professional snooker player was going to be eliminated following a poor performance during the fifth frame. Masterclass performance in the sixth frame leveled him 3-3 before putting the ball inside in the seventh. John Higgins will be very cautious of how he approaches this match and ensure he gets ahead of Milkins from the first frame and doesn't miss a single shot. Higgins now has three wins in the last five matches he participated in. 

This match is an important one for both players in their hot pursuit of winning the Ireland Open trophy. Both players have a good chance of winning this match, considering their quality and how good they have been since the tournament started. Previous meetings have seen Higgins winning all five most recent matches. However, we do not expect this match to be an easy one for him this time. Below are the best betting options:

• W2 -1.5 for 1.64
• Correct Score 1-4 for 4.00
• W2 and Over 5.5 for 2.40