Year: 2018

Home / 2018

March14March 14, 2018

Michael van Gerwen Goes Top Of The Darts Premier League Following Win In Leeds

Michael van Gerwen now sits atop the Darts Premier League following a 7-4 win over Simon Whitlock in a week where Rob Cross, Barney & Mensur Suljovic also won in Leeds. Elsewhere, we saw a draw for Gary Anderson but woe for Peter Wright — he suffered a near whitewash to The Big Gentle.

MVG was out of form, missing 16 doubles and averaging only marginally higher than 100. But like the champion he is, won his match even if he required Whitlock to let him off the hook. In fact, The Wizard had been the better of the two for much of the contest, edging 2-0 ahead before the reigning Premier League champion came from behind to win after the Aussie missed two darts to break at 4-4.

In total, a kamikaze Whitlock missed seven double shots before misfiring one final shot at double 20 which prevent the game into a deserved final leg. This allowed Mighty Mike to bank the points to sit comfortably — and ominously — at the top of the table.

Other action from last week

Another Dutchman, the evergreen Raymond van Barneveld was forced to come from behind in his match, this time against Gerwyn Price. Ending 7-5, RVB led early in the match, but a Price recovery soon saw Barney drop two sets back at 5-3. Barney then dug out a 121 finish on double 14 in the very next leg and was soon level thanks to an 80 finish. The former world number one then took out 101 on double top before throwing 89 for the match including a strike on bull.

Peter ‘Snakebite’ Wright comfortably checked out for 132 to take the opening leg of his game against Mensur ‘The Big Gentle’ Suljovic before a dramatic collapse saw the Scotsman lose all the remaining legs leading to a humiliating and catastrophic defeat.
The Austrian averaged 103.0 and missed just five darts at double to produce the performance of the night, rallying off seven legs in succession to utterly destroy Wright 7-1, who now sits just one place out of the drop zone.

Although a much closer tie, Gary Anderson narrowly avoided a similar fate in his match against Daryl Gurney. Superchin looked to be sailing towards an upset when he rattled off four legs in succession. From somewhere, Anderson produced a 12-dart leg before losing focus again and allowing Gurney to restore his two-leg lead and guarantee at least a share of the points. A share was all he got in the end as Gurney missed two darts on the final leg that left the door ajar for Anderson to nick a sneaky double 17 and steal a 6-6 draw.

There were no such troubles for World champion Rob Cross, however; he beat Michael Smith 7-5 and now moves into the league’s top four. Victory for Voltage was achieved despite trailing 4-2 and 5-3. The Hastings-born newbie scored four legs in a row in a match where maximums were regularly exchanged — Cross landing five and Smith four. In the end, it was a 121 finish which turned the game Cross’ way.

Darts Premier League betting tips

Matchday Seven takes place this Thursday at the Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham with coverage available on Sky Sports Action HD and Sky Sports Main Event HD from 1900 GMT.

Fresh off the back of his latest nightmare, Peter Wright meets Michael Smith in this week’s opener. Snakebite suffered an annihilation at the hands or Mensur Suljovic a week ago but can at least draw some comfort from reaching a final on Saturday, even though he lost 6-0 to Gary Anderson. One thing that makes Peter an interesting bet — or a frustrating one — is that he can be very hard to read. Performing brilliantly one minute and horribly the next, his game flip flops more than most. This the main reason that despite a run of horrible results, I’m still going to pick him to win against Bully Boy here. Smith also lost a week back in a match to Rob Cross but had been going strong until then. Will that defeat mean a collapse as he hits a crucial run of fixtures? Possibly, yes, which makes Betway’s line on Wright to win and hit 5 or more 180s a decent price at 7/1.

Another player who was going well until recently was Simon Whitlock, who really should have beaten Michael van Gerwen in his last match. Couple this performance with a run of defeats suggests that he might be better off avoided in this week’s acca, especially as his opponent — Daryl Gurney — has by-far the better one-on-one record of the two. Gurney will feel like he dropped points last week against Gary Anderson, getting a draw when he really should have won. Normally, his record reads that a draw is followed by a loss, but I think things might be different this time around as The Wizard and Superchin begin moving in the other direction position wise. Gurney win.

Next out is Mensur Suljovic and Rob Cross, with the latter having won three on the bounce and the former now on a run of two wins himself. As already noted, Mensur thrashed Peter Wright 7-1 last week and he’s 12/5 to win this match too. He’s playing brilliantly right now and is at last getting the wins he deserves while also posting some great averages. Voltage though is also moving in the right direction, and while this is the toughest game of the night to call, I’m backing Cross to make it four wins in four. Try Cross to win and hit the most 180s with Suljovic to throw the highest average, worth 7/2 at Betway.

Match four of the night pairs Gerwyn Price and Michael van Gerwen, with Price having been unable to score a victory against the world number one in any of their last twelve encounters. MVG has nicely positioned himself on top of the pile now and will now be looking to solidify the top spot. This is a nice match for him to do just that. Try Mighty Mike to win and hit 5 or more 180s at 5/2 for more value.

Finally, Raymond van Barneveld will take on Gary Anderson. RVB is one point ahead in the table right now following Anderson’s late and really rather fortunate point last week. I think The Flying Scotsman will come good again this Thursday. Barney has been inconsistent of late, coming from behind to win more than once, but a slow start in this one could leave him with too much to do. For both value and fun, look out for Raymond van Barneveld to win OR draw, Gary Anderson to hit the most 180s and BOTH players to hit a 100+ checkout, worth 12/1 at Betway.
Also, a five-fold on our picks (Wright, Gurney, Cross, MVG and Anderson) works out at just over 12/1, while players are encouraged to try Betway’s boosted treble of Anderson, Gurney and Wright all to win now 6/1.

(11/5) Michael Smith v Peter Wright (10/11)
(2/1) Simon Whitlock v Daryl Gurney (1/1)
(12/5) Mensur Suljovic v Rob Cross (5/6)
(12/1) Gerwyn Price v Michael van Gerwen (1/7)
(15/4) Raymond van Barneveld v Gary Anderson (8/15)

Oh, and RIP Jim Bowen, host of the greatest TV game show of all time, Bullseye.

March7March 7, 2018

After Cancelled Premier League Event, Gary Anderson Wins UK Open

By Peter FryersIn

Darts Betting Tips

Thursday night’s Premier League Darts in Exeter was cancelled due to heavy snow and freezing conditions across the UK caused by Storm Emma, aka The Beast From The East, which put an understandable question mark on fan safety.

What this means for Darts is that the missed fixtures will now be played on April 5th at Liverpool’s Echo Arena which will also see Judgement Night moved back a week. The bottom two players in the league table will both be eliminated with the remaining eight going on to compete in May’s Play-Offs.

UK Open held despite weather

Despite the cancellation in Exeter, there was still some action over the weekend for Darts fans. There was the small matter of the UK Open to take care of over the weekend, which did manage to go ahead almost as planned. The event was played behind closed doors without spectators due to the naughty and really rather unseasonable weather, and this time the winner was The Flying Scotsman himself, Gary Anderson.

It was the first UK Open title of the twice world champion’s career, with this victory coming after he beat Australian youngster Corey Cadby 11-7 in Sunday’s final in Minehead.

Earlier on in the weekend and following the shock exits of Michael van Gerwen and Peter Wright on opening night, Anderson defeated world champion Rob Cross 10-5 at the quarter-final stage before destroying David Pallett 11-7 in the semi-finals. Cadby gave him plenty of trouble, and Anderson soon found himself 4-1 down against the 22-year-old, before rallying off four legs in a row to give himself the 5-4 lead.

Cadby, who saw off Gerwyn Price and Robert Owen earlier on the day, didn’t give up easily, hitting back a number of times. Anderson struck hard with finishes of 70 and 91 to move within an inch of victory, which was claimed soon after with a follow up 14-dart, double 18 finish.

Premier League Darts betting tips

Matchday six gets underway at the First Direct Arena in Leeds. Again, viewers at home can catch the action on Sky Sports Action HD and Sky Sports Main Event HD from 19:00 GMT.

The action will begin between Michael van Gerwen and Simon Whitlock, with MVG still reeling from his shock exit by Jeffrey De Zwaan at the UK Open. This result should — and most likely will — mean that Mighty Mike is a man on a mission for which The Wizard could well pay a hefty price. Whitlock, by the way, has won only once in the last 20 times that these two have met, so things look ominous for the Aussie. The smart money on this match, as it so often does, should go on MVG. At 1/7, van Gerwen is short value. Instead, consider him to win by over 2.5 legs, hit a 100+ checkout and average over 100, all for 7/4 at Betway.

Next out are Gerwyn Price and Raymond van Barneveld. Welshman Price lost to Corey Cadby in the quarter-finals of the Open at the weekend, but that’s still better than Barney’s third round exit at the hands of Mervyn King. The pair combined to have three draws this season, which leads me to believe that this one is also destined to end in a tie.

The third game of the night brings Peter Wright and Mensur Suljovic to the oche in a match where I’m backing Snakebite to win. Before you jump in and do likewise, you should take note that Mensur has beaten Peter in their last couple of televised matches. He’ll also be confident, especially having rested up and sitting out The Open, unlike Wright who suffered a nightmare in Minehead.

Suljovic finally banked a win a fortnight ago but has not played since. This could have cost him his momentum, which would be very unfortunate for the popular Austrian. Peter, like MVG, will be seeking to bounce back from his poor Open performance — and I think he will. World number two, Snakebite is another odds-on favorite win his encounter, so pump up the value by picking him to win, hit 5 or more 180s and 120+ checkout for 12/1.

The UK Open champion Gary Anderson goes next in his match against Daryl Gurney knowing that the Ulsterman has beaten him the last few times out. While fatigue and backache could play a part in Anderson’s performance, confidence collected from his weekend triumph should counteract this. This is especially relevant here as this is the type of fixture that Anderson cannot afford to lose with Gurney currently occupying one of the bottom spaces. I don’t expect Anderson to disappoint here.

The night draws to a close with World Champion Rob Cross and current league leader Michael Smith clashing. Smith, unbeaten in the Darts Premier League, lost 10-9 to Steve West at the Open over the weekend, but I think he’ll bounce back and could well give Cross a scare. With that said, I’m team Voltage on this one, even at Betway’s 4/5. Alternatively, for 6/1 you can try Cross to win, Smith to hit a 100+ checkout and average under 100.

Remember, that if you stake a minimum of £5 on a player to win and he loses 7-5, Betway will pay out as a winner. That’s perfect for a tight match such as this one. For even more value, try Betway’s boosted treble odds of 5/1 on van Barneveld, Anderson and Cross all to win.

Our line for the week is thus: MVG, a Price/van Barneveld tie, Wright, Anderson & Cross for 24/1.

(1/7) Michael van Gerwen v Simon Whitlock (12/1)
(5/2) Gerwyn Price v Raymond van Barneveld (4/5)
(8/11) Peter Wright v Mensur Suljovic (11/4)
(1/2) Gary Anderson v Daryl Gurney (4/1)
(4/5) Rob Cross v Michael Smith (5/2)

March1March 1, 2018

Flying Scotsman Gary Anderson Dents Peter Snakebite Wright’s League Hopes

By Peter FryersIn

Darts Betting Tips

Last Thursday’s Darts Premier League action in Berlin drew to a close with an epic all-Scottish affair in which Gary ‘The Flying Scotsman’ Anderson needed to win his last three legs against Peter ‘Snakebite’ Wright to claim a share of the points.

There was no splitting the pair, even after Anderson shot into an early 2-0 lead and chucking just 29 darts. This included a stunning 150 checkout in the second leg after Wright himself had thrown brilliantly in everything except the required doubles and also after failing to secure the legs he had looked a certainty to close out.

Wright did manage to regain his composure, however, as he landed the next two legs following finishes of 80 and 76. His upturn in form continued as he averaged over 100, stringing together three successive legs in 13, 12 and 15 darts, the last one courtesy of a 120 checkout. Anderson wasn’t to be beaten though and sure enough, back came a two-time world champion, scoring a 12-darter followed by an 11.

Anderson kicked off the final leg with his fifth maximum of the night, but Wright hit back in equally good measure but, with 87 to finish. As is his Achilles’ heel, he left 38 on the board to give Anderson a lifeline which he duly gobbled up, hitting two single 18s and a bull for the required 86 and taking the game to tie.

Other action from last week

In the night’s opener, the two league leaders — Michael Smith and Simon Whitlock — staked their claims for the top spot with Bully Boy Smith coming out the victor. Smith maintained his perfect start to his Premier League campaign with a 7-3 win as both players recorded averages well under 90 and threw a number of wayward shots throughout. That said, Smith managed to hit five 180s and scoring a checkout of 106, making him the worthy winner and new league leader.

Another player moving up the table is Mensur Suljovic, who is finally off the mark after banking his maiden victory in this year’s competition. The Big Gentle’s first points were bagged after he took down a 7-3 victory over Gerwyn Price in which the Austrian averaged over 106. His upturn in form came after he landed three 180s including a checkout of 118 for which Price had no answer.

Michael van Gerwen delivered another darting masterclass, this time in a 7-2 victory over Daryl ‘Superchin’ Gurney. Despite both players hitting three 180s, it was a typically one-sided match in which Mighty Mike was 6-1 ahead before his counterpart from Northern Ireland had even scored his second leg of the match. MVG averaged over 103 and recorded the night’s highest checkout of 106 as he eased his way to another win and two more points. Betway’s 8/13 price for the overall tournament victory at is unlikely to close in any time soon.

6/1 second favourite at Betway, Rob Cross continued his march up the Premier League Darts table with an impressive 7-3 victory over Raymond van Barneveld. After suffering back-to-back defeats to both MVG and Simon Whitlock in his opening two games, Voltage has again found the rhythm and throwing style worthy of a World Champion, winning last week against Peter Wright and now sending Barney packing too. Cross hit four 180s and averaged 96.46, converting seven of his 10 attempts at doubles, as he takes his points tally to a more respectable four in as many weeks.

Michael Smith 7-3 Simon Whitlock
Gerwyn Price 3-7 Mensur Suljovic
Michael van Gerwen 7-2 Daryl Gurney
Rob Cross 7-3 Raymond van Barneveld
Peter Wright 6-6 Gary Anderson

Premier League Darts betting tips

Editors Note: Thursday’s Premier League darts action will not take place in Exeter due to adverse weather conditions.

Matchday 5 takes place at the Westpoint Arena in Exeter on Thursday March 1st, and once again those watching at home can find overage of all the action on Sky Sports Main Event HD and Sky Sports Action HD from 19:00 GMT.

Things get started with a tasty looking clash between Gary Anderson and the improving Rob Cross. Gary Anderson has been playing well but he’s taken on the world numbers one and two in the last two weeks and now finds himself up against the World Champ. After securing a point against Snakebite last Thursday in Germany, his mood – and hopefully his back – are improving making this a great game to open with. Anderson’s record against Rob Cross is also very good, going three for three in tour events making it hard to back against the Scotsman.

I’d expect the other Scotsman in the running, Peter Wright, to bank another win and continue his climb up the table in his match against Daryl Gurney. That said, Gurney has won the last four matches against Peter, so all might not be as clear as it would appear. With Wright in such hot form — excusing his dropping of a point last week against Anderson — he is our second pick this week.

Next up is Mensur Suljovic and Michael van Gerwen with the Austrian finally getting some points on the board last week. It’s a shame that just as his form picks up he comes face-to-face with an all-powerful MVG. Suljovic actually won the last contest between the two, but that seems more and more like a one-time only deal. I just can’t see Mighty Mike dropping points here as he looks to hunt down the league leader Michael Smith.

And it’s Smith who plays next as he faces off against Raymond van Barneveld with Bully Boy looking to score five wins in five. I think he will too, as he seems to love this format when he gets the chance. In contrast, Barney is faltering a little bit at the moment. With Rob Cross, Peter Wright and Michael van Gerwen to play in his next three matches, Smith is bound to drop points soon, but I doubt it will be this week against RVB.

The night’s closing match is between Simon Whitlock and Gerwyn Price, both losers last time out. For Whitlock, last week represented his first defeat but being in the better position he should be mentally better off to rebound. This is unlike Price who lingers in the drop zone right now. Of course, that one defeat could launch a string of poor results for The Wizard as we have seen in others before. This last pick is purely based on league position alone, I’ll admit. I’m calling a draw – just.

So, a line on Anderson, Wright, MVG, Smith and a Whitlock-Price tie, comes to 51/1, or why not try Betway’s own boosted price of 8/1, up from 7/1, on a treble of Anderson, Wright and Whitlock?

(13/10) Gary Anderson v Rob Cross (6/4)
(100/30) Daryl Gurney v Peter Wright (4/6)
(8/1) Mensur Suljovic v Michael van Gerwen (2/9)
(7/5) Raymond van Barneveld v Michael Smith (7/5)
(11/10) Simon Whitlock v Gerwyn Price (7/4)

A look ahead to the UK Darts Open

In a busy week of darts, let’s have a quick word on The UK Darts Open, which takes place at the weekend in Minefield. There’s no seeding element for the top players to gain any advantage, and it’s worth noting that it was this event two years ago where Rob Cross, who qualified through a £7 buy-in Rileys Amateur Qualifier in Norwich, first caught the eye in a memorable performance against that year’s eventual winner Michael van Gerwen.

Last year, Voltage was beaten by Peter Wright, who also went on to win and now Cross is among the favourites to win The Open himself. Cross, Wright and van Gerwen, along with others ranked high enough in the order of merit all go in Friday’s round three.

Round one matches consist of players ranked 65-96 plus the 32 Rileys amateur qualifiers who won in knockouts held in Rileys Sports Bars across the UK. Players ranked 33-64 come in at the second-round stage, which also gets underway on Friday. TV Coverage can be found throughout the day on ITV 4.

The pre-tournament favourite is a certain Dutchman who can be backed at Betway for 5/6, followed by Gary Anderson at 8/1 — the same price as Rob Cross and one point in from the 9s available on Peter Wright, who was champion here last year. For others, check out the UK Darts Open sportsbook at Betway now.