Darts Players Championship Finals Betting Tips

Darts Players Championship Finals Betting Tips

Darts Players Championship Finals Betting Tips

Jose De Sousa is the Grand Slam of Darts champion (Picture: PDC/Lawrence Lustig)

The PDC has a new champion in its ranks after 46-year-old former Portuguese kitchen fitter Jose de Sousa took down the Grand Slam of Darts last Tuesday. 

Taking part in his first ever televised final in only his second season since earning his first PDC Tour Card, the Special One checked out a shock 16-12 victory over James Wade at the Ricoh having previously dismissed the likes of Dave Chisnall, Michael Smith and Simon Whitlock

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De Sousa now becomes Portugal’s first ever darts major winner as well as becoming only the sixth different player to get his hands on the Eric Bristow Trophy since the tournament began in 2007.

The Portuguese is now 14/1 with bet365 to win next month’s Darts World Championships at the Ally Pally. 

Up next: PDC Players Championship Finals

This week though, there is a more pressing matter. Friday sees the start of the 2020 PDC Players Championship Finals.

As a change from the norm, Minehead has been swapped for Coventry as we return back to the Ricoh Arena.

With the World Championships only a few weeks away, this weekend’s tournament is critical for anyone seeking form and momentum ahead of stepping out at the Alexandra Palace next month. Thankfully, the venue has now been confirmed the potential for fans, always a massive part of the fun at this event, to be in attendance.

It has been an odd season on the PDC Tour, with De Sousa’s major win following Dimitri van den Bergh’s World Matchplay win back in July. Two new nationalities winning PDC majors, while Michael van Gerwen hasn’t won an event since the UK Open in March.

That hasn’t stopped the bookies making Mighty Mike the 7/2 favourite this weekend, albeit jointly with Gerwyn Price. Both players disappointed at the Grand Slam with neither of them really getting going as the tourney continued to deliver shock results.

This week could very well provide more of the same. The Players Championship Finals is well known to throw up unlikely finalists. In fact, in 12 years so far, we have had eight finalists priced at 25/1 or higher.

Punters, then, might want to consider ignoring the short price favourites this around, either considering Jose de Sousa (12/1) or Dimitri van den Bergh (18/1), who was going great guns at the Grand Slam until dropping out in the last four. Prior to that, the Belgian had posted the tournament record average of 114.85 and hit plus ton in each of his games.

These two could very easily go deep again, as could The Polish Eagle Krzysztof Ratajski, who has made three floor finals in 2020, winning on one occasion when he took down the Gibraltar Trophy. He, like De Sousa, is now part of the world’s top 16 and made the quarter-finals of the Matchplay. So in a year of maiden winners, might be worth a punt. Ratajski is 20/1 at bet365 for anyone that fancies it.

Another maiden winner in 2020 was Glen Durrant who landed the Premier League of Darts. Duzza was in woeful form at the Grand Slam, losing all three of his group games. That has seen his odds plummet to 40/1, a whole 12 points higher than his Premier League price.

South Africa’s Devon Peterson, and Holland’s part-time aubergine farmer flogger, Grand Prix finalist Dirk van Duijvenbode, are also likely to be in the hunt. Simon ‘The Wizard’ Whitlock, who chucked a record-breaking Grand Slam match 19 180s in his epic 31 leg victory over MVG last week, has been marked out by bet365 as a 40/1 shot.

Nathan Aspinall has been knocking on the door for a while now. It was the Asp who took care of The Iceman last week and can be backed for 18/1. No one has been knocking on the door for longer than Bully Boy Michael Smith who is still searching for his first televised major title after a string of losing final appearances. The man from St Helens is available at 14/1 with bet365.

At the favourite’s end of bet365’s book, the shortest priced pair – Michael van Gerwen and Gerwyn Price – are both 7/2. The pair are followed in the betting by reigning world champion Peter ‘Snakebite’ Wright at 4/1 who would desperately love a return to form in the penultimate event before his world title defence next month.

Players Championship Finals Schedule

Friday November 27

First Round (Best of 11 legs)

  • Dirk van Duijvenbode v William O’Connor
  • Michael Smith v Boris Krcmar
  • Rob Cross v Jason Lowe
  • Joe Cullen v Adam Hunt
  • Devon Petersen v Luke Humphries
  • Ryan Searle v Dimitri Van den Bergh
  • Adrian Lewis v Simon Whitlock
  • Brendan Dolan v Luke Woodhouse
  • Ryan Joyce v Andy Boulton
  • Stephen Bunting v Ryan Murray
  • Krzysztof Ratajski v Karel Sedlacek
  • Gabriel Clemens v Martijn Kleermaker
  • Ian White v William Borland
  • Jonny Clayton v Mickey Mansell
  • Daryl Gurney v Callan Rydz
  • Dave Chisnall v Mervyn King
  • Nathan Aspinall v Scott Waites
  • Gary Anderson v Keegan Brown
  • James Wade v Niels Zonneveld
  • Peter Wright v Ryan Meikle
  • Michael van Gerwen v Darius Labanauskas
  • Gerwyn Price v John Henderson
  • Jose De Sousa v Mike De Decker
  • Vincent van der Voort v Derk Telnekes
  • Ricky Evans v Jamie Hughes
  • Ross Smith v Kim Huybrechts
  • Damon Heta v Maik Kuivenhoven
  • Jermaine Wattimena v Steve Lennon
  • Madars Razma v Chris Dobey
  • Glen Durrant v Wayne Jones
  • Darren Webster v Jeffrey de Zwaan
  • Danny Noppert v Steve Beaton

Saturday November 28

Second Round (Best of 11 legs)

  • 16 Matches

Third Round (Best of 19 legs)

  • Eight Matches

Sunday November 29

Quarter-Finals (Best of 19 legs)

  • Four matches

Semi-Finals (Best of 21 Legs)

  • Two matches

Final (Best of 21 legs)

  • Winner Semi Final 1 v Winner Semi Final 2

QUICK GLANCE AT THE PDC DARTS PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS

Venue: The Ricoh Arena, Coventry

Dates: 27.11.2020 – 29.11.20

Format: Best of 11, 19, 21 legs

Current Champion: Michael van Gerwen

Where To Watch: ITV 4

When To Watch: (1300 GMT)

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Why Gerwyn Price Is Likely To Win His Third Grand Slam Of Darts In A Row

Why Gerwyn Price Is Likely To Win His Third Grand Slam Of Darts In A Row

It’s back to the Ricoh Arena in Coventry for this year’s Grand Slam of Darts Finals, the 14th year of the event. The 2020 event will run from 16-22 November and include players from both the PDC and BDO, the only tournament to do so.

Can Gerwyn Price make it three in a row?

There are 32 players drawn from both codes in competition and all of the big hitters will be there including Gerwyn Price. The past two years of the Grand Slam have provided The Iceman with his first two PDC televised wins and this year he is aiming for a third in a row.

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Right now, the Welshman is playing like the best player in the world and only last week, along with Johnny Clayton, picked up the World Cup of Darts for Wales after beating England in the final. 

Will it be thrice for Price? Highly likely yes.

The former Rugby man is playing like a machine right now, landing almost every arrow on point. And with Michael van Gerwen dropping off ever so slightly from his brilliant best, Price looks a good shout for next month’s World Championship also.

He has always enjoyed this event but has really stepped up his game of late, scooping the World Grand Prix title last month before absolutely owning the World Cup of Darts. In 2020 so far, he has eight titles to his name. Should The Iceman win on Sunday, he would join Phil Taylor and Michael van Gerwen in the unique achievement winning the same major in three consecutive years.

The Welshman is now the joint favourite at 7/2, a half a point ahead of Michael van Gerwen, while the 2019 runner-up Peter Wright is also available at 4/1. 

There is little point, we believe, in looking beyond the Welshman who, aside from appearing the best around right now, can overcome any early shocks he may come across from his fellow Group G members Mikuru Suzuki, Ryan Joyce and his Welsh World Cup winning partner Johnny Clayton. It’s a decent draw and one that will not worry him.

The rest of the field

I think Rob Cross’ group of Dave Chisnall, Luke Humphries and Justin Pipe is a whole lot harder, which is a shame. Voltage’s heavy price of 35/1 might have tempted otherwise. 

He may have had a horrible year form-wise. but he has won both the World Matchplay Darts and the Darts World Championship before. As a player that thrives on confidence – of which admittedly he has none right now – a couple of gimme wins in the group stages might have set the ball rolling for a deeper run than we have seen from him this year.

The advantage of groups is that there are a minimum of three games to be played which is about the same amount of wayward shots Gerwyn Price has thrown of late. Plus, by the second round, the games develop into a much longer format and play to a best of 19 legs before upping the ante to a best of 31 legs.

Right now, in a longer game, only MVG looks capable of matching The Iceman but on current form you would, for the first time in years, bet against the Dutchman. MVG remains world number one and will no doubt find his form before long, but his last victory came all the way back in March when early exits have been the order of his day. 

Glenn Durrant, Peter Wright and Michael Smith are also others worth monitoring.

In the Grand Slam, each darter plays all other group members in a best of nine leg match worth two points. The top two will then move on to the knockout rounds. 

Mighty Mike is drawn in Group A, while Gary Anderson will lead Group B. Group C is led by Michael Smith and Rob Cross takes Group D with Peter Wright back in Group E. James Wade and Glenn Durrant have both landed in Group F and finally Nathan Aspinall finds himself in Group H. 

Grand Slam of Darts 2020 Draw

Group A

  • Michael van Gerwen (4/1)
  • Joe Cullen (40/1)
  • Gabriel Clemens (40/1)
  • Adam Hunt (200/1)

Group B

  • Gary Anderson (16/1)
  • Simon Whitlock (66/1)
  • Ryan Searle (125/1)
  • Adam Gawlas (500/1)

Group C

  • Michael Smith (16/1)
  • Krzysztof Ratajski (18/1)
  • Jose De Sousa (20/1)
  • Lisa Ashton (500/1)

Group D

  • Rob Cross (35/1)
  • Dave Chisnall (25/1)
  • Luke Humphries (66/1)
  • Justin Pipe (250/1)

Group E

  • Peter Wright (4/1)
  • Ian White (40/1)
  • Devon Petersen (22/1)
  • Dirk van Duijvenbode (100/1)

Group F

  • James Wade (33/1)
  • Glen Durrant (16/1)
  • Jermaine Wattimena (100/1)
  • Damon Heta (33/1)

Group G

  • Gerwyn Price (7/2)
  • Jonny Clayton (50/1)
  • Ryan Joyce (150/1)
  • Mikuru Suzuki (750/1)

Group H

  • Nathan Aspinall (11/1)
  • Dimitri Van den Bergh (40/1)
  • Ricky Evans (150/1)
  • Wayne Warren (200/1)

Odds from bet365.

Grand Slam of Darts 2020 Schedule 

Monday November 16

Best of 9 legs

  • Rob Cross v Justin Pipe
  • Dave Chisnall v Luke Humphries
  • James Wade v Damon Heta
  • Simon Whitlock v Ryan Searle
  • Glen Durrant v Jermaine Wattimena
  • Nathan Aspinall v Wayne Warren
  • Dimitri Van den Bergh v Ricky Evans
  • Gary Anderson v Adam Gawlas
  • Jonny Clayton v Ryan Joyce
  • Joe Cullen v Gabriel Clemens
  • Krzysztof Ratajski v Jose De Sousa
  • Michael Smith v Lisa Ashton
  • Michael van Gerwen v Adam Hunt
  • Gerwyn Price v Mikuru Suzuki
  • Peter Wright v Dirk van Duijvenbode
  • Ian White v Devon Petersen

Tuesday November 17

Best of 9 legs

  • 16 Group Matches

Wednesday November 18

Best of 9 legs

  • 16 Group Matches

Friday November 20

Second Round (Best of 19 legs)

  • 4 Matches

Saturday November 21

Second Round (Best of 19 legs)

  • 4 Matches

Sunday November 22

Quarter-finals (Best of 31 legs)

  • 4 Matches

Monday November 23 (7pm)

Semi-finals (Best of 31 legs)

  • 2 Matches

Tuesday November 24

Final (Best of 31 legs)

QUICK GLANCE AT GRAND SLAM OF DARTS 2020

Venue: Ricoh Arena, Coventry

Dates: 16/11/20 to 24/11/2020

Format: Best of 9, 19 and 31 legs

Current Champion: Gerwyn Price

Where To Watch: Sky Sports

When To Watch: (1300 GMT)

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