Category: Darts Betting Tips

Michael van Gerwen Claims Record-Breaking Seventh Darts Premier League Title

Michael van Gerwen won a record seventh Premier League Darts title after beating Gerwyn Price 11-5 in the play off final at the O2 Arena in London last Thursday night. 

Mighty Mike, who retains the trophy he won twelve months ago, which at the time equalled Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor’s six DPL crowns, overcame a shoulder injury to average 101 in his 10-8 semi-final victory over world number one Michael Smith before destroying The Iceman in a surprisingly one-sided finish to the 17-week long season.

Price had topped the Premier League Darts table and thrashed Jonny Clayton 10-2 in the first of Thursday night’s semi-finals with a brilliant average of 107.54 but couldn’t find the same levels come the end of the night against Mighty Mike.

Come the final, The Iceman averaged 99.5 compared to The Green Machine’s 105.43 and also managed huge checkouts of 150 and 128 while also reeling in the big fish and landing five of the seven 180s in the match.

Record Breaker

The win marks Mighty Mike’s 46th individual major trophy in an incredible career which has seen him win three PDC World Championship titles alongside three World Matchplay Darts victories.

In the final, the opening five legs all went with throw before van Gerwen struck the first decisive blow in the sixth leg, when he produced a superb 170 check out to build up a 4-2 lead.

That saw the Dutchman build up some momentum and before long he had extended his advantage to 7-2, following up a 13-dart hold of throw with a superb 128 finish to continue his run towards the title.

From there, The Iceman fired back in sensational style by pinning a brilliant 161 on the bull before cutting the deficit to 4-7 after MVG uncharacteristically wasted four darts at a double. Before long though Mighty Mike had restored his five-leg lead after Price missed double 12 for 144 and 98 checkouts. The Dutchman then landed a spectacular 150 checkout to move to the brink of victory.

The Welshman then missed two darts at tops and tens when given the opportunity to extend the contest in leg 16 allowing van Gerwen to duly capitalise and round off a dominant performance. 

Earlier on in the night, Price had averaged over 107 to overcome his Welsh World Cup partner Jonny Clayton, where he threw in a stunning 131 checkout to bank an emphatic 10-2 victory.

Table topper Price started off Thursday night’s action with an 11-dart hold of throw to storm into a 5-leg lead before 2021 DPL champion, The Ferret, finally got going in leg six. Price extended his lead with a fine three-leg burst of 12, 14 and 11 dart legs, before rounding off an imperious display with that brilliant 131 finish, which culminated with a brace of double 20s.

In the night’s second semi-final, Michael van Gerwen survived a late fightback from Michael Smith to make it through to a record-breaking ninth Darts Premier League final, averaging 101 in a 10-8 success. The Bully Boy took the first two legs, the first courtesy of a superb 128 checkout but then MVG hit back with a run of five legs on the spin.

The World Champion then replied with 114, 86, 91 and 123 combinations in the game’s latter stages, but Mighty Mike’s superior scoring power saw him make it to the final where he went on to bank yet another major PDC title.

Michael van Gerwen’s Roll Of Honour

• 3x World Champion (2014, 2017, 2019)
• 3x World Matchplay champion (2015, 2016, 2022)
• 7x Premier League champion (2013, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023)
• 6x World Grand Prix champion (2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2022)
• 3x UK Open champion (2015, 2016, 2020)
• 3x Grand Slam of Darts champion (2015, 2016, 2017)
• 4x European champion (2014, 2015, 2016, 2017)
• 5x Masters champion (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019)
• 7x Players Championship Finals champion ( 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2022)
• 4x World Series of Darts Finals winner (2015, 2016, 2017, 2019)
• 1x Champions League of Darts (2019)
• 3x World Cup winner (2014, 2017, 2018)

Coming Up In The PDC World Of Darts

The World Cup of Darts gets underway next month on the 15^th of June but before that all eyes are on New York for the bet365 US Darts Masters which takes place this weekend. This will be the fifth staging of a competition that is the third of six events in the 2023 World Series.

16 stars of the PDC, including holder and current world champion Michael Smith, reigning World Series of Darts Finals winner Gerwyn Price, Michael van Gerwen, Peter Wright and Nathan Aspinall who won in New York in 2019.

These are joined by eight North American players who are headed by ex-Lakeside runner-up Jeff Smith, Matt Campbell, and Jules van Dongen. Jeff Smith claimed the CDC’s inaugural Cross Border Challenge earlier this month, but as The Silencer was already guaranteed his place in New York so beaten finalist Jim Long will make up the numbers. The final three spots will be taken up by Jason Brandon, Jake MacMillan and JT Davis.

Play will take place at The Hulu Theater, Madison Square Garden, New York City and lasts for two days from Saturday 2nd June to Sunday 3^rd June.

This is the third of six World Series events over the course of the year. We have already had events in Bahrain and Copenhagen, which were won by Michael Smith and Peter Wright respectively, while competitions in Poland, New Zealand and Australia all follow the New York event.

This is the fifth running of the US Masters, the first three were held at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas before moving to New York in 2019. The inaugural staging of the competition was in 2017 at the Tropicana Las Vegas and was won by Michael van Gerwen.

Mighty Mike goes into the tournament as the second favourite behind Gerwyn Price, but it’s Rob Cross who heads to the Big Apple as the PDC’s most recent winner after he picked up his maiden European Tour success at the Interwetten European Darts Grand Prix in Sindelfingen at the weekend, beating Luke Humphries 8-6.

The win for Cross means that he will team up with Michael ‘The Bully Boy’ Smith for England at the World Cup, something that has left Humphries “devastated”. Despite this, Cool Hand himself is in buoyant mood and admits he is living his darting dream ahead of his bet365 US Darts Masters this weekend.

With world number two Peter ‘Snakebite’ Wright woefully out of form and Jonny Clayton not among the PDC eight, it is hard to look beyond the big three of Michael van Gerwen, Gerwyn Price and Michael Smith for a winner. That being said, Cross’ recent win and Humphries’s desire to make up for his World Cup upset could see either of the pair prevail. The draw for the bet365 US Darts Masters will take place on Thursday, June 1^st.

bet365 US Darts Masters 2023 Betting Odds

A look at the odds for the bet365 US Darts Masters betting odds:

• Gerwyn Price – 11/4
• Michael van Gerwen – 7/2
• Michael Smith – 4/1
• Luke Humphries – 15/2
• Rob Cross – 8/1
• Peter Wright – 9/1
• Nathan Aspinall – 12/1
• Dimitri van den Bergh – 14/1
• Matt Campbell – 66/1
• Jules van Dongen – 100/1
• Alex Spellman – 100/1
• Jeff Smith – 125/1
• Jason Brandon – 125/1
• JT Davis – 150/1
• Jim Long – 200/1
• Jake MacMillan – 250/1

QUICK GLANCE AT THE bet365 US DARTS MASTERS

Venue: The Hulu Theater, Maddison Square Garden, New York City

Dates: 2^nd June – 3^rd June, 2023

Format: Best of 11 & 15 legs

Current Champion: Michael Smith

Where To Watch: ITV 4

When To Watch: 17:30

bet365 darts betting odds for the 2024 PDC World Championship

Elsewhere, Michael van Gerwen’s return to form has seen him installed as the bet365 outright favourite to be crowned the 2024 world champion and is currently available at 3/1.

Arguably the best player in this year’s Premier League of Darts, Gerwyn Price is the second favourite at 7/2 while the reigning world champion Michael Smith can be backed at 4/1 to retain his title. Two times world champion Peter Wright is currently 14/1 for the event which will begin in the middle of December.

• Michael van Gerwen – 3/1
• Gerwyn Price – 7/2
• Michael Smith – 4/1
• Peter Wright – 14/1
• Josh Rock – 18/1
• Luke Humphries – 20/1
• Jonny Clayton – 22/1
• Dirk van Duijvenbode – 28/1
• Rob Cross – 33/1
• Dimitri van den Bergh – 33/1
• Gary Anderson – 33/1
• Dave Chisnall – 33/1
• Nathan Aspinall – 40/1
• Joe Cullen – 40/1
• Danny Noppert – 40/1

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2023 Premier League Darts Night Seventeen Betting Tips And Predictions

Pete’s Darts Betting Tips

• Get enhanced odds of 11/10 on Gerwyn Price to win against Jonny Clayton and hit the highest checkout, up from 1/1 at bet365.
• bet365 have also boosted the odds of Michael Smith winning against Michael van Gerwen and pinning the most 180s from 8/5 to 7/4.

Gerwyn Price finished top of the Premier League of Darts table after reaching his ninth final of the league phase one week ago. The Iceman was, however, unable to bank what would have been a record-breaking fifth nightly win after losing out to Dimitri van den Bergh in Aberdeen who picks up his first – and only – DPL win of the season.

The Belgian received a bye in the second round at the P&J Live after Michael van Gerwen pulled out of the event with a shoulder injury that was sustained during his quarter-final win over Chris Dobey.

The Dutchman was in visible pain during his quarter-final win over Chris Dobey but with qualification to this week’s play offs already assured, decided not to put his arm at any risk of further injury and did not come out for his match against The Dream Maker, seeking medical treatment instead.

We hope that MVG will be able take part in this week’s finale in the capital.

One man who will be there, however, is Jonny Clayton after his Welsh compatriot Gerwyn Price beat Nathan Aspinall in the semi-finals. Aspinall had earlier beaten The Ferret with a comprehensive 6-1 victory in the quarter-finals but was still required to overcome The Iceman in order to make it to London. All of which means that by way of nights won The Ferret takes the fourth and final play off spot at the O2 Arena in London’s Docklands.

The Dream Maker Signs Off In Style

Alongside Peter Wright, van den Bergh had been one of only two players in this year’s tournament without a nightly win to his name before the trip to Scotland, but the Belgian finally put that right with a win on the last night of the regular season.

The 2020 World Matchplay champion started off his campaign with a 6-4 win over an already qualified Michael Smith, seeing off a late Bully Boy fightback to end Smith’s nine-match winning run in the Premier League. The Belgian then wasn’t required to play his match against Mighty Mike, instead going straight through to the final against Price for the Night 16 title.

It took a thrilling last-leg decider for The Dream Maker to beat Price in the final and deny the Welshman a fifth nightly win of the season, breaking Price’s throw in the deciding leg to win a topsy-turvy game.

In leg three, the Belgian managed to fire in a superb 148 checkout to take the lead, but was unable to shake off Price, as all of the opening six legs went against the throw. Van den Bergh then regained the initiative with an 11-dart break of throw in the seventh leg, before seeing out the game’s first hold of throw in leg eight, when he pinned a 13-darter to move one leg away from glory.

The Iceman then survived a match dart in the ninth leg before finding a 12-dart finish to once again break to force the decider. Price then wasted three match darts of his own in a dramatic finale before van den Bergh capitalised to celebrate the win leaving Peter Wright as the only player in the competition not to celebrate a nightly win.

Price, on the other hand, becomes the fifth player in Premier League history to finish top of the league phase, after reaching his ninth nightly final of the season as we move on to the final night which takes place this Thursday in London.

Gerwyn Price v Jonny Clayton

It seems crazy but this is the first time that Gerwyn Price has made the Darts Premier League play off stage, but after an incredible League phase in which he topped the table, won four nights, made nine finals and boasted the highest tournament average of 98.31, he goes into this finale as the overwhelming favourite.

The nine finals that The Iceman made it to over the last 16 weeks is also two greater than his nearest challenger, Michael Smith. Before last week, Price had conjured up 23-ton-plus averages in his previous 28 matches across all competitions as he once again prepares to face his good friend Jonny Clayton, who pipped Nathan Aspinall to the final spot last week despite losing his quarter-final to the very same player.

The increased amount of legs will help The Ferret who had a strong second half of the regular season, winning two nights on the spin before taking a further four match victories. At the weekend Clayton also won his first Players Championship title in more than two years thanks to a win over Northern Ireland’s Josh Rock. The Welshman also averaged over 100 three times during his seven games, including a 110 and a 107.

Those kind of numbers can cause Price real problems and this should be a clash of real quality that’s closer than a lot of people are expecting. The Iceman has been especially ruthless with heavy scoring and 180 hitting this year, but it’s The Ferret that has been producing some fireworks with his ton-plus checkouts in recent weeks.

At the end of March, Clayton had only managed four three-figure finishes in 15 matches but since then he’s fired 13 in the 57 legs that he won in 13 matches. He’s also gone 120 or higher 11 times including five from 121.

Price hasn’t been as prolific from that kind of distance this season, winning 8.4% of his legs with one which is the lowest of the four players competing for the title this week which, although I expect the world number four to win, should keep things interesting.

Michael Smith v Michael van Gerwen

It’s another meeting of the Michaels in the night’s second semi-final. Michael van Gerwen will be looking for a record-breaking seventh Premier League of Darts title at the O2 but there are concerns over a shoulder injury that he picked up in last week’s quarter-final victory over Chris Dobey.

Despite pulling out of his semi-final clash with Dimitri Van den Bergh, he was fit enough to take part in the weekend’s Players Championship events where he managed to produce three decent enough performances which suggests the injury isn’t as bad as first feared.

Mighty Mike’s three highest averages were 101, 98 and 97 but he did drop down to 92 and 89 in two of his other displays so things aren’t perfect either so Michael Smith could potentially have an easier semi-final than might otherwise be expected.

The world number one might not have been averaging as high on such a consistent basis as Gerwyn Price in the second half of his Premier League campaign, but he did win three of the final four weeks of the season, so we make him the marginal favourite to set up another clash with The Iceman.

The Bully Boy boasts the highest 180 per leg ratio in the DPL this season with 0.34 and he also threw more 100+ checkouts with 19, winning 12% of his legs in this way. A stunning 13 of those were all 120+ finishes in a tournament where he has routinely threatened a nine-darter.

Bet365 Darts Premier League Match Betting Odds Night Seventeen: 

• Gerwyn Price (2/5) v (2/1) Jonny Clayton
• Michael Smith (10/11) v (10/11) Michael van Gerwen

2023 bet365 Premier League Darts Outright Winner Odds

• Gerwyn Price @ 6/4 with bet365
• Michael van Gerwen @ 12/5 with bet365
• Michael Smith @ 12/5 with bet365
• Jonny Clayton @ 7/1 with bet365

2023 Premier League Darts Table (after sixteen nights)

Player	Nights Won	Games Won	Leg Difference	Points
Gerwyn Price (Q)	4	24	+47	39
Michael Smith (Q)	4	20	+17	33
Michael van Gerwen (Q)	3	19	+27	33
Jonny Clayton (Q)	2	14	-10	24
Nathan Aspinall	1	13	-15	24
Dimitri van den Bergh	1	6	-13	16
Chris Dobey	1	8	-23	14
Peter Wright	0	5	-29	9

2023 Premier League Darts Schedule

• Night 1 – The SSE Arena, Belfast – Thursday February 2 (Winner: Chris Dobey)
• Night 2 – Cardiff International Arena – Thursday February 9 (Winner: Gerwyn Price)
• Night 3 – OVO Hydro, Glasgow – Thursday February 16 (Winner: Michael Smith)
• Night 4 – 3 Arena, Dublin – Thursday February 23  (Winner: Michael van Gerwen)
• Night 5 – Westpoint Arena, Exeter – Thursday March 2 (Winner: Michael van Gerwen)
• Night 6 – M&S Bank Arena, Liverpool – Thursday March 9 (Winner: Michael van Gerwen)
• Night 7 – Motorpoint Arena, Nottingham – Thursday March 16 (Winner: Gerwyn Price)
• Night 8 – Utilita Arena, Newcastle – Thursday March 23 (Winner: Gerwyn Price)
• Night 9 – Mercedes Benz Arena, Berlin – Thursday March 30 (Winner: Jonny Clayton)
• Night 10 – Utilita Arena, Birmingham – Thursday April 6 (Winner: Jonny Clayton)
• Night 11 – The Brighton Centre, Brighton – Thursday April 13 (Winner: Gerwyn Price)
• Night 12 – Rotterdam Ahoy – Thursday April 20 (Winner: Nathan Aspinall)
• Night 13 – First Direct Arena, Leeds – Thursday April 27 (Winner: Michael Smith)
• Night 14 – AO Arena, Manchester – Thursday May 4 (Winner: Michael Smith)
• Night 15 – Utilita Arena, Sheffield – Thursday May 11 (Winner: Michael Smith)
• Night 16 – P&J Live, Aberdeen – Thursday May 18 (Dimitri van den Bergh)
• Play Offs – The O2 Arena, London – Thursday May 25

QUICK GLANCE AT THE 2023 PREMIER LEAGUE OF DARTS NIGHT SEVENTEEN

Venue: The O2 Arena, LondonDates: Thursday February 2^nd – Thursday May 25

Format: Best of 19 & 21 legs (First to ten then eleven)

Current Champion: Michael van Gerwen

Where To Watch: Sky Sports Main Event HD & Sky Sports Arena HD

When To Watch: 19:00 UK

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