After Cancelled Premier League Event, Gary Anderson Wins UK Open

After Cancelled Premier League Event, Gary Anderson Wins UK Open

Gardy Anderson Wins UK Open

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

2018 Premier League Darts lineup

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

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

Gary Anderson Beats Peter Wright

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.

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Barney Beaten By The Flying Scotsman In Perth

Barney Beaten By The Flying Scotsman In Perth

Gary Anderson Wins Perth Darts Masters

Gary Anderson put his poor form behind him to take down Perth Darts Masters on Sunday, his second World Series of Darts title of the season following his win in Dubai back in May. Beating Raymond van Barneveld 11-7, the Flying Scotsman was in imperious form, averaging almost 104 and landing seven 180s.

Anderson victorious while Van Barneveld falls short

Anderson, who is 9/2 with Skybet & bet365 to win next month’s Champions League of Darts, had earlier seen off James Wade 11-9 in the semi-finals before meeting with Barney in the final, his first Masters final in the last five stages.

With Van Barneveld’s loss in Perth, in 25 attempts he has yet to earn a World Series crown or win an individual PDC title since the Hong Kong Masters in 2015. He was, however, responsible for eliminating Phil Taylor, as well as Corey Cadby, playing on home soil, and Daryl Gurney in the semi-finals.

In a high quality final, Barney himself averaged 101.87, striking three 180s and a bullseye finish which closed the leg gap at 7-6 before Anderson upped his game significantly to storm the following five legs and claim the fifth World Series trophy of his career.

Next up: Dutch Masters

This week, it would have been Barney’s turn to play on home soil as the action, which takes place from September 1-3, heads to the MECC in Maastricht for the Dutch Darts Masters. Despite home advantage, RVB is one of many big hitters sitting this one out.

It goes without saying that Michael van Gerwen, refreshed following a month off, is a favourite at 8/11 with both bet365 and Skybet. Having won the previous three Dutch Masters, the world number one is expected to mark his return by making it four in a row. With no Anderson, Adrian Lewis, RVB or Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor, Peter ‘Snakebite’ Wright is the second favourite at 5/1, with the same two bookmakers. At a distant third is Daryl Gurney, who can be picked up at 16s, also at Skybet and bet365.

In other news, Germany will host a night of Premier League Darts next year as the PDC continues to take the brand to new lands. This means that the star darters will be touching down in Berlin where, on Thursday February 22, the Mercedes-Benz Arena will host Germany’s first ever DPL night.

The action gets underway on the 1st of February at Dublin’s 3Arena, while Judgement Night will be in Belfast on March 29, with London’s O2 hosting the final on 17th of May.

Premier League Darts dates 2018

Here is a full look ahead to the schedule for 2018:

• Dublin – February 1
• Cardiff – February 8
• Newcastle – February 15
• Berlin – February 22
• Exeter – March 1
• Leeds – March 8
• Nottingham – March 15
• Glasgow – March 22
• Belfast – March 29 (Judgement Night)
• Liverpool – April 5
• Sheffield – April 12
• Rotterdam – April 19
• Manchester – April 26
• Birmingham – May 3
• Aberdeen – May 10
• London – May 17 (Play-offs at the O2 Arena)

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