It was a great opening to the 2018 Premier League Darts last week when most matches went down to the last leg. Only one game didn’t come down to a last leg decider and that was when Michael van Gerwen exacted his revenge over World Championship winner Rob Cross. Van Gerwen showed why he was the odds-on favourite to win the competition outright and the 7-2 victory puts him above the pack. Everything could change this week with five quality games in store for darts’ bettors, including a mouthwatering clash between Van Gerwen and Peter Wright.
M. Smith vs. D. Gurney form & tip
Michael “Bully Boy” Smith made a massive comeback to defeat Gary Anderson last week and he could continue that momentum against Daryl Gurney. Smith was trailing 5-2 and came back to win the last five legs to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. He has always had the ability to beat the best players in the world, but he rushes his throws and that often gets him into trouble. He shouldn’t be worried about facing the inexperience Daryl Gurney, who battled for a draw against Raymond van Barneveld. Bookmakers have this game close, but Smith could edge the victory at 7/4 with Ladbrokes.
R. Cross vs. S. Whitlock form & Tip
2018 World Darts Championship winner Rob Cross finds himself on the bottom of the ladder, but it’s still early days. The Englishman was thrashed 7-2 by MvG and he’s coming up against Simon Whitlock who scored a narrow victory over Mensur Suljovic last week, but the advantage is still with Cross. Bookmakers have Cross as the 8/15 favourite and although he’s short to win, we’re expecting nothing short of a much-improved performance from the classy player this week.
M. Van Gerwen vs. P. Wright form & Tip
Michael van Gerwen was his dominant best against Rob Cross last week and he typically dominates Peter Wright. MvG didn’t look under any pressure in Ireland last week and although Rob Cross still threw a good three-dart average, it mattered not against the reigning and defending Premier League Darts champion. Peter Wright’s antics regarding his darts continued last week as he again changed his darting equipment. The Scot can’t decide on what type of dart he wants to use and it’s having a negative impact on his play. He managed only a 6-6 draw against Gerwyn Price last week and Price is someone Wright would have expected to beat. He failed over the final few legs and confidence won’t be high with Wright, unless he sticks with one set of darts. This is world No. 1 vs. No. 2, but it should play much easier than that for MvG (1/3 at Ladbrokes).
G. Price vs. G. Anderson form & Tip
Gary Anderson might have a 3-0 career record over Gerwyn Price, but the confidence levels of both players couldn’t be any different at the moment. Price is full of confidence after securing a draw against Peter Wright last week and Anderson is lacking confidence after losing to Michael Smith after leading 5-2. Anderson has been out of form for most of the season and although he doesn’t lose matches to players ranked below him very often, this is a great chance for Price to notch his first win over the Scottish player. Price hasn’t won multiple World Championships like his counterpart, but he’s never lacked confidence he’s currently 11/4 to win. The draw looks like the better betting option at 7/2 with Ladbrokes.
R. Van Barneveld vs. M. Suljovic form & Tip
Mensur Suljovic wasn’t his usual self against fiesty Australian Simon Whitlock last week, but that might have been Premier League debut nerves. The Austrian faces another tough mental battle against Raymond van Barneveld this week, but we actually like his chances of causing a slight upset. Bookmakers are finding it tough to split the two with Suljovic the underdog at 15/8, but there’s great value in that price. Many are predicting a 6-6 draw between the two consistent scorers, but Van Barneveld is tough to trust at the best of times and bettors know what they’re getting with Mensur. He could end the night on a high and score his first ever Premier League success over the big Dutchman.