The final session of darts at the PDC World Darts Championship before the break for Christmas looks like being a cracker on Friday night as two former champions are in action looking for spots in the third round.
The pressure is on all six players on show as none of them will want to lose before Christmas and ruin the festive period. That said the format is now the best of seven sets so they can all relax a little and settle into their best game.
Simon Whitlock vs Darren Webster
Simon Whitlock: Round 1 beat Dragutin Horvat 3-0 – Ave: 98.70 180s: 1
Darren Webster: Round 1 beat Stephen Bunting 3-2 – Ave: 94.46 180s: 8
Head to Head: 1-3
For the second time in three years and a second TV tournament in a row these two meet each other. I’m sure Simon Whitlock will need no reminding that Darren Webster won both those matches but I got the feeling the Australian is bang up for this tournament.
Full credit must go to Darren Webster for having not just the belief but also the game to come through and see off Stephen Bunting from behind in the first round. The darts he produced in the final two sets were fantastic. Whitlock wasn’t tested in the first round but sometimes it can be harder to play as well as he did in those circumstances.
So we have two form players going at it here. Both fully believe they can win the match and both may well get their chances as I expect this to be really close. The value call might well be on Webster but there was something about Whitlock I really liked. Rather than take the match betting I’m going to side with the 180s where a 10.5 line looks low. Webster ploughed in eight in the first round and Whitlock is relentless when he gets going. Over a six or seven set match I expect a dozen or more 180s here.
Gary Anderson vs Andrew Gilding
Gary Anderson: Round 1 beat Mark Frost 3-0 – Ave: 96.16 180s: 5
Andrew Gilding: Round 1 beat John Henderson 3-2 – Ave: 90.94 180s: 8
Head to Head: 3-0
Gary Anderson continues his title defence with a second round clash with Andrew Gilding who came through a marathon clash with John Henderson in the first round in what was a high quality encounter.
We should mention that although the head to head is 3-0 in Anderson’s favour they have all been on the floor and Gilding has taken them all to a deciding leg which suggests he doesn’t fear the Scot. Whether he’s good enough to beat him over this distance only time will tell but I’m not sure I want to be racing into 4-0 on the evidence of that.
That said if Anderson is on it that is probably the most likely outcome so I’ll sit back and see what sort of challenge Gilding can provide in the hope he can take care of the champion to boost the chances of my outright bet Jelle Klaasen who sits in this quarter.
Adrian Lewis vs Joe Cullen
Adrian Lewis: Round 1 beat Magnus Caris 3-0 – Ave: 93.25 180s: 5
Joe Cullen: Round 1 beat Corey Cadby 3-1 – Ave: 100.88 180s: 6
Head to Head: 9-1
Adrian Lewis cruised into the second round with a win against a Magnus Caris who should have been out of his depth but who actually had the chances to make Lewis work much harder than he had to. Joe Cullen was involved in one of the matches of the tournament so far when he produced plenty of quality to see off the next big thing Corey Cadby.
Joe Cullen won the first meeting between these two but he has lost the nine since then although five of the last six have gone down to a deciding leg and few of them have been while Cullen has played the darts he has been playing over the last six months or so.
Lewis often raises his game for this tournament but there is just something about him that it seems like his focus is missing and for much of the year when the pressure has come he’s been found wanting. You would think Cullen will bring plenty of pressure here not least because he has nothing to lose and at the prices he’s good value to pull off the first major upset of the tournament.
Tips
WON – Back S.Whitlock vs D.Webster – Over 10.5 180s for a 4/10 stake at 1.83 with Betfair
Back it here:
Back J.Cullen to beat A.Lewis for a 3/10 stake at 3.75 with William Hill
Back him here:
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