The eight top players in the darts world get the chance to earn some more dosh this weekend and entertain us in the process when they line up for the Champions League of Darts in Leicester, an event featuring the best of the best.
Gary Anderson came through a tough field last year and he is back to attempt to defend the title but he’ll have his work cut out with the quality on show this week. All eight players will fancy their chances of being the champion.
Recent Winners
2018 – Gary Anderson
2017 – Mensur Suljovic
2016 – Phil Taylor
The Format
The eight players have been placed into two groups of four, where everyone plays the other three men in their section over the Saturday afternoon, Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon sessions over the best of 19 legs before the two semi-finals and the final take place on Sunday night and they are the best of 21 legs with the winner walking off with a cool £100,000 for their exploits across the weekend. The winner of Group A meets the runner up of Group B in one semi-final and the runner up of A meets the winner of B in the other.
Group A
The world number one Michael van Gerwen is naturally the top seed and as a result is the headline act in a very tough looking Group A. He hasn’t even made the final since 2016 though so that will give the other three men a little confidence. The fourth seed Michael Smith is also in this group and he will need to be at his best to come through. Gary Anderson will kick off his title defence from this section of the draw as well while the lowest seed of the eight, James Wade, is also in this group.
Group B
While you would say that Group A looks the toughest on paper with the two most recognisable names in the game in it, we shouldn’t fall into the trap of thinking that Group B is all that much easier. It is headed by the World Matchplay champion Rob Cross, while world ranked number three Daryl Gurney has a perfect chance to show he belongs at such a lofty position. Peter Wright lost in the final of this competition last year and he’ll aim to go one better from this group while the Grand Slam champion Gerwyn Price will be out to prove he isn’t just making up the numbers.
Betting
When even the outsider of the pile is only 16/1 you know how competitive a tournament we have got. The first thing to decide when taking an outright bet is which group to pick from. If you pick from Group A and don’t take Michael van Gerwen, who is no real value given his record in the event, the likelihood is that your man is in a three-way fight for one spot in the semi-final but should he get it he would avoid MVG for a shot at the place money. If you take from Group B there is a chance you run into the Dutchman in the semi-final and need your man to beat him for a pay-out.
I’m prepared to go with the latter option though. Van Gerwen didn’t even make the semi-final in 2017 and Peter Wright beat him in that round last year and it is the colourful Scot who catches my eye here. He is in sensational form at the minute, winning a Players Championship event on Tuesday while recording an average in excess of 123 in one of his matches on Monday so he should be heading to Leicester full of confidence. The longer format should allow him to find his scoring rhythm and it is about time he becomes a factor on the TV stage again. Given his form 10/1 is very acceptable on ‘Snakebite’.
Tips
PLACED – Back P.Wright to win Champions League of Darts (e/w) for a 2/10 stake at 11.00 with Betfair (1/3 1-2)
Back him here:
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