The flurry of televised darts tournaments continues this weekend as the leading 32 players from the European Tour order of merit head to Germany for the European Championship, an event where the norm is not always the path that is followed.
James Wade upset the field to come out on top in this tournament last year and he’ll be looking to put up a successful defence but this is probably as strong a field as we’ve had for this event so it’ll take some winning.
Recent Winners
2018 – James Wade
2017 – Michael van Gerwen
2016 – Michael van Gerwen
2015 – Michael van Gerwen
2014 – Michael van Gerwen
2013 – Adrian Lewis
2012 – Simon Whitlock
2011 – Phil Taylor
2010 – Phil Taylor
2009 – Phil Taylor
The Format
This is a leg play tournament with the first round on Thursday evening and Friday afternoon being over the best of 11 legs. The second round is then played on Friday evening and Saturday evening over the best of 19 legs to set up a busy Sunday. Sunday afternoon is quarter final session which is the first to 10 legs with the semi-finals and the final all being the first to 11 in the evening play on Sunday.
Top Half
Although he isn’t the defending champion the seeding for this tournament is based on the European Tour order of merit which means that Michael van Gerwen is the number one seed and so he’s in the top half. That also means that we have the likes of Dave Chisnall seeded at five and in this half while Joe Cullen is seeded eight and he is here too. Daryl Gurney is the other top eight seed in this part of the draw.
It certainly isn’t all about the top eight this weekend though. Glen Durrant will be looking to go deep in another TV event while defending champion James Wade, Dimitri Van den Bergh, Mervyn King, William O’Connor and the World Matchplay champion Rob Cross are just some of the names who will be looking to at least make the final from the top half of the bracket.
Bottom Half
Ian White has been rewarded for his excellent European Tour campaign by being the second seed this week and as such he will be looking to go deep in the tournament. Champions League finalist Peter Wright and semi-finalist from that event Gerwyn Price will be two of the names looking to stop him. Mensur Suljovic never qualified for Leicester so he will be out to show that he shouldn’t be forgotten this weekend too.
This is a loaded half of the draw though and such is the seeding we have Michael Smith down as low as 31. Chris Dobey is also in here while Krzysztof Ratajski will be looking to show his wonderful floor form on this stage. UK Open champion Nathan Aspinall will be looking for a big showing this weekend while the likes of Jamie Hughes, Jeffrey de Zwaan, Stephen Bunting and Jermaine Wattimena will all have their eye on big things.
Outright Betting
It was hard not to be impressed with Gerwyn Price at the Champions League last weekend. He averaged more than a ton in the group stage and then he should have beaten Michael van Gerwen in the semi-final and even in defeat to him he can take a lot of confidence from that. He was scoring brilliantly and his checkouts were very solid. The bonus for him this week is that he has a comfortable looking first round draw which in a first to six is necessary. The rest of his draw is pretty open so I’ll take the Welshman to make up for his disappointment last weekend with a deeper run here.
Given that Michael van Gerwen may well have to come past Glen Durrant and Rob Cross just to make the semi-final I think it is worth chancing our arm on someone in the top half as well. Clearly I’m not going to take anyone from the top quarter which looks a minefield but the second section looks much more open and Simon Whitlock looks overpriced at 125/1. He has an incredible record in Germany. In fact most of his best darts come in this country and this tournament in particular. He has won this in the past and was a runner up last year. If he can take those memories and play his best game he could run deep this weekend.
Quarter Betting
I’ll also take Simon Whitlock for his quarter as well. If he beats Adrian Lewis then it will open right up for him. We’ve seen in recent weeks that James Wade is just beginning to miss some doubles and you never truly know what you are going to get out of Dave Chisnall so there is every chance his section opens right up. It is a long shot that he rediscovers his form but if he does then double figures on Whitlock to make the semi-finals looks a little big to ignore.
Quarter 3 is a strange one as the four leaders in the market for it all play each other in the first round and in a best of 11 it isn’t beyond the realms of possibility that the two outsiders come out on top in it. That might leave the door open for Jamie Hughes. He doesn’t exactly have a bye in the first round but if he can overcome Jermaine Wattimena then there could be a deep run in him. I wonder what Peter Wright has in him. He’ll be gutted after losing on Sunday and he was complaining of illness over that weekend too. If he is out of the way Hughes has the quality to come through at a nice price.
Tips
PLACED – Back G.Price to win European Championship (e/w) for a 2/10 stake at 13.00 with Betfred (1/2 1-2)
Back S.Whitlock to win European Championship (e/w) for a 0.5/10 stake at 126.00 with Sky Bet (1/2 1-2)
Back S.Whitlock to win 2nd Quarter for a 1/10 stake at 12.00 with Sky Bet
Back J.Hughes to win 3rd Quarter for a 1/10 stake at 10.00 with Betway
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