The seventh week of action in the Premier League Darts season sees the tournament leaving the UK for mainland Europe with the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Berlin the venue for what has the makings of a big night of arrers.
Time is beginning to run out for those in danger of being eliminated to save themselves so this is very much a big week for those. It is also big for the group at the top of the table where defeat could see a loser fall away from the pace.
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Gerwyn Price vs Rob Cross
Two men who are heavily involved at the top end of the table meet to open up the night when Gerwyn Price takes on the former world champion Rob Cross in a key match for both men in the race for the o2 which is already beginning to intensify.
Price has been in good touch in the main in 2019 but he has just started to come off his very best form in recent weeks which would be something of a concern. Cross looks to be going from strength to strength and a win here will take him top of the table for an hour or so at the very least. Cross has been finishing superbly well in this tournament which bodes well for him.
A week or two ago I might have left this alone but there are just enough signs at the minute that Price has dipped a little. Cross is showing no sign of easing up at the present time and with 4/5 available on him without the draw I think that he is worth a bet here.
James Wade vs Peter Wright
The intriguing match of the night is actually the second one as the men in third and fourth in the league table heading into the evening meet when James Wade takes on Peter Wright in a tight looking battle on paper.
There isn’t much between these two on the head-to-head record with Wade holding a narrow 18-17 lead and while Wade’s averages were higher in the early stages of the campaign, Wright has put in a pair of 100+ averages in the last couple of weeks and looks to be hitting form at the right time himself. If I was pushed I’d chance Wright here but I’m not convinced there is enough juice in any price to justify a bet.
Michael van Gerwen vs Daryl Gurney
The third match of the evening sees the table topping Michael van Gerwen looking for a second successive win when he takes on the man who beat him in the Players Championship final in Minehead last year in Daryl Gurney.
Gurney finds himself one spot above the drop zone heading into the evening so he could do his survival chances the world of good if he can pick up a result here. Looking further ahead, he’ll need a result if he is to be a competitive runner in the push for the semi-finals later in the season. This hasn’t been MVGs best campaign thus far but that might only spur him on further here. Something tells me Gurney is a shade of value here but at the same time I’m not comfortable enough to act on that.
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Michael Smith vs Mensur Suljovic
The penultimate match of the night sees two men currently outside the top four doing battle when Michael Smith takes on Mensur Suljovic in a game neither will want to lose if they are to keep their hopes of being at the o2 realistic.
This is another tough match to call. I say that because Smith doesn’t always play his best against Suljovic and looks to be nagged by ill health still while Suljovic’s record in the Premier League is terrible. He did at least win his first match of the season last week which is a positive, but it only coming in week six could be considered a negative at the same time. In Germany I would favour Suljovic but he just doesn’t win enough in this competition to justify the odds, or indeed a bet.
Max Hopp vs Raymond Barneveld
The final match of the night is the very definition of must-win for Raymond Barneveld. It is his turn to take on the contender this week, and that emerging player is the home star Max Hopp, and the Dutchman knows he can’t afford to lose.
It might be that Barneveld gets eliminated with a loss here if the other matches before his go against him, but with Michael van Gerwen against him on Judgement Night, wiggle room has disappeared for the Dutch legend. The penny might have dropped in that regard as Barneveld made the final of a floor tournament at the weekend and could be coming into form at the right time.
Hopp has been pretty ordinary in 2019 and I wonder if the occasion will be too big for him with him not exactly flowing at the minute. I would understand why the general consensus is that Barneveld will lose this match but I’m going to take the chance that the huge nature of it and his run to the final on Sunday brings out one decent performance in the Dutchman. A draw is no use to Barney so I’ll have a punt on him winning.
Tips
WON – Back R.Cross to beat G.Price (DNB) for a 4/10 stake at 1.80 with 888sport
Back him here:
WON – Back R.Barneveld to beat M.Hopp for a 3/10 stake at 2.50 with Betway
Back him here:
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