The second session of darts in the PDC World Darts Championship on Saturday promises to be a cracking night as two world champions take to the stage with a couple of really tasty looking matches on show.
Saturday night is the one we’ve all been waiting for as it sees the start of Michael van Gerwen’s quest for a second world title. Stephen Bunting is also in action on what should be a hugely entertaining evening.
Ross Snook vs Kim Viljanen (P)
Unknown Age 35
Canada Country Finland
N/A PDC Ranking 154
Debut WC Best Last 64
DNQ Last year Last 64
0 Head to Head 0
The evening begins with the preliminary match with the reward for the winner being the opportunity to take on the biggest star in the game at present in Michael van Gerwen.
We’ve seen a fair bit of Kim Viljanen on our screens either in this tournament where he lost to Kevin Painter in the first round having won his preliminary match or in the World Cup of Darts where he has represented Finland for the last couple of years.
We haven’t seen anything of Ross Snook though and while you don’t get a bad player out of the North American qualifying system it has to be said that area of the game isn’t as strong as it used to be. Unless Snook is something special which is unlikely then Viljanen should win this but I’m not a preliminary round player.
Cristo Reyes vs Dimitri van den Bergh
29 Age 22
33 PDC Ranking 53
Last 16 WC Best Last 32
Last 64 Last year Last 32
2 Head to Head 2
The opening first round match of the night is a good looking all-European battle between Spain’s number one and the Belgian number three as Cristo Reyes looks to defend the last 16 money from two years ago against a Dimitri van den Bergh for whom everything he earns here will go onto his ranking.
I think this will be quite an entertaining match. Both men know where the 60 is and both can have shockers on the doubles. I suspect this one will be won by the man who can hold himself together the best on the doubles especially those really key pressure ones.
I suspect that will be van den Bergh for a couple of reasons. Firstly he had no issues closing out Ian White here last year and also there is no pressure on him unlike Reyes who needs to win to protect his ranking. It will only be a shot here or there that decides this but the Belgian’s slightly better reliability on the doubles gives him the edge.
Stephen Bunting vs Darren Webster
31 Age 48
16 PDC Ranking 35
QF WC Best QF
Last 32 Last year Last 32
2 Head to Head 1
One of the matches of the first round is this one and it is such because it has banana skin written all over it for Stephen Bunting. Both men have been quarter finalists in this tournament in the past but Bunting is defending his quarter final money this year so he needs to win.
We saw all what Darren Webster had to offer in Minehead a couple of weeks ago when he took a 6-0 lead on Michael van Gerwen no less in their semi-final of the Players Championship Finals. A couple of weeks prior to that Webster thrashed Phil Taylor 5-0 at the Grand Slam of Darts so if Bunting needs a warning as to what the Norfolk man can do two very big names can send out that warning.
I’m a big Stephen Bunting fan but there is no doubt his form hasn’t been his best in the last six months or so. He seems to be scoring well but misses some crucial doubles when he does play well he runs into someone on absolute top form. I suspect he could run into a bit of a train here too. Webster isn’t interested in who he is playing and I fancy he’ll play well. That could just be enough to edge this. On current form he is overpriced at 9/5 in my eyes. That should be nearer 7/5.
Michael van Gerwen vs Ross Snook/Kim Viljanen
27 Age
1 PDC Ranking
Winner WC Best
Last 16 Last year
N/A Head to Head N/A
The final match of a busy day of darts sees the start of Michael van Gerwen’s campaign. As with the other matches involving the preliminary round winner it isn’t a match to bet on but it would be a stratospheric shock if van Gerwen loses this.
Anyone looking to blow their balls on a 3-0 win though should remember MVG faced a prelim winner in the same round 12 months ago and got taken the distance. That shouldn’t happen here but this is sport. Either way the match isn’t a betting proposition for me.
Tips
Back D.van den Bergh to beat C.Reyes for a 4/10 stake at 2.00 with BetVictor
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WON – Back D.Webster to beat S.Bunting for a 3/10 stake at 2.80 with Unibet
Back him here:
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