The race for the places at the o2 for the Premier League Darts finals night is really hotting up and in week ten of the season in Liverpool on Thursday night the picture about who will be battling for the title at the London venue next month may well become a little clearer.
Once again we have five matches on the card in Liverpool on Thursday night with Gary Anderson and Peter Wright the two men playing twice. The state of the league table should ensure a competitive evening.
Gary Anderson vs Dave Chisnall
The night begins in heavy scoring fashion as Gary Anderson takes on Dave Chisnall. Both men find themselves out of the top four heading into the evening so it is important for them both to get a win. Anderson will be eager for a win here to ease the pressure for later in the evening.
I don’t like backing players off the back of heavy defeats which Anderson suffered last week and when you factor in that Chisnall averaged 106 last week Anderson might not be much value here. I fancied the 180s but the price on them are skinny so I’ll leave the opener alone.
Michael van Gerwen vs Peter Wright
The match of the night is the second game when Michael van Gerwen looks to extend his lead at the top when he takes on Peter Wright. Wright did very well to hold Chisnall last week but he now faces a van Gerwen who averaged a shade under 114 last week.
I think van Gerwen will win this one. The edge just looks to have come off Wright’s game over the last couple of weeks and that isn’t a good position to be in heading into a night when he plays both world finalists. I was hoping to get a piece of MVG -2.5 but at 8/11 it is plenty short enough so I’ll sit this one out too.
Adrian Lewis vs Raymond Barneveld
These two men were in fine form last week and will go into this one with plenty of confidence. Adrian Lewis needs to win this given that he is adrift from the top four while a win for Barneveld will have him in a very strong position in terms of semi-final qualification.
Given that both played well last week this is a tricky one to call. I hope Barneveld wins as I’m on him outright and that is enough to sit this one out and wait for better betting opportunities.
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Phil Taylor vs James Wade
James Wade had a bad night last week in terms of results. He was unlucky in his first match against Michael van Gerwen. Wade averaged almost 111 but ran into a rampant van Gerwen who denied him a draw with a crazy 138 checkout in the final leg. Phil Taylor waltzed past Barneveld to get back in the top four and he’ll want a win here to maintain that position.
James Wade has only won one of his last eight matches in the Premier League and that was only against an injured Jelle Klaasen. He just doesn’t have the scoring power at this level and I expect Taylor to be the latest to take advantage of that.
At 8/11 Taylor’s price isn’t the best but with the throw the -2.5 legs offers much more interest especially when you think a 7-5 Taylor win is unlikely given how well Wade holds throw. I fancy Taylor will have broken before then though and served it out for a win.
Peter Wright vs Gary Anderson
The night finishes with the battle of the Scots as Peter Wright and Gary Anderson face off in a match which could have big implications on the top four. A Wright win would have him in a good position but a win for Anderson would leave him nicely placed too.
As with previous weeks I’m reluctant to get involved in these matches where a player or two players play for a second time. It is impossible to second guess what mind frame either will be in going into the match so I’ll just sit and assess their form for future weeks rather than bet.
Tips
Back P.Taylor (-2.5 legs) to beat J.Wade for a 4/10 stake at 2.10 with 888sport
Back him here:
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