The third day of action in the World Cup of Darts sees the 16 remaining nations all in action over the course of the two sessions of play each with the aim of making it into the quarter finals and potentially beyond when the tournament draws to a close on Sunday.
The format is different now. Ties are now over the best of three matches with two best of seven leg singles matches kicking off each tie. If those singles matches are split then a best of seven leg pairs match will decide the tie so this is really where having a strong second player is of real benefit.
Afternoon session
The afternoon begins with the Huybrechts brothers looking to send Belgium into another World Cup quarter final when they take on Hungary. That is followed by probably the match of the round as both sides of Ireland meet when the Republic take on the North in one of the few matches that could bring about a doubles contest.
World champions oppose each other in the third match of the afternoon as Wales face Canada in another match which might end up being settled over the pairs contest. The afternoon is then rounded off by Austria, impressive winners in the opening round, taking on Singapore in a match where the winners could face England in the last eight.
Evening session
The events in the evening begin with Scotland taking on Norway with the current world champion Gary Anderson given another chance to show why he won that world title. That is followed by Australia’s match with Denmark which sees Simon Whitlock trying to guide the Australians through to the final day once again.
England were made to work very hard as expected on Friday but you would think they would have things much easier when they take on China on Saturday evening in the penultimate tie of the round. The final tie sees the Netherlands taking on a Philippines side that they should defeat long before the need for the pairs clash.
Betting
This is one of those rare days of darts where there isn’t a bet that interests me. In truth I can’t see past the eight favourites and if I’m honest I can only see a couple of ties that have the potential to go to doubles and even then I would still be confident that the favourites will come through.
Often there is always a shock in this round but whether it is the format or just the way the draw has panned out I’m not sure but I don’t really see a shock here unless someone has an unexpected mare on the doubles or there is a genius finish at the right time.
Nothing stands out though so for once I will sit this one out and wait for better days and better chances before parting with my cash again.
Tips
No bet
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