The 2016 darts season kicks off this weekend and it does so with an event which is still relatively in its infancy but has the potential to become one of the highlights of the calendar.
The tournament in question is The Masters from Milton Keynes, which just like its snooker equivalent sees the top 16 players in the world being invited into the event to do battle against each other over two frenetic days for the £60,000 winners cheque.
This is becoming a big event in its own right but with the Premier League kicking off on Thursday it would be only natural were the players in that to have an eye on their season opener rather than this tournament.
Unlike the snooker version of this tournament the first round draw is done by the seeding of the world rankings with 1 vs 16, 2 vs 15 and so on which means we have a couple of one-sided looking matches but a really competitive looking draw overall.
Clearly Michael van Gerwen goes into the event as the favourite. He is the defending champion and having been well beaten in the World Championship much earlier than he would have expected he will be desperate to prove that he’s still the top dog this weekend. MVG is a tough nut to crack at the best of times let alone when he has the bit between his teeth.
Gary Anderson arrives in Milton Keynes as the world champion and he’ll be out to show just how he won that title this weekend. Anderson lost in the semi-final here last year which might be significant but he’s certainly the standout player in the bottom half of the draw.
Adrian Lewis and Phil Taylor are seeded third and fourth in this tournament and whenever Taylor is in the same half of the draw as van Gerwen there is always an extra feeling of buzz and anticipation in the air.
Although they could meet in the semi-final both might need to complete revenge missions to get that far. Taylor would need to beat Jelle Klaasen in the first round. Klaasen was the man who dumped him out of the World Championship, something I very much doubt The Power has forgotten while Raymond Barneveld is a potential quarter final opponent for van Gerwen in a rematch from Alexandra Palace.
Anyone who is anyone is in this tournament so there are plenty more you can make a case for this weekend not least Peter Wright and Dave Chisnall but I’m having just the one outright bet this time and it comes on a former champion.
James Wade won the tournament when it was held in Scotland in its November slot but the tournament format was the same then which is encouraging. Wade was looking really good in the World Championship until he ran into a monstrous Anderson in the quarter final.
I’m sure Wade is wise enough to realise he did nothing wrong there. Anderson was just unstoppable but The Machine has been in good nick for a while and loves competing against these big names. He has Eric Bristow advising him these days which should strengthen the mind and inspire him to perform every week and I’m really expecting a big weekend from Wade.
If there is such a thing as an open quarter in this tournament Wade probably has it and with the leg format suiting him as we’ve seen with his record in the World Matchplay, Wade has everything he needs for another tilt at the title. He doesn’t face van Gerwen until the final which makes him an appealing each way punt this weekend.
Back J.Wade to win The Masters (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 21.00 with Betway
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