For the second weekend in a row there is a European Tour darts tournament. Michael Smith cleaned up in Muelheim last week and he’ll be looking for back to back titles in Innsbruck this weekend when he toes the oche in the European Darts Matchplay.
Opposing Smith this weekend are some of the biggest names in the sport such as Michael van Gerwen, Peter Wright and Dave Chisnall among others.
As with all the European Tour events the seeded players don’t come into the tournament until Saturday with the 32 qualifiers playing on Friday for the right to face them in the last 32 on the second day of action. All matches are the best of 11 legs.
Michael van Gerwen was beaten last weekend but I don’t think I’m yet in the habit of taking outrights from his half of the draw although admittedly he has the toughest draw he’s had in a while this weekend. If I was going to look at someone in that half it would probably be someone like Ian White but I’ll head to the other half.
Michael Smith is the main man in the other half of the draw and if he plays like he did last week then he’ll have every chance of a repeat but backing up a win like that will be tough for someone so young so I’m prepared to take him on.
This half of the draw is quite competitive with the likes of Dave Chisnall, Terry Jenkins, Justin Pipe and Jelle Klaasen in it but there are two men who stand out to me this weekend.
Peter Wright was going very well in Muelheim last week until he ran into a rampant Michael van Gerwen in the semi-final but that continued a good run of form for the Scot and I expect that to stay intact this weekend.
Wright has a comfortable early draw where he should make the quarter final and as we saw last week from there on in the tournament is usually wide open so at 14/1 Wright is my main bet this week.
My other bet is another guy who went well last week in Kim Huybrechts. Huybrechts lost to Wright in the last 16 but he averaged 103 in doing so and only got touched off in a final leg. Had he come through that decider he may well have gone all the way in that form so I’m prepared to chance him again this week.
Huybrechts has generally gone pretty well in the European Tour events this season and is another who should make it to the last eight relatively smoothly so at 33/1 I’m prepared to chance him too.
Back P.Wright to win European Darts Matchplay (e/w) for a 1.5/10 stake at 15.00 with William Hill (1/2 1-2)
Back K.Huybrechts to win European Darts Matchplay (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 34.00 with William Hill (1/2 1-2)
Blog darts YTD: +18.11pts
