Tag: premier league darts preview

Premier League Darts: Week 15 – Brighton Preview

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Although the play-off positions have all been confirmed heading into this final round of ‘regular’ fixtures for Premier League Darts 2015, there is still the small matter of who will top the table and a tussle between the remaining – admittedly relatively irrelevant – positions.

Michael van Gerwen, Dave Chisnall, Gary Anderson and Raymond van Barneveld are all set to battle it out in the play-offs at The O2 in London next week for the grand title. But there is a notable absentee in Phil Taylor, who will miss out in the Premier League Darts play-offs for the first time in the competitions 11-year history. If nothing else, his absence really shows the progress the profession of darts has made over the past five years or so.

And so, onto the Brighton Centre on the south coast for what will be a slightly disappointing finale to the regular season for spectators – although I’m surely they’ll be suitably entertained regardless.

Phil Taylor v James Wade

In a disappointing end to the tournament for Phil Taylor, he must battle it out with James Wade to avoid slipping even further down the Premier League table.

It’s been a miserable campaign for The Power, who has won just five of his 15 fixtures – and just one of his last seven. Is this really the end for Taylor?

James Wade is well out of form too, and hasn’t won since relegation week – but will there be a silver lining for Taylor?

Verdict: Phil Taylor win – 4/5 at bet365

Adrian Lewis v Gary Anderson

Adrian Lewis recorded an impressive victory over Michael van Gerwen last week to move him up to fifth-place in the table, but, with results going against him later in the evening, it wasn’t enough to keep him in contention for the play-offs.

Gary Anderson has his play-off position assured, meanwhile, but he’ll hope to keep hold of third-place in order to avoid a likely semi-final encounter with MVG in London next week. He can secure his position with a win here or hope that Barney doesn’t better his result.

Verdict: Draw – 19/5 at 888sport

Raymond van Barneveld v Stephen Bunting

Barney’s stunning five-match winning streak came to an unlikely halt last week as James Wade held him to a draw in Newcastle. With Taylor being beaten by Anderson, it turned out to be enough for the Dutchman to claim a play-off position, though.

Facing him is Stephen Bunting who has enjoyed a decent first year in Premier League Darts, although one that won’t see him finish higher than sixth.

Verdict: Raymond van Barneveld win – 10/11 at William Hill

Michael van Gerwen v Dave Chisnall

The night rounds off in style as Mighty Mike faces an unlikely challenger for top position in Dave Chisnall. It’s a case of winner takes all in this encounter – with the victor finishing top of the table – although MVG will stay top with a draw.

Michael van Gerwen has topped the last two Premier League Darts league tables, but can he finish top again with an unlikely challenger in second-place Chisnall hot on his tail?

Verdict: Michael van Gerwen win – 8/13 at Paddy Power

Premier League Darts: Week 11 – Aberdeen Preview

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Premier League Darts exploded into life in Sheffield last week, as Raymond van Barneveld bounced back to form to batter Phil Taylor, while Dave Chisnall recorded a double victory to close the gap on front-runner Michael van Gerwen.

This week’s action comes from the glamorously-named GE Oil & Gas Arena in Aberdeen, with the race to the play-offs heating up nicely with just two points separating fourth-place Taylor from Stephen Bunting in eighth.

Unless something goes drastically wrong for Michael van Gerwen or Dave Chisnall, you’d expect those two to have all but cemented their respective places in the play-offs, leaving the remaining six players competing for the elusive final two spots.

Dave Chisnall v Phil Taylor

It’s a double fixture week for Phil Taylor and Stephen Bunting in Aberdeen, making this round especially important to them if they want to stamp their mark on the competition as Chisnall did last week.

Taylor starts-off with an encounter against Chizzy, who is currently second in the table. The Power is on a miserable run of form, losing four of his last five, including a week nine defeat to Chizzy. Taylor remains in the play-off positions, but with four players hot on his heels, he needs two big performances this week to sure up his position.

Chizzy, meanwhile, is flying this season, winning eight of his eleven matches – including a double victory over Gary Anderson and James Wade last week.

You can expect Phil Taylor to be fired up for this one, though, after his various disappointments in recent weeks.

Verdict: Phil Taylor to win – 11/10 at SkyBet or BetVictor

Stephen Bunting v Adrian Lewis

Despite sitting bottom of the remaining players in the Premier League currently, Stephen Bunting has made a very respectable debut season in Premier League Darts. The St Helens’ player suffered a narrow 7-5 defeat to van Gerwen last week, but did record a 7-3 victory over Adrian Lewis earlier in the competition.

Lewis had looked set to be relegated from the tournament just a fortnight ago, but back-to-back wins over Peter Wright and James Wade have seen him climb up the table. More performances like that could see the 2011 runner-up climb up to the play-off places – but he’ll view this fixture as a must-win if he wants to achieve that.

If Bunting is to win both of the night’s fixtures, he could well find himself in the play-off spots ahead of next week’s fixtures.

Verdict: Draw – 4/1 at SkyBet or BetVictor

James Wade v Gary Anderson

Currently level on points with Phil Taylor, James Wade had a woeful time of it last week, losing to Adrian Lewis before being battered 7-1 by Dave Chisnall. Those results made it three consecutive defeats for Wade – who has played a fixture more than all but one of the rest of the competition.

He faces a tough opponent in the form of third-placed Gary Anderson though, who defeated him 7-4 in the fourth round of fixtures.

Verdict: Gary Anderson win – 4/6 at Ladbrokes or William Hill

Raymond van Barneveld v Michael van Gerwen

Victory over The Power last week brought Barney right back into play-off contention last week, but he faces an even tougher opponent this week in compatriot, Michael van Gerwen.

Mighty Mike is unbeaten in Premier League Darts this campaign, but will be very aware of van Barneveld’s ability, especially having been beaten by the other Dutchman in the final last year.

Verdict: Draw – 5/1 at SkyBet or 888sport

Stephen Bunting v Phil Taylor

In the final match of the evening, Bunting and Taylor meet up for their second matches of the night.

The Power comfortably disposed of Bunting in week three with a 7-1 victory, but will he ease to victory once again? I think so.

Verdict: Phil Taylor win – 7/10 at 888sport

Premier League Darts – Week 9: Manchester Preview

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Two players are set to be chopped from Premier League Darts 2015 following this round of fixtures, but who will pull out a big performance at the Phone 4u Arena in Manchester on Thursday?

I correctly predicted four of the five results last week – so well done if you got in on that – and there’s some more predictions for each match again below.

Relegation: as it stands

While bottom-of-the-table, Kim Huybrechts, still has a mathematical chance of survival, he will require a convincing win over Stephen Bunting, while hoping that Adrian Lewis and Raymond van Barneveld both suffer defeats. It seems, therefore, that the Belgian’s debut season in the Premier League looks set to come to a premature end.

With Huybrechts likely to be a goner, that leaves one remaining relegation spot, with Stephen Bunting, Peter Wright, Raymond van Barneveld and Adrian Lewis all still in danger – the latter of whom currently occupies the dreaded position.

What is inevitable, though, is that it will all come down to the final match of the night in Manchester – as seventh-place Peter Wright takes on ninth-place Adrian Lewis, in what could prove to be a relegation play-off.

# Name Pld W D L +/- Pts
1  Michael van Gerwen 8 6 2 0 +23 14
2  Gary Anderson 8 6 0 2 +14 12
3  Dave Chisnall 8 5 1 2 +14 11
4  James Wade 8 3 3 2 +8 9
5  Phil Taylor 8 4 1 3 +7 9
6  Stephen Bunting 8 2 2 4 −8 6
7  Peter Wright 8 1 4 3 –14 6
8  Raymond van Barneveld 8 2 1 5 -13 5
9  Adrian Lewis 8 1 3 4 -14 5
10  Kim Huybrechts 8 1 1 6 −17 3

Michael van Gerwen v James Wade

The league leader looks unstoppable at the moment, and remains unbeaten this season. But he faces a formidable opponent in fourth-place, James Wade, who hasn’t lost any of his last three.

Verdict: Michael van Gerwen win – 8/15 at Stan James

Stephen Bunting v Kim Huybrechts

Huybrechts needs a win and some favourable results to stand any chance of staying in the competition, while Bunting also needs a point to ensure his own safety.

Despite losing 7-4 to Gary Anderson last week, Bunting has impressed in his debut Premier League Darts season. Huybrechts has also put in some strong showings, but has often buckled when it comes to hitting doubles at important moments.

Verdict: Stephen Bunting win – 7/5 at Boylesports

Gary Anderson v Raymond van Barneveld

It’s been a disappointing season for Barney, who, don’t forget is the reigning champion. Indeed, a win is a must for the Dutchman here – if he suffers another defeat here, he’ll have to wait and hope until the last game of the night that Adrian Lewis doesn’t beat Peter Wright, which would cause a shock relegation for Barney.

Anderson, too, will be a very tough opponent for van Barneveld, with the Scot second in table after consistently strong showings this season.

Verdict: Draw – 10/3 at bet365 or Betfred

Phil Taylor v Dave Chisnall

Chisnall returned to winning ways last week with an emphatic 7-2 victory over Adrian Lewis. That result left Chissy in third-place and he’ll be hoping for a victory over The Power in order to create a real cushion in the play-off places.

Taylor will be disappointed with his current position of fifth, but you’d have to fancy him to have the class to dispose of Chisnall here to get back in the play-off spots.

Verdict: Phil Taylor win – 4/7 at BetVictor or Stan James

Adrian Lewis v Peter Wright

In the big match of the night, Adrian Lewis takes on Peter Wright in what could well end up being a relegation face-off.

Lewis could stay up if he draws and Barney loses, but he’ll want to take no chances with that. However, if van Barneveld does indeed win, then this match will see the winner survive and the loser relegated. What a finale it should be.

Verdict: Peter Wright win – 7/4 at 888sport or Coral

Premier League Darts – Week 8: Dublin Preview

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

With relegation upon us next week, the pressure is on various this players this week at the 3Arena in Dublin as they seek to avoid the drop.

Adrian Lewis v Dave Chisnall

Starting proceedings, ninth place Adrian Lewis takes on Dave Chisnall, who has lost his last two. Chizzy got off to a flying start to Premier League Darts this season, winning each of his opening four matches, seeing him soar to the top of the leaderboard. A subsequent draw with James Wade, as well as defeats against Stephen Bunting and Michael van Gerwen, now sees him battling to stay in the top four places.

The pressure really is on Adrian Lewis to add to his sole victory to date, which came on the opening day of the season as he obliterated defending champion, Raymond van Barneveld, 7-1. Can Lewis pull himself out of the relegation places with a win?

Verdict: Dave Chisnall win – 15/8 at SkyBet or William Hill

Gary Anderson v Stephen Bunting

Anderson just missed a D12 for a nine-darter at his homecoming in Glasgow last week during his narrow victory over Kim Huybrechts, but he is still on fine form this season and currently sits in second place.

He’ll be looking to pile the pressure on Bunting who threw away a 5-1 lead against Peter Wright last week and had to settle for a draw. The St Helens lad has impressed in his debut Premier League Darts campaign, but he is still not safe from relegation yet.

Verdict: Gary Anderson win – 4/6 at Stan James or William Hill

Peter Wright v James Wade

Both drew last week, and just one point separates them in the table at the moment, with James Wade just ahead. Snakebite will be eager to ease his relegation concerns with a win, while James Wade still has his sights set firmly on a top four place.

Verdict: Draw – 18/5 at 888sport

Raymond van Barneveld v Michael van Gerwen

In the night’s all Dutch clash, can Barney – fresh of the back of a spectacular win over Phil Taylor that included a magical 144 checkout – overcome the man of the moment, Michael van Gerwen?

The defending champion has struggled so far this season, and earned just his second win of the competition last week. Indeed, he is still far from relegation safety, and a defeat here will pile the pressure on him in Manchester next week.

Van Gerwen is at the top of his game. He currently leads the way in the table and also won the Gibraltar Darts Trophy at the weekend to further emphasize his dominance.

Verdict: Michael van Gerwen win – 8/15 SkyBet

Phil Taylor v Kim Huybrechts

Phil Taylor suffered a defeat against Barney last week despite averaging a remarkable 115 – giving him the highest losing average in Premier League Darts history. The Power will hope to bounce back quickly from that disappointment though, and could even consign Huybrechts to relegation with a victory.

Despite being bottom of the table, Huybrechts has been a scoring machine this season – with just his finishes at important moments letting him down week-after-week. Can Huybrechts compose himself at key moments in order to steer himself to a vital victory?

Verdict: Phil Taylor win – 4/9 at bet365 or BetVictor

Premier League Darts – Week 7: Glasgow Preview

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Premier League Darts heads north of the border to the SSE Hydro in Glasgow this week, with some intriguing match-ups lined-up, including Barney facing The Power, and the top two going head-to-head.

James Wade v Adrian Lewis

After earning an impressive win over Barney in Nottingham last week, James Wade went on to win the Player’s Championship on Sunday, with a 6-5 victory over Peter Wright in the final in Barnsley.

Adrian Lewis suffered a hefty 6-0 defeat to Gary Anderson in the quarter-final of Saturday’s event, and will be eager for a victory in the Premier League having also been turned over 7-1 by Anderson last week. Lewis certainly needs to wary of the threat of relegation, having now not won since the opening week of this competition.

Peter Wright v Stephen Bunting

It took Bunting a few weeks to get in the swing of Premier League Darts, but following back-to-back wins over Lewis and the previously unbeaten Dave Chisnall, it seems safe to say the 29-year-old from St Helens has found his feet.

However, Peter Wright has also just hit form after suffering demoralising 7-1 victories in the opening two weeks. Can Snakebite earn a victory in his homeland?

Raymond van Barneveld v Phil Taylor

The seemingly timeless rivalry between this pair reignites once again here, with Taylor certainly outperforming the reigning champion so far this season.

Although you can never rule him out, Barney finds himself second-bottom with just three games remaining before the bottom two players are relegated. What’s more, Barney’s run-in is a tough one, with Michael van Gerwen and Gary Anderson to face after Taylor.

Can The Power add to his rivals woes or will Barney start to demonstrate his quality?

Kim Huybrechts v Gary Anderson

Despite being bottom of the table, Huybrechts has certainly showed himself to be no pushover in his debut Premier League Darts campaign. The Hurricane has impressed throughout the tournament, however his big downfall has been his failure to hit the doubles when it matters most.

With a quality opponent in the form of Gary Anderson, Huybrechts will need to perfect his game if he wants to earn a win here and reduce his relegation worries.

Dave Chisnall v Michael van Gerwen

The top two face off here, with van Gerwen having snuck ahead of Chizzy last week.

Chisnall suffered a disappointing defeat against Bunting in Nottingham last time out, while MVG saw away Phil Taylor by a 7-4 scoreline.

Michael van Gerwen is joint favourite alongside Phil Taylor (11/4) to win this year’s PDC Premier League Darts title, while you can still get around a massive 33/1 on Chisnall to secure a shock championship victory.

Accumulator Tip:

Wade, Bunting, Taylor, Anderson and van Gerwen all to win – 19.94/1 at bet365