Darts Premier League Final Four Decided In Aberdeen

Darts Premier League Final Four Decided In Aberdeen

Darts Premier League FInal Four Set 2018

Gary Anderson made sure of his place in the DPL playoffs by beating the current champion, Michael van Gerwen in a shock 7-5 victory last Thursday night in his hometown of Aberdeen. The DPL Playoffs will take place this week in London, after which we will know the winner of the 2018 Darts Premier League.

With his victory, Anderson came in third place in the table meaning he will avoid the Dutchman until at least the final. MVG, who topped the table, will instead play Rob Cross, who finished fourth having won his match. Anderson will play Michael ‘Bully Boy’ Smith in the night’s other semi-final.

Back to last week’s action with The Flying Scotsman already assured his place at the O2 before stepping up to the oche after Daryl Gurney had failed to beat Peter Wright by the 7-2 margin that he required in order to jump Anderson. Had Gurney achieved the feat, Anderson would have needed to avoid a 7-0 whitewash but instead got to enjoy a pressure-free game, shooting down the world number one with a superb performance in front of his home crowd. Aberdeen’s Anderson averaged 98 to MVG’s 100.4 as both players eased home. Landing a 112 to send himself 6-4 ahead, Anderson stood steady to put an end to an unwanted sequence of four successive defeats to the Dutchman.

An unwell Michael Smith claimed second spot following a 6-6 draw with Raymond van Barneveld. Barney hit three ton + checkouts in the opening six legs while Smith claimed one of his own with a 124 that sent him 3-2 ahead. Both chuckers also threw three 180s as they shared the legs and the points while treating the crowd to a brilliant match despite having nothing on the line to play for.

As mentioned, Daryl Gurney failed to get the victory he needed to stand any chance of reaching the play-offs after he also drew 6-6 in his match with Peter Wright. Despite leading 3-1 and 5-2 at various points of the match, Superchin couldn’t find his best form and take advantage of another Snakebite horror show on the doubles. Wright did eventually improve, winning four of the last five legs which allowed last year’s finalist to climb of the bottom of this year’s table, but his goose was already cooked long before this match. For Gurney, he can at least take consolation from the fact he only lost four matches throughout his maiden Premier League campaign and finished a very respectable fifth.

In a night of ties, Rob Cross and Simon Whitlock also drew 6-6 in a poor-quality match in which the world champion averaged just 89.31 over The Wizard, who averaged 88.38. Voltage also missed a massive 13 darts at the doubles but at least landed five 180s to show some kind of encouragement going into the London playoffs on May 17.

Final Premier League Darts Table

    1. MVG Pts 23
    1. Smith Pts 20
    1. Anderson Pts 19
    1. Cross Pts 19
    1. Gurney Pts 16
    1. Barney Pts 16
    1. Wright Pts 14
    1. Whitlock Pts 13
    1. Suljovic Pts 4
    1. Price Pts 2

Darts Premier League Play-Off Betting Tips

We are down to the final four with the semi-finals held at The O2 Arena in London. The action will getunderway from 19:00 (GMT) and will be broadcast live on Sky Sports. The first match of the night is the semi-final between Michael van Gerwen and Rob Cross. MVG scored a league-high tally of 11x 120+ checkouts during this year’s run to the O2. He has also been utterly dominant against Cross, having won 10 of their 12 meetings, so I will more than fancy his chances in this first-to-10 legs semi-final. For the record, van Gerwen to win, hit a 120+ checkout and average over 100 and Cross to hit the most 180s is worth 11/2 with Betway.

The other semi-final is between Michael Smith and a reinvigorated Gary Anderson. It’s his return to form that makes me think that Anderson’s dominance over Smith will continue here. Anderson has, after all, won nine of their 12 meetings to date. The early season was filled with doubt while Anderson was hampered by a back injury when he last lost to Smith, blowing a 5-1 lead on the opening night. Since then, Anderson’s turn around has been nothing short of brilliant. Smith was unfancied at the start of the tourney and has done far better than expected to crash the top four.

That said, all but two of Smith’s 20 points this season were picked up against players outside of the top four and he has averaged north of 100 just once all season. But Anderson has played ruthless throughout and improved each week, hitting 18x 100+ checkouts and the second-most 180s (behind Daryl Gurney). Form like that should take him into yet another career final. For this reason, it’s worth taking advantage of this combo bet from Betway; Anderson to win, hit the most 180s and two 100+ checkouts and Smith to average under 100 for 6/1.

If the semi-finals go as expected that would make for an MVG vs Anderson final which, if last week’s result counts for anything, could potentially throw up a shock result. Mighty Mike lost to Anderson in the final match of the regular season last week, but beware — his victory at the Dutch Darts Masters over the weekend was his 11th title of the year and the 23rd successful final in succession, demonstrating that the Dutch maestro rarely disappoints when the stakes are high. These two are way ahead of the others when it comes to three-digit finishes, having thrown a minimum of two in a single game eight times between them.

Should they meet in a best-of-21 final as expected, another four in the match should prove no problem at all making it a sound wager at Betway that’s worth 14/1. Add value to your final bet with this beauty: van Gerwen and Anderson to reach the final, Van Gerwen to win, Anderson to hit the most 180s and over 3.5 100+ checkouts in the game now worth 14/1.

The final prices for an outright win with the online bookmakers Betway are as follows. Bully Boy was an 80/1 outsider for Premier League glory at the start of the season but is now showing at 2/1, while only Rob Cross is longer priced at 7/2. The super short favourite is obviously Michael van Gerwen at 1/5 just in from Gary Anderson’s 2/5.

(1/5) Michael van Gerwen v Rob Cross (7/2)
(2/1) Michael Smith v Gary Anderson (2/5)

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Michael van Gerwen Takes Premier League Top Spot For Sixth Year In A Row

Michael van Gerwen Takes Premier League Top Spot For Sixth Year In A Row

Michael van Germen at the top of Premier League

Michael van Gerwen thrashed Rob Cross 7-2 to secure top spot in the Darts Premier League for the sixth year in a row. It was a repeat of the score line from the last time the pair met back in Dublin, the second meeting since December’s World Championship semi-final at the Alexandra Palace which Cross won. It was one-way traffic with MVG almost claiming a whitewash before Cross finally got on the board late on with a 15-darter. By then it was too late as Mighty Mike was already four legs ahead, a lead he simply doesn’t squander. The 29-year-old world number one finished things off with a bullseye finish for 86 and an average of 111.57 while hitting three 180s.

At the other end of the table, Peter Wright moved off the bottom thanks to a 7-4 victory over Simon ‘The Wizard’ Whitlock. There was nothing for the pair to play for but pride as both had been eliminated from the play-offs in London later this month. No surprises that the darts were less than thrilling, with just a single 180 thrown between them. The 180 came by way of Whitlock whereas Wright’s highlight was nailing a 118 checkout. That was about as exciting as things got.

Daryl Gurney was forced to settle for a 6-6 draw against Michael Smith rather than the victory he was looking for in order to put pressure on Gary Anderson and Rob Cross in the race for semi-final positioning. Superchin played well enough in the main, scoring six 180s and average 98.82 as he fought back from 4-2 down to lead 5-4. His opponent Smith has already booked his place at the O2 and needed to hold throw in the last leg to tie the match, which he did by taking out 81 on the bull.

The result meant that Gurney required Raymond van Barneveld to beat Gary Anderson to stand any hope of making it through to London. Barney did indeed prevail 7-3 as Anderson suffered back-to-back defeats, having been shot down by Simon Whitlock last week. The Flying Scotsman only needs a couple of legs to qualify but will still be annoyed with himself for not getting things sorted sooner. Anderson is two points ahead of Daryl Gurney in fourth but will need to play better in his last match before Docklands, which just happens to be against the world number one Michael van Gerwen. Barney, who was leading 5-1, was already eliminated but will be buoyed by an improved performance in which he averaged over 100, hit three 180s and landed seven from 13 double attempts.

Premier League Darts Betting Tips

Welcome to Penultimate Night or Matchday 16 at the BHGE Arena in Aberdeen. Yes, we have made it to the last of the regular match night events and we now almost know the final four that will be doing battle in next weekend’s playoffs in London’s Docklands. As always, all the action will be broadcast live on Sky Sports from 7pm GMT.

This week opens with Michael Smith versus Raymond van Barneveld with one darter already through (Smith) and another (van Barneveld) already out. Smith is still yet to lose to an opponent outside of the top four this season, so he’s well worth sticking with to keep that run in motion. It’s also worth noting that he has won six of the last eight meetings between these two, which happens to include a whitewash in this year’s Premier League, which is why I’m backing Bully Boy this week. Smith to win, under 6.5 total 180s and under 1.5 100+ checkouts in the match, all for 11/2 with Betway.

Next out are Peter ‘Snakebite’ Wright and Daryl Gurney. Gurney needs to win 7-2 or better here and hope that Anderson loses to MVG by a score line large enough to overturn the leg difference deficit which currently stands at 12. Gurney has won four of his last five matches against Wright, so should be expected to uphold his end of the scenario. Considering these two have drawn more often than anyone else in the league this year, including in their league meeting, it also stands a reasonable chance of ending 6-6 — so don’t rule out a tie or, if he feels like it, a Peter Wright win. I don’t see it though; Superchin all the way for me. Gurney to win or draw, hit the most 180s and two 100+ checkouts in the match for 5/1 has to be worth it.

The night’s third match is between Michael van Gerwen and Gary Anderson. Chances are these two will meet again on May 17 in a 1st versus 3rd playoff, but for now its Anderson — on a run of back-to-back defeats — that needs to step up to guarantee his place. MVG won’t make it easy for him though. He hasn’t lost to Anderson in their seven meetings, and when Michael smells blood he usually goes in for the kill. The Flying Scotsman can draw heart from the crowd in his native Aberdeen, who will turn out to vehemently back their man even if his chances of a confidence-boosting result look slim. Get more value on Mighty Mike by picking Van Gerwen to win, average over 100 and hit a 120+ checkout worth 11/2 at Betway.

Finally, we have Rob ‘Voltage’ Cross taking on Simon ‘The Wizard’ Whitlock in a match where, like the opener, one is through and one is out. The qualified, Cross, is winless in his last four and lost 7-1 to this week’s opponent earlier on in the league season. However, that was back in week two and their fortunes have flipped entirely since then. Cross has hit more than three 180s in nine of his last 13 matches, and with a place in the play-offs already banked, he looks certain to head to the O2 on the back of a win over the eliminated Aussie. At Betway, you can back Cross to win, hit the most 180s and no 100+ checkout in the match for 100/30.

There is also this Betway boosted treble with odds powered up from 4/1 to 5/1; Smith, Cross and MVG all to win. Our line this week is Smith, Cross, Gurney and MVG, which pays 13.20 to the pound.

  • (7/5) Michael Smith v Raymond van Barneveld (7/5)
  • (5/1) Simon Whitlock v Rob Cross (2/5)
  • (13/10) Peter Wright v Daryl Gurney (6/4)
  • (4/7) Michael van Gerwen v Gary Anderson (7/2)
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Michael Smith Sends Peter Wright Packing In The Darts Premier League

Michael Smith Sends Peter Wright Packing In The Darts Premier League

Michael Smith Knocks Out Peter Wright in Darts Premier League

Peter Wright achieved an all too familiar score line, a 7-1 reverse, this time at the hands of Michael Smith, who all but sealed his place in the Premier League play-offs with the win. It was the second time this season that Bully Boy had beaten Snakebite by the margin. Smith himself lost 7-1 only 90 minutes later during his second match of the night, this time against Michael van Gerwen. Smith opened with a 180 and went on to take the opening leg in 12 darts, followed by winning the next three in 13, 14 and 12 darts before Wright finally pulled one back after which Smith went unchallenged.

After suffering double disappointment in Rotterdam last week, Michael van Gerwen needed to dig deep and scrap hard in order to earn a 6-6 draw with Daryl Gurney, which made for a third non-win in a row in this year’s Premier League. It was the 35th game in succession that the usually solid Dutchman averaged over 100, while Gurney averaged dead on 100 almost claiming the victory he needed to keep hopes of a playoff place alive. Going into the last leg with a 6-5 advantage, MVG took a point even after missing three doubles as the match slipped away from Superchin.

By the end of the evening, Mighty Mike put an end to a winless run of three Premier League games by thrashing Michael Smith by the same score line he inflicted on Peter Wright, 7-1. Losing twice in his homeland and only tying Daryl Gurney in Manchester, MVG gave Bully Boy a savage beating despite posting his lowest average of the season and hitting a measly two 180s. Mighty Mike even missed 11 darts at doubles but got away with it as Smith, unrecognisable from his earlier match, won only the last leg to avoid a whitewash.

The night’s most surprising result came in Match three when Simon Whitlock claimed a 7-5 victory and a big upset over Gary Anderson. It was a weird flip of the form book as Anderson, who scored three victories in Rotterdam, lost against a guy who suffered back-to-back 7-1 defeats over the same period. The Flying Scotsman hit just two 180s and posted a disappointing 94.45 average, losing his chance to bag a point when he missed his shot at tops to checkout allowing The Wizard in for the win.

Like Simon Whitlock, Raymond van Barneveld is another player that will be missing out on the London showpiece event after he failed to beat Rob Cross as the pair settled for a draw. Despite getting back to his best in Rotterdam last week, Barney could only hold on for a draw against the World Champ. Even with the disappointing result, Barney did manage to please the Manchester crowd who were firmly behind the Dutchman, by earning a 129 checkout on the bullseye in the fifth leg before Cross steamed ahead. Barney battled back, reeling off three legs in a row to get within a leg of victory before Voltage posted a clinical 13-darter that should take him to the O2 in a few weeks.

Darts Premier League Betting Tips

We’re off to Birmingham for Night 15 on Thursday at the Arena Birmingham. You can watch at home on Sky Sports Main Event HD and Sky Sports Action HD from 1900 GMT. The night’s first match is a contest between Peter Wright and Simon Whitlock with both players knowing that they can still come in fifth, which if nothing else means more prize money. Other than that, this one’s a damp squib and I don’t especially fancy either right now. In a funny kind of way, the pressure is off Snakebite, which means he will probably end up playing his best of darts of the year. The Wizard did bank a surprise win over Gary Anderson last week — and he could do well again here — but I’m just about siding with Peter.

This match is followed by Daryl Gurney and Michael Smith with Smith, who is fresh from his destruction of Wright last week, as good as qualified. Gurney has been fairly consistent of late and will be focused on the must-win required to keep his play-off hopes alive. We could see Smith, who had a mixed week last Thursday, in auto-pilot mode for this one. Don’t be surprised to see this impact tonight’s performance, meaning Gurney could have a very good chance here.

Next out are Rob ‘Voltage’ Cross and Mighty Mike van Gerwen with Cross needing a point to clinch a play-off spot on the off chance that Gurney does indeed win the previous match. MVG, who doesn’t have to worry about pressure, is already sure of his place in London but will still look to stamp his superiority on the World Champion and prove why he’s world number one. The form shows it to be so too. Cross has only beaten Mighty Mike twice in eleven meetings, losing the other nine. Get more value at Betway by backing Van Gerwen to win and hit a 110+ checkout and Cross to hit the most 180s, which is worth 5/1.

The last game of the night pitches Gary Anderson against Raymond van Barneveld with Anderson needing to win this game in order to seal his play-off spot, assuming Gurney wins earlier in the night. With an upcoming meeting against MVG next week, The Flying Scotsman will want to seal the deal before then, especially as Gurney will be playing Simon Whitlock in a decidedly easier fixture. It was Whitlock who last week interrupted Anderson’s good form with a shock defeat. That should be nothing more than a blip for Gary and I think he’ll be more than OK on Thursday. Go with Anderson to win with a 120+ checkout with over 6.5 total 180s, which pays at 11/2 with Betway.

This week’s four-fold then is as follows; Wright, MVG, Gurney and Anderson paying 25.89. The Betway boost this week pays 6/1 instead of 5/1 on Wright, Gurney and Anderson all to win. I think there is some definite value here.

  • (8/13) Peter Wright v Simon Whitlock (7/2)
  • (4/1) Rob Cross v Michael van Gerwen (1/2)
  • (11/8) Daryl Gurney v Michael Smith (11/8)
  • (8/13) Gary Anderson v Raymond van Barneveld (7/2)
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