Tag: pdc

Premier League Darts 2021 Schedule Announced

The PDC has announced the dates – and venue – for this year’s delayed Darts Premier League.

While we await news of the fixtures, we at least have a start date for Darts longest-lasting event.

Unfortunately, the understandable decision to postpone proceedings in order to tour the event around local venues in order to allow for fans, hasn’t paid off. 

Darts Premier League Once again in Milton Keynes

The weekly first stage, which will last for nine nights, will take place in its entirety at the now extremely familiar Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes.

It will, of course, take place behind closed doors too. 

Judgement Night, as ever, will see the bottom-placed two players in the league table eliminated.

From there, seven more nights will take place as we work our way towards the playoffs, which according to the latest government guidelines, might well finally allow for fans to be in attendance as we potentially work our way out of lockdown.

As always, players will earn two points for a win, and one for a draw, with the first stage of the tourney played to the best of 12 legs.

The top four players in the table after 16 rounds will contest the playoffs.

We also know this year’s Premier League Darts line-up. It was confirmed after the Darts Masters in January, which was won by the other member of Wales’ Darts World Cup winning duo Jonny Clayton.

As such, Clayton joins other PDC maiden victors, Jose De Sousa and Dimitri Van den Bergh as the three debutants of this year’s event which will begin on the 5^th of April.

They are joined in the 10-player tournament by defending champion Glen Durrant, new world number one Gerwyn Price, five times DPL winner Michael van Gerwen, plus Nathan Aspinall, Peter Wright, Gary Anderson and Rob Cross.

Premier League Darts 2021 line-up

1. Michael van Gerwen
2. Peter Wright
3. Gerwyn Price
4. Rob Cross
5. Gary Anderson
6. Glen Durrant
7. Nathan Aspinall
8. Dimitri van den Bergh
9. Jose De Sousa
10. Jonny Clayton

Premier League Darts 2021

Night 1, April 5

Marshall Arena, Milton Keynes

Night 2, April 6

Marshall Arena, Milton Keynes

Night 3, April 7

Marshall Arena, Milton Keynes

Night 4, April 8

Marshall Arena, Milton Keynes

Night 5, April 9

Marshall Arena, Milton Keynes

Night 6, April 19

Marshall Arena, Milton Keynes

Night 7, April 20

Marshall Arena, Milton Keynes

Night 8, April 21

Marshall Arena, Milton Keynes

Judgement Night, April 22

Marshall Arena, Milton Keynes

Night 10

Venue & Date to be confirmed

Night 11

Venue & Date to be confirmed

Night 12

Venue & Date to be confirmed

Night 13

Venue & Date to be confirmed

Night 14

Venue & Date to be confirmed

Night 15

Venue & Date to be confirmed

Night 16

Venue & Date to be confirmed

PlayOffs Night

Venue & Date to be confirmed

• Semi-Finals (Best of 19 legs)
• Finals (Best of 21 legs)

Bet365 2021 Premier League Darts Betting Odds

• Michael van Gerwen – 11/5
• Gerwyn Price – 9/4
• Peter Wright – 9/2
• Dimitri van den Bergh – 10/1
• Gary Anderson – 10/1
• Glen Durrant – 16/1
• Jose De Sousa – 16/1
• Nathan Aspinall – 20/1
• Jonny Clayton – 28/1
• Rob Cross – 40/1

QUICK GLANCE AT PREMIER LEAGUE DARTS 2021

Venue: Marshall Arena, Milton Keynes, to be confirmed thereafter

Dates: 5^th of April – To be confirmed

Format: Best of 12, 19 and 21 legs

Current Champion: Glen Durrant

Where To Watch: Sky Sports

When To Watch: (1900 GMT)

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2021 PDC World Darts Championships Quarter Finals Betting Tips

We have reached our final eight.

Last year’s champion Peter Wright, who opened his tourney dressed as the Grinch, is out, as is Michael Smith, Rob Cross, Glenn Durrant, Dimitri van den Bergh and James Wade, who posted the tournament’s only nine-darter before exiting this year’s event.

Two times world champ Gary Anderson and three times Ally Pally winner Michael van Gerwen remain, as does Gerwyn Price meaning two of the three pre-tournament favourites are still in the chase.

That trio are joined by Poland’s first ever World Championship quarter finalist Krysztof Ratajski, the Aubergenius Dirk van Duijvenbode, Superchin Daryl Gurney and St Helens pair Stephen Bunting and Dave Chisnall. 

A look ahead to the final eight

Friday’s play opens at midday when the Polish Eagle takes on Stephen Bunting before the Flying Scotsman, who this week hit out at the oche gamesmanship of his opponents, plays what is sure to be a fascinating contest against van Duijvenbode.

The evening session opens with the Iceman facing off against Daryl Gurney and closes with Mighty Michael van Gerwen’s match against Dave ‘Chizzy’ Chisnall.

The favourites, by a clear distance, are Michael van Gerwen, who is an odds-on 4/5 and 7/2 shot Gerwyn Price. MVG is looking for his fourth world title while Gerwyn Price is seeking to become Wales’ first ever world champion.

Dave Chisnall is the only other member of the world’s top ten left in the hunt, while Dirk van Duijvenbode is the only non-seed remaining.

It’s been a weird season in all for MVG. He has won titles, two in fact – the UK Open and the Players Championship – but he has been largely off form. He even, for the first time in four years, failed to win the Darts Premier League. 

That said, most of his rivals would be happy with such a tally for the season.

Mighty Mike survived a scare in his previous match when Joe Cullen missed numerous bull shots to win the match and let the Dutchman off the hook.

He now moves on to Chizzy where he is the overwhelming favourite to progress to the next round and ultimately Sunday’s final.

One player who had his strongest year in the game this season, and who was 2020’s top performer, is Gerwyn Price. Indeed, the Iceman a favourite of many to win the tournament after a very good second half of the season.

In the best form of his career, the Welshman is the well-fancied second favourite and should, if all goes to plan, meet Mighty Mike in a final to remember come Sunday in North London. If he wins that, he will become the new world number one.

First though, Price faces a very tough test in former world number three Daryl Gurney. Superchin has also had a 2020 to forget, dropping out of the world’s top ten and winning two games in televised knockout tournaments since March prior to stepping out at the Alexandra Palace. The Northern Irishman could well upset the odds here and an epic match is to be expected.

You can never ever rule out the class of Gary Anderson. The Flying Scotsman was full of fighting talk following his victory over Devon Peterson where, in another explosive post-match interview, he lashed out at TV commentators for siding with Mensur Suljovic over his slow rolling.

The man from Musselburgh may have ruled out talk of retirement but it’s hard to believe that he is still enjoying his arrows. However, he is still good enough to win this tourney and, if the World Matchplay is anything to go by, can make it to the final effortlessly.

Next up for Gary is the seriously impressive Aubergenius Dirk van Duijvenbode, who has already dismissed former World Champion Rob Cross and reigning Premier League champion Glen Durrant.

Elsewhere, Krzysztof Ratajski, who saw off Ryan Joyce and Simon Whitlock in straight sets, is looking very good while his quarter final rival Stephen Bunting is a tricky opponent for anyone and will fancy his chances of reaching his first ever PDC World Darts Championship semi final.

2021 PDC World Darts Championships Betting Odds (bet365)

• Michael van Gerwen (4/5)
• Gerwyn Price (7/2)
• Krzysztof Ratajski (10/1)
• Gary Anderson (12/1)
• Dirk van Duijvenbode (14/1)
• Dave Chisnall (16/1)
• Daryl Gurney (20/1)
• Stephen Bunting (33/1)

Friday January 1

Quarter-Finals (Best of 9 sets)

• Krzysztof Ratajski v Stephen Bunting
• Gary Anderson v Dirk van Duijvenbode
• Gerwyn Price v Daryl Gurney
• Michael van Gerwen v Dave Chisnall

SATURDAY JANUARY 2

Semi-Finals (Best of 11 sets)

• Michael van Gerwen OR Dave Chisnall V Gary Anderson OR Dirk van Duijvenbode
• Krzysztof Ratajski OR Stephen Bunting V Gerwyn Price OR Daryl Gurney

SUNDAY JANUARY 3

Final (Best of 13 sets)

• Winner Semi Final 1 v Winner Semi Final 2

QUICK GLANCE AT THE 2021 PDC WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP DARTS

Venue: Alexandra Palace, London

Dates: Friday 15.12.2020 to Wednesday 03.01.2021

Format: Best of 5, 7, 9, 11 and 13 sets

Current Champion: Peter Wright

Where To Watch: Sky Sports Darts

When To Watch: (1230, 1900 GMT)

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PDC WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP DARTS 2021 BETTING PREVIEW

It’s the most wonderful time of the year.

The festive fun that comes with some Ally Pally arrows returns next week as the 2021 PDC World Darts Championship gets underway on Tuesday December 15.

96 players will be heading to the Alexandra Palace with the hopes of picking up the Sid Waddell Trophy live on Sky Sports Darts.

Qualifiers are drawn from the top 32 of the PDC Order of Merit, who will each join in round two. In addition, the 32 highest ranked but unqualified players on the PDC Pro Tour Order of Merit and an additional 32 qualifiers drawn from around the world will also join the action.

Peter Wright is the returning champion but will have his work cut out if he is repeat his heroics of 12 months ago and retain the Sid Waddell trophy.

Around 1,000 fans per session will be allowed to attend, which is great given that the fans really make this event more than any other.

As many as 29 countries will be represented at the Ally Pally, a World Darts Championship record. These include 35 players from England, 11 from the Netherlands, four each from Wales, Scotland, Ireland and Australia, plus notable entrants from Portugal and Belgium.

The broken season schedule this year has fogged our thinking when trying to make World Championship Darts betting tips and predictions, but we do know that the world’s top three players have each won more than one PDC title this year. 

As a countdown to events, we will take a look at the top ten ranked players on the PDC Order of Merit and rank their chances.

PDC Order of Merit top 10

IAN WHITE

PDC World Ranking: 10

Age: 50

Home Town: Runcorn, England

Nickname: Diamond

Walk on Music: Play that funky music (Wild Cherry)

Best World Championship Performance: Quarter-Final 2014

For the second year running Diamond has found himself among the world’s top ten chuckers come party season. It’s consistency rather than championship titles that find him here though. As with last year, his best-ever TV appearance remains a 2019 semi-final at the Players Championship Finals.

Here at the Ally Pally, he has reached but never surpassed the Quarters, and that was almost seven years ago. This, perhaps more than anything, explains why he carries by far the biggest price out of all of the guys in the world’s top ten. Opening up, possibly, against Kim Huybrechts is another reason.

Bet365 Price: 80/1

DIMITRI VAN DEN BERGH

PDC World Ranking: 9

Age: 26

Home Town: Antwerp, Belgium

Nickname: The Dream Maker

Walk on Music: Happy (Pharrell Williams)

Titles: World Matchplay (2020)

Best World Championship Performance: Quarter-Final 2018, 2020

The Dream Maker from Antwerp has really forced his way into the minds of darts bettors over the second half of this year following a string of strong performances.

Despite a sloppy semi-final, Dimitri looked good at the Players Championships and the as part of the Belgium pairing at the World Cup of Darts just before then. But van den Bergh’s best performance for sure came in the World Matchplay, which he brilliantly took down after beating Gary Anderson in the final.

That title, the second biggest in darts, plus dual quarter-final appearances at the Ally Pally set him up nicely for a tilt at this title. A potentially tough opener against Luke Humphries shouldn’t worry him.

Bet365 Price: 18/1

DAVE CHISNALL

PDC World Ranking: 8

Age: 40

Home Town: St Helens, England

Nickname: Chizzy

Walk on Music: Dizzy (Vic Reeves and The Wonderstuff)

Best World Championship Performance: Quarter Final 2017, 2019

Despite having a wobbly season, Chizzy actually ranks higher this year than he did 12 months ago. He is still the longest of shots to do well here, however, while a deep run remains a reasonable expectation.

One of Keegan Brown or Ryan Meikle awaits in the second round, while certainly tricky, shouldn’t be of too much concern. Fifty to one doesn’t really justify itself enough for a punt though.

Bet365 Price: 50/1

JAMES WADE

PDC World Ranking: 7

Age: 37

Home Town: Aldershot, England

Nickname: The Machine

Walk on Music: Baba O’Riley (The Who) followed by The Boys Are Back in Town (Thin Lizzy)

Titles: World Matchplay (2007), World Grand Prix (2007, 2010), Premier League (2009), Champions League (2010), European Championship (2018), UK Open (2008, 2011), Darts Masters (2014)

Best World Championship Performance: Semi-Final 2009, 2012, 2013

A late season return to form has seen The Machine playing some of the best darts we’ve seen from him in a long time as evidenced by making the Grand Slam final a month back.

Ok, so he lost to Portuguese Jose De Sousa, but it was the first time Wade has made a PDC televised final since 2016, which was also at the Grand Slam. Wade has consistency, composure under pressure and could well mount a serious challenge.

The Machine has collected a respectable eight major trophies in his career, but the closest he has come to the big one is making the semi-final three times, most recently as far back as 2013.

I can’t see him winning, and he does have the defending champion in his corner, but another deep run wouldn’t surprise.

Bet365 Price: 33/1

NATHAN ASPINALL

PDC World Ranking: 6

Age: 29

Home Town: Stockport

Nickname: The Asp

Walk on Music: Mr Brightside (The Killers)

PDC Titles: UK Open (2019)

Best World Championship Performance: Semi-Final 2019, 2020 

In just two years since he turned pro, the Asp has risen to the world’s top six and has a UK Open title to his name. He has also reached the Premier League of Darts final at the first time of asking, plus has two World Championship semi-finals under his belt.

It is, indeed, a very rapid rise to the top of darts. 2020 very quickly became the year that Aspinall made his mark on the game, and despite a potential opening matchup with BDO powerhouse Scott Waites, remains an “outsider” to keep a close eye on.

Bet365 Price: 20/1

ROB CROSS

PDC World Ranking: 5

Age: 30

Home Town: Pembury, England

Nickname: Voltage

Walk on Music: Hot Hot Hot (Arrow)

PDC Titles: World Matchplay (2019), European Championships (2019)

Best World Championship Performance: Winner (2018)

A winner here in 2018, Rob Cross has had a 2020 to forget. Voltage, who is also a former Matchplay champion, does tend to save his best form for the majors, and will need to dig out a level of form we haven’t seen from him in quite a while.

He remains fifth in the world though but has a possibly sticky opening fixture against aubergine farmer Dirk Van Duijvenbode of Holland, who has had a very good 2020. We know through past experience that Voltage definitely has the pedigree but there is nothing pulling me towards backing him this year.

Bet365 Price: 50/1

MICHAEL SMITH

PDC World Ranking: 5

Age: 30

Home Town: St Helens, England

Nickname: Bully Boy

Walk on Music: Shut Up and Dance (Walk the Moon)

Best World Championship Performance: Runner Up (2019)

Another guy who seems to have gone off the boil of late is Michael ‘Bully Boy’ Smith. He is still a favourite to watch at the oche thanks to his rapid throwing style and the maximums specialist cannot ever be ruled out.

He always seems to fall at the last hurdle and here at the Alexandra Palace he has made a habit of starting slowly and poorly, numerously requiring a deciding set to win his opener against much lower-ranked opposition.

This year he has been handed an easy start where two debutants stand in his way, and while we remain understandably unconvinced, his form has been ok enough. With some much needed resilience added to his game, there is enough to suggest that he could pose a threat to the more senior darters in the competition. 

Bet365 Price: 14/1

GERWYN PRICE

PDC World Ranking: 3

Age: 35

Home Town: Markham, Wales

Nickname: The Iceman

Walk on Music: Ice Ice Baby (Vanilla Ice)

Titles: Grand Slam of Darts (2018, 2019), World Grand Prix (2020), World Series Finals (2020), World Cup of Darts (2020)

Best World Championship Performance: Semi-Final (2020)

A likely 2020 Player of the Year and the guy that poses the biggest threat to Michael van Gerwen. He should be a dead certainty for the semi-finals at the very least, the Iceman will definitely be disappointed with anything other than a win.

Gerwyn was playing like a machine around October time but will need to carry that over for another next three weeks if he is to stand a chance of nailing down the one he really wants.

As someone who feeds off the love/hate that emanates from the crowds, that smattering of fans in attendance could make or break the man from South Wales. To be fair, even without the crowds, Price has been on tip-top form so he has a strong chance to do well and become the first Welsh PDC world champion.

Bet365 Price: 5/1

PETER WRIGHT

PDC World Ranking: 2

Age: 50

Home Town: Livingston, Scotland

Nickname: Snakebite

Walk on Music: Intro to The Greatest Show (The Greatest Showman soundtrack) followed by Don’t Stop the Party (Pitbull)

PDC Titles: UK Open (2017), World Cup of Darts (2019), European Championships (2020), Darts Masters (2020)

Best World Championship Performance: Winner (2020)

The defending champion started off 2020 in spectacular form but has receded plenty since then. Snakebite has also taken to changing back and forth between darts again, something fans, of which he has many, would have hoped he had consigned to the past.

The world number two has been handed a tougher draw than he would have hoped for in Steve West and likely Gabriel Clemens. Up for grabs with a second win, is Michael van Gerwen’s seven-year hold on the world number one spot, something that won’t be lost on Snakebite.

He has landed in other half of the draw to van Gerwen, but in his half remains Gerwyn Price, the other member of a quite distanced top three and who memorably clashed with Snakebite in the semi-finals one year back.

Bet365 Price: 6/1

MICHAEL VAN GERWEN

PDC World Ranking: 1

Age: 31

Home Town: Boxtel, Netherlands

Nickname: Mighty Mike

Walk on Music: Shine on You Crazy Diamond (Pink Floyd) followed by Seven Nation Army (The White Stripes)

PDC Titles: World Matchplay (2015, 2016), World Grand Prix of Darts (2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2019), Grand Slam of Darts (2015, 2016, 2017), Darts Premier League (2013, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019), European Championship Darts (2014, 2015, 2016, 2017), UK Open (2015, 2016, 2020), Players Championship Finals (2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020), Darts Masters (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019), Champions League (2019), World Cup of Darts (2014, 2017, 2018)

Best World Championship Performance: Winner (2014, 2017, 2019)

Ominously, the final PDC event of the season – and last before the World Championships – the Players Championships was won by Mighty Mike. MVG’s second PDC win of an otherwise quiet year comes at exactly the wrong time for his rivals, who would have been hoping that MVG’s dip in form would at least stretch beyond this year’s Ally Pally renewal.

Now, MVG will once again be the man to beat at the Darts World Championship. With this win it seems like the green machine is back and that the only break from the norm is that he comes into this year’s event in a different way and not off the back of a dominating year.

Of course, this could make the three-times winner more focused than ever. Time will tell on which MVG will show up, but most players cannot live with him and if he hits his stride this is his title to lose.

Bet365 Price: 12/5

PDC World Darts Championship 2021 Schedule

Tuesday December 15

First/Second Round (Best of 5 sets)

• Steve West v Amit Gilitwala
• Steve Beaton v Diogo Portela
• Jeff Smith v Keane Barry
• Peter Wright v West/Gilitwala

Wednesday December 16

First/Second Round (Best of 5 sets)

• Ryan Joyce v Karel Sedlacek
• Ross Smith v David Evans
• William O’Connor v Niels Zonneveld
• Chris Dobey v J Smith/Barry
• Max Hopp v Gordon Mathers 
• Callan Rydz v James Bailey 
• Adam Hunt v Lisa Ashton
• Glen Durrant v Beaton/Portela

Thursday December 17

First/Second Round (Best of 5 sets)

• Madars Razma v Toru Suzuki
• Mike De Decker v Edward Foulkes 
• Ryan Murray v Lourence Ilagan
• Daryl Gurney v O’Connor/Zonneveld
• Will Gerwyn Price play Michael van Gerwen in the final
• Luke Woodhouse v Jamie Lewis
• Ron Meulenkamp v Boris Krcmar 
• Ryan Searle v Danny Lauby
• Jose de Sousa v R Smith/D Evans

Friday December 18

First/Second Round (Best of 5 sets)

• Mickey Mansell v Haupai Puha
• Darius Labanauskas v Chengan Liu
• Wayne Jones v Ciaran Teehan
• Jamie Hughes v Hunt/Ashton
• Dirk van Duijvenbode v Bradley Brooks
• John Henderson v Marko Kantele
• Luke Humphries v Paul Lim
• James Wade v Rydz/Bailey

Saturday December 19

First/Second Round (Best of 5 sets)

• Steve Lennon v Daniel Larsson
• Scott Waites v Matt Campbell
• Kim Huybrechts v Di Zhuang
• Mervyn King v Hopp/Mathers
• Andy Hamilton v Nico Kurz
• Andy Boulton v Deta Hedman
• Damon Heta v Danny Baggish
• Michael van Gerwen v Murray/Ilagan

Sunday December 20

First/Second Round (Best of 5 sets)

• Derk Telnekes v Nick Kenny
• Jason Lowe v Dmitriy Gorbunov
• Maik Kuivenhoven v Matthew Edgar
• Vincent van der Voort v Meulenkamp/Krcmar
• Martijn Kleermaker v Cameron Carolissen
• Keegan Brown v Ryan Meikl
• Jeffrey de Zwaan v Searle/Lauby
• Jonny Clayton v Henderson/Kantele

Monday December 21

Second Round (Best of 5 sets)

• Krzysztof Ratajski v Joyce/Sedlacek
• Ian White v Huybrechts/Zhuang
• Gerwyn Price v Woodhouse/J Lewis
• Gabriel Clemens v Hamilton/Kurz

Tuesday December 22

Second Round (Best of 5 sets)

• Brendan Dolan v De Decker/Foulkes 
• Joe Cullen v Jones/Teeha
• Simon Whitlock v Labanauskas/Liu 
• Adrian Lewis v Heta/Baggish 
• Danny Noppert v Kleermaker/Carolissen
• Devon Petersen v Lennon/Larsson
• Rob Cross v Van Duijvenbode/Brooks
• Dimitri Van den Bergh v Humphries/Lim

Wednesday December 23

Second Round (Best of 5 sets)

• Ricky Evans v Mansell/Puha
• Gary Anderson v Razma/Suzuki 
• Stephen Bunting v Boulton/Hedman 

• Mensur Suljovic v Kuivenhoven/Edgar
• Dave Chisnall v Brown/Meikle
• Jermaine Wattimena v Telnekes/Kenny
• Nathan Aspinall v Waites/Campbell
• Michael Smith v Lowe/Gorbunov 

Sunday December 27

Third Round (Best of 7 sets)

• 6x Third Round

Monday December 28

Third Round (Best of 7 sets)

• 6x Third Round

Tuesday December 29

Third Round (Best of 7 sets) & Fourth Round (Best of 9 sets)

• 4x Third Round
• 2x Fourth Round

Wednesday December 30

Fourth Round (Best of 7 sets)

• 6x Fourth Round

Friday January 1

Quarter-Finals (Best of 9 sets)

• Four matches

Saturday January 2

Semi-Finals (Best of 11 sets)

• Two matches

Sunday January 3

Final (Best of 13 sets)

• Winner SF 1 v Winner SF 2

QUICK GLANCE AT THE 2021 PDC WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP DARTS

Venue: Alexandra Palace, London

Dates: Friday 15.12.2020 to Wednesday 03.01.2021

Format: Best of 5, 7, 9, 11 and 13 sets

Current Champion: Peter Wright

Where To Watch: Sky Sports Darts

When To Watch: (1230, 1900 GMT)

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