Premier League Darts - Night One Tips
A new Premier League season gets underway in Belfast on Thursday, with eight top-level arrowsmiths aiming to take down the prize at the SSE Arena.
The line-up has changed in this year’s event with Chris Dobey and Stephen Bunting replacing Peter Wright and Michael Smith, but it’s the same format with eight of the PDC’s premier performers battling in a knockout bracket each night.
Gerwyn Price to beat Chris Dobey @ 4/6
Chris Dobey has made the breakthrough into the PDC’s elite, but no sooner has Hollywood reached the peak than his game has disappeared.
The Bedlington arrowsmith was crushed 6-0 by Stephen Bunting in the season-opening Bahrain Masters, and a 6-5 loss to Raymond van Barneveld followed in the first round of the Dutch Darts Masters.
Dobey is a former World Masters winner, but that was no help to Hollywood when losing to Ryan Searle in round one last week, and while those have been tough draws, the performances have been poor too.
Hollywood averaged only 84.62, 94.34 and 91.83 in that trio of defeats, and that spells trouble against Gerwyn Price.
The Iceman isn’t quite back to his best, but the Welshman is well on his way, and he can open his Premier League account with a victory over Dobey.
Rob Cross to beat Stephen Bunting @ 5/4
A string of missed doubles cost Stephen Bunting in the World Masters last week, and the Bullet looks a little too short against Rob Cross in Belfast.
Voltage took down the Dutch Darts Masters crown last month and the Kent arrowsmith does appear to be producing his best level on a more consistent basis.
Cross was beaten by William O’Connor in the first round of the World Masters last week, but Voltage averaged 103 in that defeat and there was very little wrong with the performance.
At 5/4, Cross looks decent Belfast value.
Luke Littler -1.5 legs v Michael van Gerwen @ 4/5
Defending Premier League champion Luke Littler gets his title defence underway against seven-time league king Michael van Gerwen in a heavyweight clash.
It’s a repeat of the World Championship final, which the Nuke won 7-3 and the Warrington arrowsmith will be out to score another victory over MVG.
Littler’s World Masters run was ended by a quarter-final defeat to Jonny Clayton, but the 18-year-old averaged a whopping 108.50 in that contest.
It’s difficult to see Mighty Mike keeping up with the world champion.
Luke Humphires to beat Nathan Aspinall 6-0 @ 16/1
The tie between Luke Humphries and Nathan Aspinall rounds off the night and a big-price punt on Cool Hand to win 6-0 looks worth a play.
The Asp is miles off the level he was producing when winning the UK Open and World Matchplay, and the Stockport man is capable of throwing in some awful performances.
Humphries was at his brilliant best when winning the World Masters on Sunday evening, and the Newbury man could make it a tough night for Aspinall.
Odds correct at time of publication but subject to fluctuation