Premier League Darts - Night 14 Predictions
There are just three nights of the Premier League regular season remaining and the eight top arrowsmiths head to Aberdeen for Week 14.
The Granite City generates a feverish atmosphere, and with the need for points reaching its peak, there are four cracking quarter-finals to look forward to.
Luke Littler to win Week 14 @ 9/4
Luke Littler has surged to the top of the Premier League table and the Nuke arrives in Aberdeen following a commanding victory in Liverpool last week.
The 17-year-old recorded a 105.32 average when cruising past Rob Cross 6-2 at the M&S Bank Arena and it isn’t just the Premier League where Littler has been excelling.
The Nuke claimed the Austrian Open crown in Premstatten on Sunday and there were more big averages on the way to the title. The Warrington arrowsmith put in numbers of 105.65 in a 7-2 semi-final victory over Ross Smith. A 102.71 average followed in the final against Joe Cullen and Littler was in complete control of the latter stages of the European Tour event.
Michael van Gerwen, Luke Humphries and Gerwyn Price are all housed in the opposite half of the Aberdeen draw and the path looks clear for Littler to extend his lead at the top of the Premier League table.
Peter Wright to beat Michael Smith @ 39/20
Wright will have a home Scottish crowd on side in Aberdeen and Snakebite may carry more of a threat than the prices suggest in his quarter-final tie with Michael Smith.
Smith was absent in the Austrian Open and Bully Boy was beaten in the quarter finals in Liverpool last weekend. Wright performed with credit in a win over Danny Lauby and narrow loss to Van Gerwen on the European Tour and the two-time world champion is clearly a better player than this season’s Premier League efforts suggest.
Smith has lost six of his 13 quarter-finals in this term’s Premier League and the prices appear to pay Bully Boy a little too much credit.
Rob Cross to beat Michael van Gerwen @ 27/20
Cross got the better of Michael van Gerwen 6-2 in Liverpool last week and MVG’s game has gone from inconsistent to worrying in recent months.
Mighty Mike was once able to sustain a high-level of performance throughout a tournament, but lately the Green Machine can barely string two good performances together.
MVG surrendered his place in last week’s Austrian Open in tame fashion when losing 6-1 to Ross Smith at the quarter-final stage and the Dutchman was pretty fortunate to get past Peter Wright prior to that defeat.
Cross was good in Liverpool last Thursday and it was only an inspired Littler who stopped Voltage from taking maximum points. The Kent arrowsmith looks good value to down MVG in their quarter-final showdown.