Get ready for our Premier League Darts 2019 week four betting preview. Dublin is a city known for providing its guests with all the necessary tools for a good time, and Week Three of the 2019 Premier League Darts delighted all who witnessed the action with equal gusto.
The black stuff would have been flowing long into the night had local lad Steve Lennon, one of the nine Contenders called up by PDC head honchos to replace Gary Anderson, been able to capitalise on the 3-0 lead he took against Peter Wright.
Alas, Snakebite’s class shown through in the end as he turned things around in a 7-5 victory.
Elsewhere there was the inevitable win for Michael van Gerwen, this time 7-2 over former world champion Rob Cross, while Daryl Gurney – from north of the border in Derry – reclaimed some consolation for the Irish in a 7-5 triumph over Michael Smith.
The highest average of the night went to James Wade, whose 103.89 still wasn’t enough to see off Gerwyn Price in a high-quality 6-6 draw, and there was also a stalemate in the Mensur Suljovic vs Raymond van Barneveld contest, with the Dutchman once again rallying late to nick a point.
Matters are rather nicely poised then as we head into Week Four at Exeter’s Westpoint Arena.
Iceman Set to Melt Local Hearts
One of the stories of the 2019 PDC season so far is Gerwyn Price, who is arguably playing the best darts of his life right now.
The Iceman is the co-leader in the 180 count so far, and with a tournament checkout success rate of 42.22% it’s little wonder that last year’s Premier League boy is enjoying the competition rather more this time around.
Price also won both of the ProTour events at the weekend – averaging over 100 in ten of his fourteen matches – and clearly all is well in the Welshman’s camp.
A Good Price
He has learned how to deal with the boo boys, and he might have to call upon that skillset in Exeter as he takes on the local(ish) Luke Humphries.
The Development Tour winner impressed everyone with his performances at the World Championships, where he came from nowhere to reach the last eight, and while he has found the transition to full-time professionalism tricky so far, the youngster from Newbury can at least rely upon the support of 99.99% of the crowd on Thursday.
Perhaps that is why the bookmakers are a little coy on Price’s chances, with Ladbrokes best odds on the Welshman at 5/6. Unibet are offering 3/1 on a Humphries victory, with the draw priced at 15/4 with Bet365.
Cross Swords with Gurney
The second match of the night sees Cross and Gurney lock horns, and you have to wonder if the bookies have quite got this one right.
Voltage’s tally of 63 scores of 100+ so far is the lowest in the competition, and that lack of firepower is forcing him to take out pressure shots just to remain competitive.
A Power House
It’s a formula that can work against some players but Gurney, a power-scorer of some repute, will need to be matched in the treble-hitting department. As such, we’re surprised to see Gurney posted as something of an afterthought at 13/8 (Betfred), with Cross a steady favourite at 5/4 (888sport). The draw can be backed at 16/5 with MansionBet.
Will It Be All Wright On the Night for Peter?
At this early stage Peter Wright finds himself in the top four, but you can’t help but feel that Snakebite is scrabbling around for some form at present.
You sense that a more experienced pro than Lennon would have completed the job on Thursday, and Wright also had to come from behind to nick draws against Cross and Smith.
Two scenarios could happen: he will play better this week (he has to), or the Scotsman could be soundly beaten.
An Open Match
Because Mensur Suljovic, his opponent, is playing some good stuff right now. He dealt with a hostile Newcastle crowd on opening night, averaged over 100 in defeat to MVG in Glasgow and really ought to have beaten Barney last week.
The bookmakers expect a wide open match here with Wright available at 7/5 with Betsafe, Suljovic at 6/4 with Coral and the draw at 10/3 with Bet365.
Double Dutch Delight?
The odds-makers are naturally rather sweet on Van Gerwen getting the better of James Wade in the fourth match of the evening, with the Dutchman a 2/7 favourite with William Hill.
You can understand their confidence – Mighty Mike has won 15 of their last 16 meetings – but it is also worth remembering that Wade is playing his best darts in quite some time right now.
Solid as a Rock
His doubles have always been rock solid, but his scoring has also improved in the past couple of months: in the 2019 Premier League thus far, he averages 2.47 scores of 100 or more per leg, which is barnstorming form.
The Machine will surely attract interest at 7/1 with Unibet, with the draw available at 6/1 (Bet365).
The Final Encounter
The final encounter of the evening sees both Michael Smith and Raymond van Barneveld looking for their first win of the campaign.
Barney’s tournament average of 91.86 is by far the lowest, while Bully Boy is playing nicely without reward; nobody has hit more 180s thus far.
You sense that the only way the legendary Dutchman can win at the moment is if his opponent has a real off-day, but Smith, hungry for points, scores so heavily that Barney will surely wilt under the pressure.
Summary
Barring one of the matches, we don’t really sense any upsets in Exeter, even if the format does lend itself to such.
Expect Humphries to start quickly against Price, but the Iceman is playing sublime darts right now and he will surely grind down his young opponent. Price with a -2.5 Leg Handicap at 13/8 (Coral) looks to be a fair wager.
As for that possible upset, would anyone really be surprised if Gurney bested Cross this week? Perhaps not, and we’re inclined to take the Irishman with a Draw No Bet kicker at 11/10 with Ladbrokes.
And finally, we’ve mentioned that Wade’s scoring has improved immeasurably of late, and with 12 maximums to MVG’s 10 thus far should the Machine really be priced at 13/5 (Betfred) to out-max the Dutch darting destroyer?
Our Best Bets:
- Gerwyn Price -2.5 Leg Handicap at 13/8 with Coral
- Daryl Gurney Draw No Bet at 11/10 with Ladbrokes
- James Wade Most 180s at 13/5 with Betfred
Don’t forget to check out our other top betting tips and best darts betting strategies