UK Open Darts Betting 2017 Winner Odds & Predictions

Can Anderson strike for revenge over MVG?

Darts Betting

The famous Butlins Minehead camp will see the best dart players in the world descend upon it’s doors for the UK Open Darts 2017. The tournament, which is also known as the ‘FA Cup of Darts’ is a great tournament to watch over the short course of a weekend. This year’s event is being played between March 3rd and 5th, which is unusual as it usually goes off in the middle of the year. This is tournament for 128 players with a straight knockout format all the way.

The top 32 in the Order of Merit (which is topped out by Peter Wright after the six qualifying events staged in February) don’t join the fray of the UK Open Darts until the Third Round. This is some action packed stuff through because the First, Second and Third Rounds are all played on Friday, March 3rd so that is a tremendous amount of matches to get through. Saturday sees the Fourth and Fifth rounds played, while everything from the quarter finals onwards will be wrapped up on Sunday.

So players have to bring their A-Game out of their bag immediately as there are no second chances here. Michael van Gerwen, to little surprise, is the reigning champion at the UK Open and again as no surprise, he is outright favourite in UK Open Darts Betting 2017 Winner Odds at SkyBet for a price of 4/7. Gary Anderson is the only other man in single figures in the outright winner market. Phil Taylor, in what will be his last appearance at the tournament as he is retiring this year, is the all time leader of UK Open Darts titles, having won the event five times before and having finished runner up once.

He hasn’t been in the final since 2013 though and he won’t be back there this season’s either because he is not featuring in the tournament after choosing to not put himself through any of the final three qualifying events. Anyone outside of the Order of Merit 32 have to actually qualifying for the UK Open Darts. So the Stoke legend isn’t back which is a huge shame of course for the crowd. So does that just leave the stage set for Michael van Gerwen to go and create some history by becoming the first man ever to win the tournament three years on the bounce? Well, he generally gets things his own way, even with Taylor around, let’s just put it like that.

UK Open Darts Betting 2017 Winner Odds

Michael van Gerwen 4/7, Gary Anderson 6/1, Peter Wright 12/1, Raymond van Barneveld 22/1, Adrian Lewis 25/1, Dave Chisnall 33/1, James Wade 33/1, Simon Whitlock 50/1, 66/1 bar

UK Open Darts Betting 2017 Promotion

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UK Open Darts Betting 2017 Winner Predictions

So this is arguably the hardest darts tournament on the PDC calendar to pick a winner out of, because you just don’t know what the draw ahead is going to be for anyone. For example you could have favourite Van Gerwen squaring off Gary Anderson in the third round and then having to face Peter Wright in the fourth round and so on. That would limit his chances somewhat if he kept drawing top players. Of course though he is head and shoulders above the rest of the field and has proven that he can thrive in this FA Cup style tournament as well with back to back wins there.

The closest thing we can take form from is the Premier League of Darts 2017 because of the straight one off matches happening on a night. Gary Anderson hasn’t been having a smooth time of things so far in the tournament, so that has extended his price for the UK Open, but is he worth skipping over for this one just as he hasn’t quite been there in the Premier League? Even despite having the second best three dart average in this seasons’ Premier League and the highest average checkout percentage? Perhaps not, even though he has won just one of his four opening matches which is very strange.

Michael van Gerwen has outscored everyone and no-one has beaten him in the Premier League this season. James Wade has been going along handily in the Premier League but that’s a bit deceiving as he hasn’t met a top played aside from a draw with Gary Anderson and the same can be said of Peter Wright. Wade has been to the UK Open twice before and has lost both showcase appearances. But it was Wright who topped out the Qualifying events for UK Open Order of Merit and that has to count for something in the UK Open Darts Betting 2017 Winner Odds at SkyBet where he is a 12/1 each way punt. He has been to the final in the last two years as well, losing on both occasions to Van Gerwen, who also smashed him in a Premier League match up this season.

Our value beyond Michael van Gerwen, who looks a lock for the title would be on Anderson. He has scored heavily this season and is on point when it comes to the checkout. He has that instinct to finish and he did hold Van Gerwen to a draw in the Premier League this season. He has lost the Masters final and the fourth UK Open qualifier final to MVG this season, as well on top of that there was that defeat in the 2017 World Championship Final for Anderson against the Dutchman too. But Anderson remains the man most likely to beat Mighty Mike and if Anderson arrives in a bullish mood out of the gate and can somehow manage to avoid MVG, he is worth looking at. But then you have to look at the field and ask just who can beat Van Gerwen?