Rob Cross vs Dirk van Duijvenbode
22nd December 1900hrs
Darts – England – PDC World Championships
Pick Van Duijvenbode to win
Bookmaker Ladbrokes
Odds: 10/11 odds taken 21:34 GMT on Monday, 21st December
We have an interesting second round match at the PDC Darts World here with former champion Rob Cross potentially facing a tricky match.
He will be lining up against Dutch youngster Dirk van Duijvenbode in what looks to be a bit of a banana skin fixture.
That’s reflected in the match outright odds where Rob Cross is only at even money* (odds taken 21:34 GMT on Monday, 21st December).
Table of Contents
Rob Cross Preview – Will Cross survive his opener?
This is a second round match at the 2021 PDC Darts World Championship. But it is the first of the tournament for fifth seed Rob Cross.
The 2018 World Champion has not had the greatest of seasons.He has only been past the second round in one of the seven ranked televised events.
So there will be a bit of pressure on him to perform here.
Cross is at even money in the match outright to collect the win* (odds taken 21:34 GMT on Monday, 21st December).
This will be the first meeting between the two players.
In last year’s PDC World Championship Cross made a second round exit.
The most recent competitive action that he had was in the Players Championship Finals when he only made the second round.
In darts betting, a Rob Cross -1.5 handicap is at 2/1* (odds taken 21:34 GMT on Monday, 21st December).
That shows the potential size of the task ahead of him.
In his last nine matches now in all tournaments, Cross has taken only three wins, two of those happening at the Grand Slam of Darts in mid-November.
That having been said Cross has battled his way to the final of the World Series Of Darts Finals this season.
He met Gerwyn Price there and fell, easily the best tournament that he produced this season.
Overall it has been a difficult year for him, so from a darts betting perspective, he may be worth taking on.
Dirk van Duijvenbode Preview – Can the Titan rule?
28 year old Dirk van Duijvenbode has already gotten his eye in at this current World Championships.
He opened in the first round with a 3-2 win over England’s Bradley Brooks.
That sets him up with this high profile clash.
The winner will take on the unseeded Adam Hunt in the third round, who eliminated 28th seed, Jamie Hughes.
This is only the second appearance at the PDC World Championship for Van Duijvebode.
His previous appearance was back in 2016 when he lost in the first round to Raymond van Barneveld.
Earlier this year he made the semi-finals of a PDC event for the first time ever. The Dutchman lost to Gerwyn Price at the Players Championship 2.
But he followed up with a semi final at the 2020 Belgian Darts Championship and form on the tour was enough to get him to the 2020 World Grand Prix.
That was where he really started to put his name on the board.
At the 2020 World Grand Prix Van Duijvenbode beat four top-16 players including Gary Anderson to reach the final.
Gerwyn Price got the better of him there as well.
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Dirk van Duijvenbode reached the quarters of the European Championship and the Players Championship finals as well.
So he’s a bit of a rising star at the moment and he is the match favourite here at 10/11* (odds taken 21:34 GMT on Monday, 21st December).
Clearly out of the two players here the form and momentum is with the Dutchman.
Will he be able to take that forward and conjure up a place in the third round of the tournament for himself?
A dip into the correct score market for darts betting has a 3-2 win for Van Duijvenbode at 15/4* (odds taken 21:34 GMT on Monday, 21st December).
Rob Cross vs Dirk van Duijvenbode Betting Advice
This is a cracking fixture at the PDC Darts World Championship.
Former world champion Rob Cross looks under some pressure in the outright market.
We have to swing with him getting beaten in this one. That’s because he just hasn’t found his top form in this disjointed year.
So he is vulnerable. We would have to roll with the 10/11 outright odds on Van Duijvenbode * (odds taken 21:34 GMT on Monday, 21st December).
Key Facts – Rob Cross vs Dirk van Duijvenbode Betting Tip
- Rob Cross lost in the second round of the previous World Championship
- Rob Cross was the 2018 PDC World Championship winner
- Dirk van Duijvenbode is in just his second appearance in the World Championships
For a bit of a look at some extended odds, we are also going to have a look at the 3-2 correct score for DVD at 15/4* (odds taken 21:34 GMT on Monday, 21st December).
He is a younger, inexperienced player so we don’t think that he is going to sweep his way to a massive victory.
A narrow one in his book would be perfectly fine.
The best betting odds for Rob Cross vs Dirk van Duijvenbode
Rob Cross to win: Evens at Bet365
Dirk van Duijvenbode to win: 5/6 at Bet365
