2019 BDO Darts World Championship Preview – January 5th to 13th, 2019
As usual, straight after the big PDC World Championships, comes the BDO World Championship Darts action. This is the 42nd edition of the famous tournament and once again it will be from the familiar setting of the Lakeside Country Club in Surrey.
Glen Durrant is the one to beat as he is the two-time defending champion and he is at 11/10 to win the event for the third year on the bounce* (betting odds taken from bet365 on January 2nd, 2019 at 3:47 pm).
2019 BDO Darts World Championship*
Glen Durrant 11/10
Michael Unterbuchner 9/1
Mark McGeeney 11/1
Scott Mitchell 16/1
Scott Waites 20/1
Dave Parletti 22/1
Kyle McKinstry 22/1
Wesley Harms 22/1
Andy Hamilton 25/1
Jim Williams 28/1
Richard Veenstra 33/1
Paul Hogan 40/1
Adam Smith-Neale 40/1
66/1 bar
* (Betting Odds were taken from bet365 on January 2nd, 2019 at 1:17 p.m.)
Table of Contents
2019 BDO Darts World Championship Preview
Glen Durrant got his hands on the title once again last year as he edged Mark McGeeney in the final 7-6. That was a dramatic conclusion to the event for Duzza who is trying to muscle his way into the PDC. He has announced that he is going to Q-School to try and get into the PDC regardless of what happens at the BDO World Championships this year. If he is set to make the move, will he go out with a bang?
He has been to at least the quarterfinals in each of the last four editions of the BDO Darts World Championships. On top of his title at the Worlds last year he also claimed the BDO World Trophy and Zuiderduin Masters, while finishing runner-up to Adam Smith-Neale at the Winmau World Masters. Given his status on the BDO, he is one of the front-runners at the tournament and is in the opposite half of the draw to last year’s losing finalist McGeeney.
Gladiator looks to go further
Durrant is second seed to McGeeney’s top seeding at the event and the ‘Gladiator’ came from nowhere last year to make his run to the final. That was just his third crack at the tournament and had been stopped in the second round in the two previous attempts. He has plenty of history at the Winmau World Masters though having been a losing finalist there in two of the last three years. Like Durrant McGeeney has announced that he is going to Q-School to try and have a shot at a PDC move.
The field in the BDO World Championships is not as deep and talented as the PDC version is. So when you look at the outright winner odds, you quickly start to see the gaps in prices opening up. While McGeeney is top seed, he is only third favourite, with second-seed Durrant as the market leader. Sandwiched in between them is Germany’s Michael Unterbuchner at 9/1 odds* (Betting Odds were taken from bet365 on January 2nd, 2019 at 1:17 p.m.)
Top Seeds
Mark McGeeney
Glen Durrant
Jim Williams
Wesley Harms
Michael Unterbuchner
Scott Mitchell
Gary Robson
Richard Veenstra
T-Rex to go further?
Unterbacher is the fifth seed of the 2019 BDO World Championships and is up in the top half of the draw in direct opposition to McGeeney. Those two would meet in the semifinals of the draw. The draw to that final four is a little more difficult for Unterbuchner than McGeeney as he could have to deal with fourth seem Wesley Harms along the way. Still, ‘T-Rex’ made quite the splash year in reaching the semi-finals at his very first attempt. He also finished as runner-up at the BDO World Trophy.
As for Harms, his performance timeline at the tournament has just been declining. Jim Williams is up as the third seed and the Welshman is in just his fourth appearance at the Lakeside. He started to pull things together really well last season as he made the quarterfinals. He was stopped in a deciding set thereby Durrant. But his performances last year were really strong as he had also taken a semi-final berth at the BDO World Trophy, the Winmau World Master and the Zuiderduin Masters too.
Predictions
Will there be a big rematch between Mark McGeeney and Glen Durrant down the line? Will both of them be a little bit distracted by the Q-School and making PDC dreams come true this year? It is an interesting scenario regardless. Durrant is the stronger of the two in terms of appeal given that McGeeney’s relative success at the tournament was a one-off last year.
The same can be said of Unterbuchner after his tremendous debut last year. This is only his second crack at the tournament. After the season that he had in the big events during 2018, Jim Williams is a great-looking 28/1 each way option for the tournament* (Betting Odds were taken from bet365 on January 2nd, 2019 at 1:17 p.m.).
