Champions League of Darts 2018 Preview and Odds – Darts Betting September 22-23

Suljovic value for a repeat performance in the Champions League of Darts

Darts Betting

The third Champions League of Darts is staged this Saturday and Sunday with eight of the world’s best players contesting the £100,000 first prize. Phil Taylor beat Michael van Gerwen 11-5 to win the inaugural event in 2016 and, last year, Mensur Suljovic was a surprise 40/1 winner of his first televised PDC major, defeating Gary Anderson 11-9 in the final.

The format for this tournament remains unchanged with the eight players having been split into two groups of four. Each will play their three group opponents with the top two players in each section progressing to the semi-finals. The group games are all a best of 19 legs and played on Saturday afternoon, Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon. The knockout stages are best of 21 legs and will be played to a finish on Sunday evening.

The novelty of having the top PDC players on terrestrial television and having all the action compressed into just two days should attract some interest but it’s no surprise that world number one, Michael van Gerwen, is a hot favourite in the outright betting. The Dutchman is 4/5 with BetVictor but will face second favourite Gary Anderson in Group A along with Dave Chisnall and Daryl Gurney.

Group B comprises world champion Rob Cross, defending champion Mensur Suljovic, Simon Whitlock and Peter Wright.

Van Gerwen is nearly always a short-priced favourite in tournaments nowadays but you will never get rich backing him. He’s only won two of the last eight top-ranking competitions he’s entered and got knocked out in the first round of the recent World Matchplay so can hardly be described as value. Anderson won that World Matchplay but bombed in the World Series in Australia, though it will still be a surprise if they aren’t the two that qualify from the semi-finals out of Group A.

Rob Cross will have plenty of support among the crowd in Brighton as he lives just down the coast in Hastings. He is 6/1 with BetVictor in the outright betting but I’d rather take a chance on a repeat for MENSUR SULJOVIC. The Bosnia-born Austrian has held the upped hand over his Group B opponents in recent months and the format clearly suits the veteran, who lost to Anderson in the final of the World Matchplay so looks in good nick. At 14/1, he must be some value as I can’t not see him making the semi-finals at least.

Champions League of Darts BetVictor Odds

Michael van Gerwen 4/5
Gary Anderson 4/1
Rob Cross 6/1
Peter Wright 8/1
Mensur Suljovic 14/1
Daryl Gurney 33/1
Dave Chisnall 33/1
Simon Whitlock 66/1
(Odds Correct at 3.00pm September 19)