Premier League Darts 2018 Betting – Second Phase

The race for Finals Night begins

Darts Betting

Judgement Night in the Premier League Darts season came and went on April 5th, which was week nine of the tournament. That meant that the bottom two at the end of the night were eliminated and that ended up being Gerwyn Price who picked up just two points, and Austria’s Mensur Suljovic who collected four.

It meant that Peter Wright managed to avoid a shock exit at the halfway stage of the competition. Now for the second phase of the tournament (weeks 10 through 14), the remaining eight all face off against each other one more time. The top four after all that dust has settled will be moving through to the Finals night where it is straight knockout time.

So who is on course for a berth in the final four? Well, Michael Van Gerwen looks a dead cert to be booking his place on Finals night and taking a step closer to defending his title. He won eight of his nine games in the first phase, with only a blip on Week two against Peter Wright tripping him up. He carries forth a massive 32 positive leg advantage as well. Van Gerwen is 1/2 at Paddy Power* (betting odds taken on April 10th at 2:16 a.m) to win the title outright.

Michael Smith did fantastically well over the first half of the season with seven wins in his nine matches. He was pretty consistent and strong and really having opened with four straight victories that set up him up for the fairly comfortable ride that he had. So he is a strong position to land a top-four finish in what is his second appearance in the Premier League of Darts (he finished 10th in 2016).

Things then get a title. Rob Cross recovered himself well after losing his two opening matches to string together a fantastic five-match winning streak to end Judgement Night in third, just two points ahead of Simon Whitlock who has reappeared in the tournament with a bit of vim and vigour to people’s surprise. Will the Wizard last the distance though because there is big pressure brewing and the Australian only won one of his last six games?

Gary Anderson and debutant Daryl Gurney are right on his heels just a point behind and then Raymond Van Barneveld is just two points back of fourth-placed Whitlock. Bringing up the rear is Peter Wright, who with six points and just one win all season, isn’t likely to put together a run.

Predictions

It would be a surprise if MVG, Cross and Smith don’t take three of the four places on Finals night. They have all been going really well and look to have the bit between their teeth. It is that final berth that we are looking at. Whitlock probably doesn’t have the durability to stick it out and bring his way through and if you count out Van Barneveld and Wright who have the most work to do, that narrows the field to Anderson or Gurney. D

o you go with the experience of Anderson or the new kid on the block in Gurney?

There was really nothing to split their stats at the end of Judgement Night night and it’s a close call. We would suggest that 5/6 odds with Paddy Power* (betting odds taken on April 10th at 2:16 a.m) that it is Anderson who takes. The pressure is going to start building week by week and of the two, Anderson has been there and handled it before. It may all get too much for Gurney when he tries to hone in on a top-four finish when the pressure is really on.

To Qualify Odds*

Michael van Gerwen 1/100, Rob Cross 1/7, Michael Smith 1/6, Gary Anderson 5/6, Daryl Gurney 9/4, Simon Whitlock 5/2, Raymond van Barneveld 3/1, Peter Wright 8/1* (betting odds taken on April 10th at 2:16 a.m)

Premier League Darts 2018 Winner Odds

Michael van Gerwen 1/2, Rob Cross 9/2, Gary Anderson 13/2, Michael Smith 14/1, Daryl Gurney 33/1, Peter Wright 50/1, Raymond van Barneveld 50/1, Simon Whitlock 50/1* (betting odds taken on April 10th at 2:16 a.m).