2016 Betway Premier League Darts – Week 10 Preview & Betting Tips
Friday April 8th 4:15am AEDST (Fox Sports)
The 2016 Betway Premier League Darts is now down to the final eight players following the elimination of Dave Chisnall and Michael Smith last week. The eight will now play each other one more time in a bid to reach the playoffs for the final four.
It means we're in for some tighter matches moving forward, so we'll have to adjust our betting strategy a little as match winners become more difficult to determine. Fortunately darts offers a wide variety of betting markets to find some value. For discussion throughout the Premier League and all darts related banter, join in the coversation with me on Twitter @BullsEye_Bets.
Here’s our look at the best bets from Week 10 of the Premier League:
James Wade vs Raymond van Barneveld
Both players will see this as a winnable match, and a crucial one if they are to keep in touch with the top four. When they last met in the Premier League, it was Wade who landed a 7-5 victory however Barney wasn’t without chances and played a pretty strong match with a 101.17 average.
It’s been a mixed season for both, but the fact that Wade has the most 100+ scores in the league, and Barney has the most 140+ scores in the league, says that both have played well in matches that have gone the distance. And that’s what I’m expecting in this match.
At the odds, I would favour Barney at $2.50 who has been playing very well, and should’ve beaten MVG last week. However I think there’s no doubt this will be a tight match, so the overs for number of legs looks the best play. You could be aggressive and take the $2.28 at CrownBet for over 11.5 legs, however a safer play is to take the over 10.5 legs which at $1.57.
There’s not a lot of value in Checkout and 180s markets in this match as both are pretty evenly matched in that regard. The only play I could suggest is Barney over 2.5 180s. The price isn’t huge but he’s covered this in 7 of 9 Premier League matches this season.
Bet: Over 10.5 Legs @$1.57 at CrownBet
Bet: Raymond van Barneveld Over 2.5 180s $1.60 at CrownBet
Gary Anderson vs Phil Taylor
What a cracking match up this should be as these two tungsten titans go at it with the two-time reigning World Champion in Anderson taking on the 16-time World Champion in Taylor.
Both have been in cracking form throughout the season and it’s really hard to split them form wise. It’s a vital match for both as the loser is back into the pack a little while the winner may end up on top of the leader board at the end of the week.
From a betting perspective, CrownBet do offer Gary Anderson to win at $2.60 which is a better price than other books but I don’t think there’s a lot of value there. Again, I’d rather bank on a close match and take the price on Over 10.5 legs.
If you want to splash in other markets, Bet365 are offering $3.00 for Phil Taylor to land the most 180s and when you consider that Anderson only has two more 180s for the season than Taylor, then the $3.00 looks value. However Taylor only has six 180s in his last three matches though, so I’ll be leaving that one alone.
Bet: Over 10.5 Legs @$1.57 at CrownBet
Robert Thornton vs Michael van Gerwen
Thornton escaped with a remarkable draw against MVG two weeks ago, which helped him avoid relegation, but somehow I don’t think Van Gerwen is going to let him off so easily this time around. Thornton has certainly improved in recent weeks, and MVG has been off the boil a little, but you would think that the Dutchman will be gearing for some sort of revenge this time around.
Thornton may be a little more relaxed with the thought of relegation off his back, but he’s still such an emotional player that it’s hard to see him just enjoying the rest of the season.
Given the inconsistent form from both players, it makes betting this match a little tricky and the lines don’t offer too much value. If I had to force a bet I would be looking at the MVG 180s markets and either take him versus Thorton for most 180s at $1.62 at CrownBet or over 3.5 180s at $1.72 at Bet365. However, officially, I think we’ll sit this one out.
No Bet
Adrian Lewis vs Peter Wright
Here’s another match that the bookies can’t split with Lewis and Wright both challenging for a top four spot. Wright collected for us with a win last week in our bet of the week at $1.90 and he has been a good, consistent betting option so far this season, while Lewis has been the opposite! Which Lewis is going to show up to play this week?
Lewis can blow anyone away on his day, but Wright has been the more consistent performer with a higher average and better checkout percentage than Lewis this season. However back in Round 6 it was Lewis who defeated Wright with a comfortable 7-3 result where both players averaged over 106.
The line for Wright’s average has been set at 97.5 at Sportsbet. He’s only been under that mark twice in nine Premier League matches this season. Once was a poor match against Barney in Week Two (which he still won) and the other was last week where he came in at 97.14 to just go under. Wright is the most improved player on the circuit this year and his consistency has been excellent, so I’m once again happy to back him to cover that line as our best bet of the week.
There could be plenty of 180s in this match, depending on how Lewis is throwing. You can bank on Wright to get his usual 3 or 4, but Lewis only threw one last week in his win over Thornton. The line is of 7.5 180s requires both players to be on song to reach that number, and with Bet365 offering a good price compared to other books, I’m happy to back the unders.
Bet: Peter Wright Average Over 97.5 at $1.83 at Sportsbet (best bet)
Bet: Under 7.5 180s at $1.90 at Bet365
Phil Taylor vs James Wade
The final match will see Phil Taylor and James Wade both play their second match of the evening. Back in early February, Taylor dismantled Wade in a 7-1 thrashing with a huge 111.20 average.
Wade should ensure that this one is a little bit tighter, but I think Taylor should prove to be too strong. There’s isn’t a lot of value in other markets to find, so happy to stick with a Taylor head-to-head victory as the play here.
Both aren’t the heaviest 180 scorers, but the 180s line is just 5.5, so I would wanting to find an under 6.5 line to get involved there.
Bet: Phil Taylor to WIN at $1.66 at Sportsbet
Make sure to read full terms and conditions of any betting promotion before placing any bets.
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Take note: Any of the tips in this article are simply the author’s opinion, so bet at your own risk and always gamble responsibly. Also be sure to check out the Before You Bet Twitter Page for all our thoughts in the lead up to bets! Happy punting!
