The 2018 Unibet Premier League of Darts is back for a new season with a brand new line up, a new sponsor and new expectations for many of the players who will be taking part. All the action kicks off February 1st (early morning of February 2nd in Australia) from Dublin, Ireland, and Before You Bet will be providing weekly previews and betting tips for every match of the season.
The first nine weeks will see the ten participants play each other once, before “Judgement Night” will see the two lowest ranked players eliminated. The final eight will continue the battle to the play-off stage, where the top four will go on to battle for the 2018 Premier League title.
This year’s Unibet Premier League has fresh feel about it, with many of the usual regulars not getting a gig in 2018. Adrian Lewis, James Wade and Dave Chisnall haven’t been able to maintain their form to secure a spot, while Phil Taylor has now officially retired. The likes of Michael Smith, Gerwyn Price, Mensur Suljovic, Daryl Gurney, Australian Simon Whitlock and new World Champion Rob Cross join the Premier League this year which should provide some really exciting contests throughout the season.
Obviously the big guns in the Premier League this season are the returning players in Michael van Gerwen, Gary Anderson, Raymond van Barneveld and Peter Wright.
2018 Unibet Premier League Preseason Predictions
Looking at the Outright Winner market and it’s hard to go past MVG who has been installed as the $1.80 favourite at Sportsbet, however there’s not a whole heap of value in that price. Rob Cross is on the second line of betting at $4.50. If you’re looking for some more value, Peter Wright probably should’ve won the Premier League last season, and although he’s had some recent health issues, his price of $10 might be worth a nibble. Outside of the top contenders, Daryl Gurney has been on the edge of the elite in recent months, and $41 looks a generous price if you think it’s his year to shine.
At the other end of the spectrum, I think the best pre-season bet comes from the relegation zone. Unfortunately for Aussie darts fans, I think Simon Whitlock is going to struggle this season and it’s going to be hard for him to win too many matches. He has moments that are very good, but he hasn’t beaten the top players in the world on the big stage in a very long time. This season will also be a challenge for Gerwyn Price and Michael Smith. Price has shown that he can to go toe-to-toe with the big dogs, and he’ll thrive on the big stage, while Smith does have Premier League experience under his belt which should help him this time around. I think one of those two will also be relegated, but I think it's going to be extremely tough for Whitlock to avoid the bottom two.
TIP: Simon Whitlock to finish bottom 2 - $1.80 at Sportsbet
Predicted Unibet Premier League Standings
1. Michael Van Gerwen
2. Rob Cross
3. Gary Anderson
4. Raymond van Barneveld
5. Peter Wright
6. Daryl Gurney
7. Mensur Suljovic
8. Gerwyn Price
9. Michael Smith
10. Simon Whitlock
Unibet Premier League Week 1 - Dublin, Ireland (Friday 6:15am AEDT)
Mensur Suljovic vs Simon Whitlock
We kick off the Premier League with Mensur Suljovic against Simon Whitlock. This could be a nervy affair. Two quirky characters who will be wanting to start their season on a positive note but can often crack under pressure. Whitlock struggled at the World Championships, citing a flu, and then lost first round of the Masters to James Wade. Whitlock has long said his goal was to play in the Premier League again, so hopefully he can relax now that he’s achieved that, but he hasn’t quite been on top of his game in recent months. Suljovic, on the other hand, put in a strong showing at the recent Masters event, knocking off Rob Cross in a great match in the quarter-finals before going down to Raymond van Barneveld in the semis.
Suljovic probably should’ve been part of the Premier League last year, so you feel he must be ready to go here and this looks a great opportunity to start his campaign with a strong win. You can take the head-to-head price but we're going to take the extra odds for a comforable victory.
TIP: Mensur Suljovic -2.5 games - $2.55 at Unibet
Gary Anderson vs Michael Smith
Gary Anderson has been struggling with a back injury since the World Championships, and although he’s been competing, he certainly hasn’t been at 100%. Will the rigours of playing every week take their toll on the Scot? In his favour is the fact that the Premier League is a short format, so he won’t have to be up for long to get through the match. But perhaps age is catching up with him. It’s also a big season for Michael Smith to see if he can deliver on his promised potential. It’s a tough first match for Smith, but if he’s on, he is capable of challenging anyone in the world. Smith just didn't click last time he was in the Premier League, and generally looked overawed. Hopefully he can stand up this season.
Anderson is an obvious favourite, but there’s not a lot of value in his price to win, given his injury and Smith’s inconsistencies. Prefer to take the 180s market as these two can certainly light up the board with their scoring.
TIP: Anderson vs Smith over 6.5 180s - $1.80 at Unibet
Daryl Gurney vs Raymond van Barneveld
A big match in the first week for these two as they are likely to be squaring off for one of those final play-off spots for the top four players at the end of the season. Barney reached the finals of the Masters so he’s clearly been playing well and he’s always tough to beat in the Premier League. He comes up against Daryl Gurney who reached number four in the world, but would probably be disappointed with his early exit from the World Championships at the hands of John Henderson, and then the first round of the Masters to Gerwyn Price. Gurney will need to get back to his best for the Premier League if he’s to be a contender. This will be in Gurney’s backyard in Dublin so he’ll have the crowd support but that might just add to the pressure.
On form and experience, it’s hard to go past Barney here and the price looks good. However I think it will be close, so if you want to be more conservative, the over 10.5 legs line looks pretty safe.
TIP: Raymond van Barneveld to win - $2.25 at Ladbrokes
TIP: Raymond van Barneveld vs Daryl Gurney over 10.5 legs - $1.50 at Unibet
Michael van Gerwen vs Rob Cross
The unofficial Main Event of Week 1 of the Premier League, Michael van Gerwen and Rob Cross have already formed an incredible rivalry in a short time. Their games have been at a level that has never before been seen so I hope that the Premier League can only build on that. MVG will be looking for revenge following his semi-final loss to Cross in the World Championships. Since then, MVG has also gone on to win the Masters to reaffirm that he’s the one to beat in this league. However it’s a tough first assignment against the World Champion in Cross who’s rise to fame has been meteoric. No one knew who he was a year ago, and now he’s the World Champion in the Premier League on the back of an irresistible year. Cross should thrive in the Premier League format, as he brings a high scoring, high intensity game that looks rock solid under pressure. He seems to have the measure of most, if not all, of the players here, and should be there come play-offs, but can he upset MVG once again?
Surely MVG will extract revenge here. He must’ve been waiting for this moment to put Cross back in his place, and I can’t see him dropping this match. I expect the MVG “A” game which is too much for anyone to overcome. To add some extra value to the price, we’ll include both players to throw at least two 180s which seems a lock. Consider the over 180s market for a play if you think these two are going to go off!
TIP: Michael van Gerwen to win and both players to throw at least two 180s - $2.00 at Sportsbet
Peter Wright vs Gerwyn Price
A tricky match to finish the evening. Both Peter Wright and Gerwyn Price have the potential to do big things in the Premier League, but both bring a few doubts over where they are at. Peter Wright was fantastic at the start of 2017, and should’ve won the Premier League last year, but recent health problems cast some doubt over his form and his durability to play each week. This is a great opportunity for Price to play with the elite on the big stage. He brings a competitive intensity that should create some exciting moments and probably an upset or two – perhaps even this week!
A great opportunity for Price to make a splash, catching Wright off guard on week one.
TIP: Gerwyn Price +2.5 games - $1.90 at CrownBet
