Premier League Darts 2018 Betting: Week 6

The bad weather in the UK has played havoc with sporting fixtures up and down the country and week 5 of the PDC Premier League darts was a notable victim. The action at Exeter was cancelled on police advice and we’ve yet to get confirmation on any rearranged dates.

Things are improving and we expect week 6 in Leeds to go ahead as planned so let’s get straight on and see what’s in store.

Outright Betting

Michael van Gerwen

With no play possible last Thursday, the outright market is largely unchanged but there have been some small shifts in individual prices so let’s have a quick recap. Michael Van Gerwen remains the odds on favourite with the Dutchman available at best odds of 4/6 with Sun Bets. World Champion Rob Cross follows at 13/2 with BetBright while Gary Anderson, who won the UK Open at the weekend, is available at a top price of 8/1 with Winner Sports.

Peter Wright is marginally further back at a best of 17/2 with 10Bet and then we come to Michael Smith, who leads the table with four wins from four and can be found at a top price.

The figures start to ease out from this point and Raymond Van Barneveld follows next at a relatively distant best of 40/1 with Boylesports while Simon Whitlock comes along at a top price of 50/1 with Coral. Next up is Daryl Gurney at best odds of 100/1 with Winner Sports then Mensur Suljovic at 150/1 with Betway. Finally, Gerwyn Price brings up the rear at 300/1 with 10Bet.

That’s the outrights dealt with so let’s now see what Thursday in Leeds has in store.

Opening Up

Simon Whitlock

The first game of the night is between Michael Van Gerwen and Simon Whitlock with a predictably one-sided betting market. MVG is the runaway favourite here at a top price of 1/6 with Sun Bets while Wizard Whitlock is out at best odds of 12/1 with SkyBet and Coral.

The draw completes this one at a top price of 8/1 with Unibet and while Van Gerwen had an early exit from the UK Open at the weekend, we expect him to convert at that tiny 1/6 price on Thursday.

Next up is Gerwyn Price versus Raymond Van Barneveld and this is a little tighter. Barney is odds on with most bookmakers but is available at a best of Even Money with Coral and Ladbrokes. Price follows on at 11/4 with SkyBet while the draw is 18/5 for this one with SportingBet.

Price hasn’t enjoyed a good start to this competition and as we’ve seen, he’s the rank outsider in the tournament betting but there were signs of a return to form at the UK Open so perhaps there is some value in that one.

Big Guns

Rob Cross

This week’s action could go some way to deciding the elimination places and Rob Cross, Peter Wright and Gary Anderson all have winnable games in Leeds this week. Wright is the first of those three to step up to the oche as he takes on Mensur Suljovic who has started poorly with one win from four Premier League matches so far.

With that in mind, Wright isn’t a bad price to win this one with Sport Pesa quoting best odds of 4/5. Victory for Suljovic is out at a top price of 3/1 with SkyBet while MarathonBet have the best numbers on the draw with 19/5 available.

Snakebite Wright has already registered two draws in this competition so that could well be an option but he is in the better form and 4/5 looks quite reasonable.

Gary Anderson

Next up we have Gary Anderson who should take great confidence from that UK Open win as he prepares to face Daryl Gurney. There’s not too much interest in the result betting however with Anderson at best odds of 5/9 with Sun Bets and Gurney available at a top price of 4/1 with Betway.

The draw is on offer for this match at 4/1 with Coral and BetFred but based on form and comparative strength of these two, Anderson seems the most likely winner.

Closing the Show

The night ends with World Champion Rob Cross taking on Michael Smith who sits at the top of the table. Smith has been impressive but this is his biggest test to date with Cross listed as favourite at a top price of 10/11 with Sport Pesa.

Victory for Smith follows at 13/5 with Unibet while the draw is quoted at 7/2. The table topper has shown enough form to suggest he can upset those odds but we think this is another game where the price on the stronger thrower offers some decent value.

Verdict

Peter Wright

We’ll start with that final game because Smith has to lose at some point and while Cross started this competition slowly with two straight defeats, the World Champion has recovered to put two consecutive wins on the board.

Peter Wright is another player who should convert at a good enough price while Van Gerwen and Anderson should both come through as short favourites. That just leaves the question of a final tip and we could dip into the side markets here - MVG to beat Simon Whitlock by seven legs to two is a good option at best odds of 7/2 with SkyBet but we’ll finish with another pick from the result betting.

There could be some interest in Gerwyn Price to beat Raymond Van Barneveld - Price has yet to pick up a win but will surely do so at some point - but once again, the value is on the better thrower and Barney at Even Money gives us another good option for week six.

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