German Darts Championship: Odds and Betting Preview

After their trip to New Zealand and Australia, the PDC players embark on their European Tour this week and it all begins with the German Darts Championship, which starts in Hildesheim this Friday.

Hopefully the jet lag will have worn off for those that competed Down Under in a series of events that saw wins for Peter Wright, Michael Van Gerwen and Rob Cross, who made a welcome return to form by beating MVG in the final of the Brisbane Masters last time out.

Let’s take a quick look at the latest tournament before considering the odds for this week’s event.

History and Format

The 2018 German Darts Championship will be the tenth edition of an event which first took place back in 2007. There was a brief hiatus with a two year gap from 2010 but this has been a continuous competition since its return to the circuit in 2012.

The inaugural tournament was won by Phil Taylor who went on to claim three of the first four editions. The Power remains the most successful player in the history of the event with those three victories and to date, no other thrower has won it more than once.

As for our current champion, that would be Peter Wright who claimed the title by beating Michael Van Gerwen in the final twelve months ago.

The format features a big field of 48 players in total, 16 of which are the highest ranked available darters from the PDC ProTour Order of Merit. They will be joined by 32 qualifiers who will come through via five regional qualifying events across Europe.

Because there are a lot of players to accommodate, the matches are quite short and from the first round through to the qualifiers, the games are the best of 11 legs. The semi final is the best of 13 legs and the final the best of 15 so there is some scope for upsets in a quick format.

Out in Front

There’s no Gary Anderson this week as he sits this one out while Raymond Van Barneveld is also absent but we still have a strong field which is led, as usual by Michael Van Gerwen. The Dutchman is available at odds of 3/4 with SportingBet which gives him a clear lead over the chasing pack.

Those chasers start with defending champion Peter Wright and, Brisbane Masters Champion Rob Cross, both of whom can be picked up at 13/2 with Ladbrokes and Coral. With no Barney or Gary Anderson, the gaps then start to widen with Michael Smith available at 14/1 with Royal Panda while Mensur Suljovic is on offer at best odds of 16/1 with Ladbrokes and Coral.

Those are the throwers most likely to take the trophy but will there be a surprise from the outside bunch?

Outsider Picks

There are a number of outside punts who fit a similar profile of players with success in the past but whose best days seem to be behind them. In a field with notable absentees such as this one however, there are some threats as we move through the field.

James Wade is a good example and after a welcome return to form, the left hander is available at best odds of 28/1 with Royal Panda for the outright win. Royal Panda also have the best numbers on Adrian Lewis at 33/1 while Daryl Gurney is further back at a top price of 40/1 with Ladbrokes and Coral.

Meanwhile, Simon Whitlock is quoted at best odds of 80/1 with SportingBet and then we move into three figures, starting with Kyle Anderson at 100/1 with Ladbrokes and Coral.

A number of qualifiers have yet to fill the remaining places but it’s highly likely that we’ve already mentioned the winner so let’s round up the tips for the German Darts Championship.

Verdict

With two days left until the first dart is thrown, there are no side bets open as yet. That will change with markets for Most 180s, Nine Dart Finish and more being made available while there will, of course, be an active set of bets for each individual match. For now, however, it’s all about picking our winner.

As regular readers of our darts previews will know, we don’t just opt for the favourite every time. There is precious little value in backing Michael Van Gerwen and in 2018, the Dutchman hasn’t dominated the darts scene as he has in previous years. However, with the key figure of Gary Anderson missing from this field, MVG has a clear route to the semis.

Assuming he reaches the last four, Van Gerwen is seeded to meet Rob Cross in those semi finals and Peter Wright in the final. Tougher, early matches await those two however and it’s less of a guarantee that Wright and Cross will match their seeding.

We expect Van Gerwen to raise his game this week but if you want a little more value than those 3/4 odds, a small each way stake on James Wade at 25/1 could be the way to go. The ‘Machine’ would need to reach the final for this to come in but the left hander has been away, working on his action and the early results of those efforts look to have been productive.

Best Bets for German Darts Championship 2018:

• Michael Van Gerwen to win at 3/4 with SportingBet
• James Wade Each Way at 25/1 with Ladbrokes