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Premier League Darts night 3 preview: Draw may favour Bully Boy in Glasgow

Week Three of this season's Premier League Darts sees the eight players head to Glasgow, where spectators will be hoping to see home favourite Peter Wright come out on top.

Home advantage proved crucial last week on Night Two as Welshman Gerwyn Price ended a barren run of form to delight the Cardiff crowd, beating Nathan Aspinall 6-3 in the final.

Instead of being treated like the darting villain, Price for once profited from his opponents being booed and he had earlier come through two final-leg deciders against Chris Dobey and Michael van Gerwen.

Dobey, on his full Premier League debut, ran out victor on Night One in Belfast and van Gerwen is 2/1 to be the third different winner of the tournament at The Hydro.

Reigning world champion Michael Smith is a 4/1 chance, while Price is 9/2 to follow up last Thursday's heroics.

Wright is 11/2 for victory on home soil with Jonny Clayton 9/1 and Dimitri van Den Bergh a 12/1 shot. Night One champion Dobey is also available at 12/1 while last week's runner-up Aspinall completes the strong octet at 14/1.
 

WhatPremier League Darts – Week 3
WhereHydro Arena, Glasgow
When19.00, Thursday 16th February, 2023
How to watchSky Sports 
OddsNight Three winner - Michael van Gerwen 2/1, Michael Smith 4/1, Gerwyn Price 9/2, Peter Wright 11/2, Jonny Clayton 9/1, Dimitri Van den Bergh 12/1, Chris Dobey 12/1, Nathan Aspinall 14/1


Bully Boy has the draw to deliver

World champion Smith has not had much joy so far in the Premier League, having won only one game across the first two events, and he will be hoping to make it third time lucky in Glasgow.

Bully Boy bumped into a 102.36 average from van Gerwen on the opening night in Belfast and then it was a 105.39 average from Aspinall that saw him crash out in Cardiff.

But, this time around, the draw may have been kinder to Smith and at 4/1 there will be plenty of punters opting to side with him on the night.

The new world number one opens up against Price but the Welshman hasn't been at his best for some time and arguably wouldn't have won last week had it not been for a raucous home crowd.

Smith is 4/5 to prevail in that opening contest, which looks good value, and doing so would see him face either Clayton or Dobey in the semi-final.

Clayton has lost at the first hurdle in each of the opening two events, suffering a 6-2 defeat to van Den Bergh on Night One and losing 6-3 to Smith last time out.

Masters champion Dobey is playing far more consistently than the Ferret so may be worth considering at 11/10 to topple the Welshman, especially as he has already won a Premier League event this year.

But Smith would be expected to have Hollywood's measure were they to meet in the last four, making him a strong outright play from what looks a much weaker bottom section of the draw.
 

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MvG may have to do things the hard way

Van Gerwen is a warm order to land the spoils in Glasgow but there is little incentive to back him at his 2/1 quotes given his likely list of opponents.

Aspinall, who was a semi-finalist on Night One and runner-up last week, is the first hurdle for MvG and a reproduction of his efforts last Thursday would pose serious questions of the three-time world champion.

The Asp averaged over 105 in winning his opening two matches against Wright and Smith and, overall, was the best player on the night but just undone by Price on his own patch.

The Green Machine is 4/11 to see off the Asp, who must make some appeal to hit the most 180's at 6/4.

The Stockport man racked up ten maximums across his three matches last week and mustered six from just two encounters on Night One.

Even if van Gerwen does find a way to prevail, home favourite Wright or Van Den Bergh would be waiting for the Dutchman.

MvG has the beating of Van Den Bergh, especially having won each of their last eight meetings, so Snakebite would be the trickier test.

Wright's performances have been much better than the results imply. On Night One in Belfast, the Scot averaged 103.77 in a 6-3 defeat to a determined Dobey, while he averaged 97.22 when losing to Aspinall last week.

With the Glaswegian crowd likely to spur him on, Wright may be able to overcome the Belgian at 8/13, while at 11/2 he will also be eyeing a deep run in the weekly competition.

Clayton beat MvG in the final in Glasgow last year but it is unlikely the Ferret is playing well enough to produce a repeat.
 

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