After 16 weeks of action the Premier League four top arrowsmiths head to London’s O2 Arena to battle it out for the £275,000 winner’s prize on finals night.
Henry Hardwicke's Playoffs Tips
Gerwyn Price -2.5 legs v Jonny Clayton @ 5/6
Michael Smith to beat Michael van Gerwen @ 10/11
Gerwyn Price to win the Premier League @ 6/4
View all the latest Darts Bet Boosts and odds
Odds displayed were correct at the time of writing and subject to fluctuation.
Setting the scene in London...
Gerwen Price, Michael Smith, Michael van Gerwen and Jonny Clayton are the playoff contenders and it promised to be a fantastic night of action on the banks of the Thames.
Price will face fellow Welshman Clayton in the first of Thursday night’s semi-finals, while Van Gerwen and Smith clash in what looks set to be a titanic last-four tussle.
Here are the best bets ahead of what should be a thrilling final showdown in London.
Gerwyn Price -2.5 legs v Jonny Clayton @ 5/6
Price finished six points clear of second place at the top of the Premier League regular season table and the Iceman has been handed the plum draw in the semi-finals.
Of course, Clayton is a top-level player, but a clash with the Ferret looks far more winnable than a contest with either Smith or Van Gerwen and Price should really make comfortable progress into the final.
Clayton finished a massive 15 points off Price in the league stage of this event, and the Ferret only made the playoffs thanks to the Iceman beating Nathan Aspinall in the semi-finals in Aberdeen last week.
This pair met five times over the 16-week regular season, with Price winning all five of their meetings and covering the handicap on each occasion.
The Markham man won that quintet of contests by an aggregate scoreline of 30-12, and while that indicates that the Iceman clearly feels comfortable in competition against his compatriot, the main takeaway is that Price is by far the superior player.
Henry Hardwicke's Tip:
The semi-finals are played over the best-of-19 legs and that extended format will give more time for the Iceman’s class to tell.
Price can be backed at 5/6 giving the Ferret a 2.5-leg start and that looks a cracking bet.
Related Darts News
bet365 US Darts Masters: Date, schedule, history, how to watch & betting odds
World Matchplay Darts: Date, schedule, history & how to watch
Michael Smith to beat Michael van Gerwen @ 10/11
Smith and Van Gerwen can’t be split in the betting with the pair both available at 10/11.
However, there seems to be a fair few reasons to suggest that Bully Boy is the value at the prices.
Smith finished the regular season in fantastic form, winning in Leeds, Manchester and Sheffield, before a narrow loss in the Aberdeen quarter-finals.
The St Helens man put in an incredible 110.05 three-dart average when landing the Manchester event and those Premier League efforts have been backed up by a victory in the German Darts Grand Prix on the European Tour.
Van Gerwen is becoming more and more inconsistent and the Green Machine made just one nightly final in the final ten weeks of regular season play.
MVG has failed to average more than 100 in five of his last six Premier League appearances and that isn’t going to cut it against a rejuvenated Smith.
The Dutchman is still capable of some brilliant performances, but they are becoming fewer and further between, and it’s becoming increasingly clear that Mighty Mike is not the force of old.
Henry Hardwicke's Tip:
Van Gerwen suffered an injury to his left shoulder in a 6-3 win over Chris Dobey in Scotland last week and that forced the Dutchman to withdraw from his semi-final contest with Dimitri van den Bergh.
That setback followed last year’s operation to relieve a carpal tunnel syndrome diagnosis and the grueling PDC Tour allows little time for recovery.
Mighty Mike looked set for a tough battle, regardless of the fitness concerns, and even a peak MVG may have struggled to stop a rampant Bully Boy.
Gerwyn Price to win the Premier League @ 6/4
Price has the privilege of leading out the last-four contests, and that could prove to be a major advantage, in terms of lifting the trophy.
The Markham man should be relaxing back-stage, after a comfortable victory over Clayton, while Smith and Van Gerwen are battling it out in the second semi-final contest.
Henry Hardwicke's Tip:
This is the Iceman’s first appearance in the playoffs, but the three-time Grand Slam champ, World Cup winner, Grand Prix king and 2021 world champion won’t need a second invitation to take down the Premier League crown and the Welshman looks a solid 6/4 chance.
Henry Hardwicke's Playoffs Tips
Gerwyn Price -2.5 legs v Jonny Clayton @ 5/6
Michael Smith to beat Michael van Gerwen @ 10/11
Gerwyn Price to win the Premier League @ 6/4
View all the latest Darts Bet Boosts and odds
Odds displayed were correct at the time of writing and subject to fluctuation.
