The BetMGM Premier League Darts regular season continues in Leeds on Thursday so check out Chris Hammer’s match-by-match guide to the action.
Darts betting tips: Premier League night 14
1pt Littler to win, hit most 180s and highest checkout at 5/4 (Sky Bet)
1pt Humphries to beat Cross and hit most 180s at 11/10 (Sky Bet)
Thursday May 9: Night 14
- TV Coverage: Sky Sports (1900 GMT)
- Format: Quarter-Finals, best of 11 legs
- Venue: Leeds
Michael van Gerwen v Gerwyn Price
- Head to Head: 31-15, 1 draw (TV: 23-9, 1 draw)
- 2024 PL Average: 97.95 – 99.21
- 2024 PL 180s per leg: 0.27 – 0.32
- 2024 PL checkout percentage: 42.29% – 40.74%
- 2024 PL legs won with 100+ C/O: 11.01% – 13.63%
Gerwyn Price returns to the Premier League with absolutely nothing to play for after his injury-enforced absence last week rubber stamped his elimination with two rounds of fixtures to play.
If the Iceman is fit and healthy then I’d actually favour him to upset the Premier League form book and pick up a rare win over a struggling Michael van Gerwen, who crashed out in the first round of both Players Championship events this week.
Sure, he averaged 108 during his defeat to Rob Cross in Aberdeen last Thursday but apart from that MVG is unable to produce fireworks on a regular basis and the pressure to try and qualify for the top-four won’t help matters.
Price’s impressive performance statistics haven’t got the results they deserve and even if they do in Leeds, it’s far too little too late.
Verdict: 4-6
CLICK HERE to bet on Michael van Gerwen v Gerwyn Price with Sky Bet
ALSO WATCH: NEW TOURNAMENT IDEAS IN DARTS
Luke Littler v Peter Wright
- Head to Head: 1-0 (TV: 1-0)
- 2024 PL Average: 99.86 – 93.48
- 2024 PL 180s per leg: 0.33 – 0.27
- 2024 PL checkout percentage: 39.29% – 33.94%
- 2024 PL legs won with 100+ C/O: 10.9% – 5.37%
To say Luke Littler and Peter Wright have experienced contrasting seasons is the understatement of the year.
In his debut season, the Nuke is flying high at the top with 36 points, 21 match wins and four nightly titles, while Peter Wright’s unofficial farewell campaign couldn’t have gone much worse.
It’s unlikely Snakebite will be asked back unless he somehow rediscovers some major winning form in the twilight stages of his career and it is sad to see him bow out so embarrassingly with just two match wins and a legs difference of -36.
Wright did actually give Littler a scare in week four before losing a deciding leg but I don’t expect this one to be close considering the 17-year-old has won his last 10 matches in all competitions and continues to post averages that the Scotsman can only dream about right now.
He suffered two early exits in the latest round of Players Championship action this week as Littler gave himself a well-earned rest and it should be one way traffic in Leeds on Thursday night.
Littler clearly has a higher 180s per leg rate this season and I’ll also throw in the high checkout considering he’ll win the vast majority of legs.
Verdict: 6-2
CLICK HERE to bet on Luke Littler v Peter Wright with Sky Bet
ALSO WATCH: HOW TO BECOME A DARTS PROFESSIONAL
Luke Humphries v Rob Cross
- Head to Head: 8-9 (TV: 4-3)
- 2024 PL Average: 100.49 – 97.47
- 2024 PL 180s per leg: 0.35 – 0.23
- 2024 PL checkout percentage: 40.96% – 41.20%
- 2024 PL legs won with 100+ C/O: 9.55% – 11.81%
Rob Cross’s outside play-off hopes are still flicking after back-to-back runs to the last two finals but having lost both to Luke Littler, he simply has to go one better in Leeds to stand a chance.
Voltage has probably come to the Premier League party far too late and if he’d produced these kind of performances earlier in the season then he’d be firmly in the mix for a top-four spot.
Cross did beat Luke Humphries in last week’s semi-finals as Cool Hand’s season hit another bump in the road but generally he’s still got so much to be positive about and will want to lay down a marker to his title rivals again.
I fancy the Leeds United fan to end Voltage’s play-off aspirations and also hit most 180s given his far superior maximum per leg rates.
Verdict: 6-2
CLICK HERE to bet on Luke Humphries v Rob Cross with Sky Bet
ALSO WATCH: HOW MUCH DO DARTS PLAYERS EARN?
Nathan Aspinall v Michael Smith
- Head to Head: 11-12 (TV: 8-10)
- 2024 PL Average: 95.75 – 96.68
- 2024 PL 180s per leg: 0.26 – 0.33
- 2024 PL checkout percentage: 37.03% – 39.42%
- 2024 PL legs won with 100+ C/O: 11.67% – 12.19%
By far the most crucial quarter-final of the night as third-placed Nathan Aspinall faces fifth-placed Michael Smith with just three points separating them in the table.
As far as the Premier League is concern, very little separates. them in terms of averages, points and matches won, although Smith does arrive in Leeds on a high having won a Players Championship event in Germany on Monday as Aspinall opted to rest up.
The Asp did defeat Smith in a Premier League final three weeks ago and if this duel ends up being a war of attrition under intense pressure, then I’d side with the Stockport ace to use all his battling qualities to get the job done.
Verdict: 6-4