Darts
Premier League Darts Night 3 preview: Michael van Gerwen overdue first victory?
As the 2023 Premier League Darts heads into its third week following Gerwyn Price’s triumph in Cardiff, we bring you all of the latest updates and odds to inform your betting ahead of Thursday night.
We preview the best of the action below.
Nathan Aspinall v Michael van Gerwen
Michael van Gerwen remains the favourite for the whole tournament at 7/4 and he heads into this battle as the heavy 4/11 favourite.
Despite failing to claim victory on both the first and second night, Michael van Gerwen is overdue a good run in the Premier League. The Dutchman is arguably the most talented man on the card, averaging 110.75 in defeat last week against Gerwyn Price in the semi-finals.
Aspinall comes in at 21/10 for this matchup, and he heads into the evening off the back of a 3-6 loss in the final in Cardiff last week. Such is the talent of van Gerwen that last week’s finalist comes in as the largest underdog of the night.
The Englishman may fancy his chances more than his odds portray, especially on stage at the OVO Hydro, Glasgow, where anything can happen. If you do fancy van Gerwen to run through Aspinall, the odds of a 6-2 victory are 5/1.
Check out the latest betting odds at William Hill
Peter Wright v Dimitri Van den Bergh
World number two, Peter Wright, is the comfortable 8/13 favourite against Dimitri Van den Bergh. Both contestants are yet to make their mark on the competition and will need to step up their game in Glasgow.
Snakebite had a disappointing PDC World Championship on the tail end of last year and doesn’t seem to have a hold of the Premier League just yet, failing to pick up any points from either night thus far. Wright remains fourth favourite for Premier League glory at 13/2.
Regardless of his uncharacteristic performances, Wright can’t be underestimated and on home soil in Scotland it’s no wonder he is the favourite. Van den Bergh bowed out in the quarter-finals last week, suffering 4-6 defeat to Michael van Gerwen, but who can blame him really.
The Belgium professional ranks eleventh in the world rankings and is 13/10 to get the better of Snakebite this Thursday. Both men are incredibly talented and we may see 180s galore, with over 5.5 180s priced at 8/13.
Gerwyn Price v Michael Smith
Last weekend saw Gerwyn Price victorious in front of a heavily supportive crowd in Cardiff, who the Welshman claims carried him over the line.
This week Price will face the world number one in an epic clash. He is the 10/11 joint favourite and will be full of confidence following last week’s success, including a 6-5 semi-final win over Michael van Gerwen.
The man standing in his way however is Michael Smith, the world number one, who is also the joint favourite at 10/11. Maybe the odds are a little harsh on Smith given his incredible resume, so taking the Englishman -1.5 at 13/10 could be a value bet.
On balance this should be a tense and exciting war between two of the best in the business, and it remains to be seen who can eke out an edge on the night.
Jonny Clayton v Chris Dobey
Jonny Clayton is the favourite in this interesting matchup at 8/11, despite Chris Dobey’s early success in the Premier League.
Dobey enjoyed early victory in week one where he defeated world number one Michael van Gerwen to steal the night and secure a £10,000 bonus. Last week he lost in the opening game, but he can’t feel too bad as it was to the eventual winner of the night, Gerwyn Price.
Dobey comes in at 11/10 as he looks to outplay his odds as the underdog, but Clayton will have no plans on letting that happen as the seventh ranked player globally. However, Clayton is yet to pick up a point in the Premier League and will need to really make his mark in Glasgow.
Overall this looks the most likely match for an upset given Dobey’s recent form and Dobey -1.5 at 13/8 doesn’t look a bad selection for those wanting to root for the underdog.
