Darts Premier League
Premier League Darts preview: Can MVG make it six tournament wins?
The Premier League swings into action on Monday where the best in the business go head-to-head. The field has several debutants, including the 2020 Grand Slam of Darts winner José de Sousa, 2020 World Matchplay winner Dimitri van den Bergh and reigning Masters champion Johnny Clayton.
Here’s a look at who’s heading the market as well as ones to keep an eye on throughout the tournament.
Iceman looking for maiden Premier League victory
Gerwyn Price tore through the darting world last year making more than just a name for himself. He picked up seven PDC titles before becoming the first Welshman to lift the William Hill World Championship. He’s not burst out of the blocks since that victory in early January, but picked up his first victory as champion when winning a Players’ Championship event in mid-March. He was close to adding another to the list in the latest tournament but was beaten by Peter Wright in the final.
It seems as though Price is just getting started and he could pick up his first Premier League title after three years of trying. He’s the current market leader and is 11/4 to lift the title with William Hill’s enhanced odds.
MVG aiming for sixth Premier League title
Michael van Gerwen has been having a tough time on the oche. Compared to his previous years of dominating world darts in an almost Phil Taylor-esque fashion, the past season and a half haven’t come close. His last tournament victory came back in November of last year and despite getting to numerous quarter and semi-finals, hasn’t been able to get over the line. Fellow former World Champion Wright has also gone as far as that MVG “won’t win a televised title this year”. Whether that’s just mind games from Snakebite or not is yet to be seen, but it’s clear that he isn’t as feared as he once was. A five-time winner of this event previously, MVG knows what it takes to go all the way.
The Green Machine is second in the market at 5/2 and will be hoping that a win here will be the first step in his rise back to the top.
Snakebite confident of going far
Peter Wright got incredibly close to winning this event back in 2017 when he missed six match darts against MVG in what would have been his first TV title. He’s come a long way since then, even becoming World Champion in 2020. He’s feeling confident this year and after his last win during Super Series 2 he stated that his two-weeks of poor form are out the way. Feeling on “a level above everyone else”, the Scotsman averaged 102.90 for the day and took his first title since November.
Also chasing his maiden Premier League title (5/1), he’s looking to become the second Scot to win the Premier League after Gary Anderson managed the feat in 2011 and 2015.
The Ferret is in red hot form
Johnny Clayton has been flourishing in the PDC this year. He’s in an incredible vein of form, picking up two Players Championships and The Masters this year alone. Some of his fellow pros would say he’s the best player in the world right now. Arguably in the form of his life, Clayton is 12/1 to make it back-to-back debutant winners in the Premier League after Glen Durrant won last year’s event at the first time of asking.
It’s a tough tournament and the format is relentless at times, but Clayton is on a monumental rise through the ranks and could hit headlines again if at his best.
