Darts Premier League
All to play for on Night 12 Of The Premier League Darts In Liverpool
William Hill News preview Night 12 of the Darts Premier League Darts, which sees the tungsten stars arrive on Merseyside.
Gian van Veen (11/8) vs Gerwyn Price (4/7)
Gerwyn Price has been one of the more difficult players to read in this year’s competition. His win in Manchester on Night 5 saw him seal three dominant 6-2 victories, and he has shown at various points this season that he can produce that level when the conditions suit him. Third in the table on 19 points, The Iceman has a play-off place to protect as much as he has points to gain.
Meanwhile, Gian van Veen has been inconsistent, sitting sixth on 12 points despite being one of the higher-ranked players in the field. His confrontation with Luke Littler in Manchester added a layer of distraction to his campaign and he has yet to fully impose himself on the competition in the way his world ranking suggested he might.
Stephen Bunting (11/10) vs Jonny Clayton (8/11)
Jonny Clayton has certainly been the form player of the competition, four nightly wins from eleven and a final victory over Littler in Rotterdam last week. His momentum may be difficult to disrupt, and Clayton has shown throughout the season that he can perform on the biggest stage.
Local lad Stephen Bunting will have the crowd behind him on home turf, and if Bunting finds his rhythm in the opening legs, Clayton may find the night less comfortable than his table position suggests.
Josh Rock (EVS) vs Michael van Gerwen (4/5)
Josh Rock showed what he is capable of in Rotterdam with a dominant win over Bunting, and his recent performances suggest he is finding a level of consistency that his earlier results did not always reflect. Bottom of the table on 8 points, a player with not much to lose is an interesting proposition, but Rock needs to get things together if he’s to avoid the drop.
Michael van Gerwen sits fourth on 16 points, the minimum required for a play-off spot, and pressure on him is increasing each week. A 6-2 loss to Clayton in Rotterdam will have stung, and Liverpool represents an opportunity to reassert himself at a critical stage of the season.
Luke Humphries (6/4) vs Luke Littler (8/15)
The Lukes represent the sharpest contrast in form the draw could have produced. The world number one has been consistent throughout the season, sitting second in the table and favourite to win the competition.
Luke Humphries, by contrast, has not won a single night from eleven, a return that sits well below what the defending champion will have expected of himself at this stage and is positioned in fifth place overall.
This matchup carries weight beyond the quarter-final. Humphries needs a result to have a glimpse at a play-off position, while Littler has every incentive to keep the pressure building on Clayton at the top.
*Odds subject to change – prices accurate at the time of writing*
