Sporting Life
Paul Lim and Raymond van Barneveld are in action on Saturday
Paul Lim and Raymond van Barneveld are in action on Saturday

World Darts Championship: Saturday predictions, odds, betting tips, accas, order of play & TV times

By Chris Hammer
Darts
Sat December 14, 2019 · 6y ago

Our guide to Saturday's action at the William Hill World Darts Championship includes the order of play, match-by-match predictions, Sky Bet odds and a suggested acca.

Two sessions for darts fans to get stuck into on Saturday and both could be highly emotional.

Paul Lim will bring the house down during the afternoon when he takes to the stage for his 24th world championship while tonight could be the last time we see the retiring Raymond van Barneveld in action should he lose to Darin Young.

Throughout the tournament I'll be writing daily previews for every match while I'll also be entering my scoreline predictions for each one in the free-to-play Fantasy Darts game, so get involved yourself and challenge me!

World Darts Championship: Saturday December 14

AFTERNOON SESSION

Darius Labanauskas (8/13) v Matthew Edgar (5/4)

Head-to-head: 1-0
2019 Meetings: 0-0
PDC Titles this season: 0-0

It's been quite a 12 months for Darius Labanauskas as he continues to put Lithuania on the darting map.

This time 12 months ago he beat fellow debutant Matthew Edgar on this very stage, where he'd also then shock Raymond van Barneveld in a surprising run to the third round.

He followed this up by earning his PDC Tour card at European Q-School at the top of 2019 and since then he's been bubbling away quite nicely having reached a Players Championship final - losing to Glen Durrant - and the semis of another.

Edgar is trying to make a name for himself away from the oche with Edgar TV, which did even have more subscriptions than Amazon Prime until their recent foray into Premier League football, but on it he's been struggling and qualified here on the back of the last-gasp qualifying event.

Prediction: 3-1

Ryan Meikle (2/7) v Yuki Yamada (13/5)

Head-to-head: 0-0
2019 Meetings: 0-0
PDC Titles this season: 0-0

Ryan Meikle may yet to be a household name but the Ipswich youngster is certainly on an upward curve and could be one to watch for the future.

A recent semi-finalist at the World Youth Championship, Meikle has won two titles on the Development Tour this year but he's qualified for the Ally Pally having just finished in top 32 on the Pro Tour Order of Merit, thanks largely to a superb run at the recent Players Championship Finals.

The Barbour thrashed Jonny Clayton 6-0 and beat Darius Labanauskas before understandably being outgunned by Steve Bunting's average of 107 so he's a worthy favourite.

Meikle, 70th on the PDC Order of Merit, has already retained his Tour Card due to his Development Tour ranking but he's almost pretending that's not the case as he targets a good enough run that would to lift him into the top 64.

We shouldn't underestimate the players from the PDC Asian Tour although Yuki Yamada is one of the weaker of the contingent having finished fifth on their Order of Merit.

Although this is his Ally Pally debut, he does have some experience playing against the stars of the PDC having faced Gary Anderson at the Japan Darts Masters in 2015, hitting this checkout.

Yuki Yamada Sensational Checkout - Japan Darts Masters 2015

Prediction: 3-0

Luke Woodhouse (4/5) v Paul Lim (1/1)

Head-to-head: 0-0
2019 Meetings: 0-0
PDC Titles this season: 0-0

The ageless legend that is Paul Lim arrives at Alexandra Palace today for his 12th PDC Championship and his 24th overall dating back to his BDO debut in 1982.

Astonishing isn't it?

Almost 30 years after 'that' nine-darter earned him £52k, wouldn't it be sensational if he managed one tonight in victory to give himself a shot at winning the £100,000 for any player that does it twice!

Lim proved he's still got it this summer when helping Harith Lim dump Gerwyn Price's Wales out of the World Cup of Darts while individually he did enough to qualify on the Asian Tour by finishing third on the Order of Merit.

As much as I'd like to predict a roof-raising win for Limmy, who will obviously have experience on his side, I think debutant Luke Woodhouse can rise to the occasion.

He produced a superb display to defeat defending champion Daryl Gurney at the recent Players Championship Finals which had strangely been foretold by the Northern Irishman.

In a recent video feature he did with Gerwyn Price for Sporting Life just a few weeks before Minehead, he named Woodhouse as a player that not many have heard of who is set for a bright future.

Prediction: 3-1

Jermaine Wattimena (4/5) v Luke Humphries (1/1) (Second Round)

Head-to-head: 0-0
2019 Meetings: 0-0
PDC Titles this season: 0-0

Luke Humphries comes into this clash fresh from an impressive victory over Devon Petersen in which he contributed four of the 16 100+ checkouts hit last night.

Cool Hand was deadly on his finishing and will now be on a crest of a wave and feeling similar energy which inspired him all the way to the quarter-finals 12 months ago.

Jermaine Wattimena's hopes of getting that far too were ended by Gary Anderson in a classic third-round dual but he's enjoyed another promising season and will fancy himself here.

The fast-throwing Dutchman is getting closer to that maiden PDC title having reached numerous quarter-finals in 2019 and also one final, which he lost to an inspired Brendan Dolan, while he reached the last eight of the World Grand Prix.

Prediction: 3-1

EVENING SESSION

Mark McGeeney (2/7) v Matt Campbell (11/4)

Head-to-head: 0-0
2019 Meetings: 0-0
PDC Titles this season: 0-0

I know I should let this go, but whenever I see Mark McGeeney in action, I can't get those two missed darts for the BDO world title out of my head.

I'd tipped him at 25/1 each-way that year and he gave Glen Durrant one hell of a battle before eventually losing out 7-6 in an absolute Lakeside thriller.

The Gladiator only made the second round back in January before leaving for the bright lights of the PDC when brilliantly winning his Tour Card before Duzza managed to sneak his, but since then has been nothing other than solid.

His form has been good enough to earn a spot here via the Pro Tour Order of Merit and his experience of big stages, including the Grand Slam of Darts when a BDO player, will stand him in good stead on his Ally Pally debut.

Matt Campbell is the highest ranked Canadian in the world as he prepares for his debut on this stage.

He is known for producing some big averages - at least compared to his compatriots anyway - so it could be closer than many expect.

Prediction: 3-2

Jamie Hughes (2/7) v Zoran Lerchbacher (13/5)

Head-to-head: 1-0
2019 Meetings: 1-0
PDC Titles this season: 1-0

It's been a great debut season in the PDC for Jamie Hughes and it says a lot about his talents that nobody is surprised.

After a number of decent runs on the Pro Tour, his highlight came at the Czech Open, which he knew he had to win if he was to earn a spot at the World Matchplay in Blackpool.

Yozza did just that and although his Blackpool debut didn't last long, he certainly gave a good account of himself against eventual runner-up Michael Smith.

2019 Czech Darts Open Final - Hughes v Bunting

Hughes also suffered first-round exits at the World Grand Prix, European Championship and Grand Slam of Darts but he did at least beat Jermaine Wattimena at the Players Championship Finals before bowing out to Rob Cross.

Nevertheless his experiences of these big PDC stages is growing and he's well capable of overcoming Zoran Lerchbacher.

The Austrian is here for the fourth time after winning the Eastern Europe qualifier but he's only managed one victory on the Ally Pally stage.

Prediction: 3-1

Raymond van Barneveld (1/5) v Darin Young (7/2)

Head-to-head: 2-0
2019 Meetings: 0-0
PDC Titles this season: 0-0

I'm not sure anyone is prepared for Raymond van Barneveld to potentially bow out tonight. He can't, can he?

Surely his farewell World Championship needs at least a couple of victories before an honourable, tear-jerking exit to the likes of Dave Chisnall.

While his career undeniably deserves a great send-off, his 2019 probably doesn't and he'll be the first to admit that it's not panned out anywhere near how he hoped.

Barney recently spoke about his "disastrous" final season and, as ever, just continues to be very downbeat that his era of winning trophies - apart from the People's Champion tag - and the biggest prize money pay cheques are long in the past.

That said he did reach a Players Championship final earlier this year, losing to Adrian Lewis, and was runner-up to Michael van Gerwen at the New Zealand Darts Masters.

His body language isn't that of a man who is fired up to go out all guns blazing but maybe that could help, like it did at the recent Players Championship Finals where he nonchalantly reached the quarter-finals.

America's Darin Young, who last played Barney at the Grand Slam of Darts 11 years ago, is of course no stranger to this stage but of his nine previous appearances, he's won just a single match.

While Big Daddy has shown resurgence in North America to book his spot here for the first time since 2016, I'm not sure he'll threaten Barney too much.

Prediction: 3-0

Rob Cross (1/4) v Kim Huybrechts (3/1) (Second Round)

Head-to-head: 6-0
2019 Meetings: 0-0
PDC Titles this season: 2-0

Kim Huybrechts could so easily be on his way home right now but he survived a real scare against young Dutchman Geert Nentjes last night to set up this clash with Rob Cross.

The Belgian produced three 100+ checkouts, including a stunning finish from 164, but ultimately he averaged under 90 and was let off the hook on several times by his opponent.

A similar performance tonight and he'll be heading for his seventh successive defeat to Rob Cross, who arrives here with a point to prove.

Having brilliantly won the prestigious World Matchplay earlier in the summer to end his title drought for 2019 while he also picked up another televised crown when defeating Gerwyn Price in the European Championship final.

Considering he's also reached the Premier League and UK Open finals, he's had a superb season so he'll be miffed that, despite being ranked second in the world, the "big two" are Michael van Gerwen and Gerwyn Price.

We really should be talking about "the big three" and a good run is essential for that, especially because he's defending all his cash from winning the world title two years ago.

He'll win tonight although don't be surprised if Huybrechts picks up a set.

Prediction: 3-1

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