Gerwyn Price (Picture: Taylor Lanning/PDC)

World Matchplay darts 2025: Day three predictions, betting tips, acca, order of play and TV time

By James Cooper

Darts

Mon July 21, 2025 · 5M ago

The first round of the 2025 Betfred World Matchplay concludes at the Winter Gardens on Monday so check out James Cooper’s match-by-match predictions, best bets and a suggested acca.

World Matchplay day three: Monday July 21

·TV Coverage: Sky Sports,1900 BST
·Format: First round, best of 19 legs

SL Acca: 1pt Chris Dobey to win, Price -2.5 legs and Rock to win at 5/2 (Sky Bet)

Chris Dobey (3/10) v Ricardo Pietreczko (11/4)

Head-to-head: 2-1
Three-Dart Average (2025): 96.97 – 91.88
180s per leg (Last 12 months): 0.36 - 0.17
Checkout % (Last 12 months): 39.08% - 40.71%

SELECTION: 1pt Pietreczko highest checkout at 6/4 (Paddy Power, Sky Bet)

The World Matchplay hasn’t been a happy hunting ground for Chris Dobey so far, with just a solitary quarter-final appearance in 2023 to go along with three first-round exits in five appearances.

He’s a better player now, of course, but Ricardo Pietreczko is a dangerous opening opponent to kick things off on Monday.

In terms of raw scoring power, Dobey is in a different league to Pietreczko, hitting more than double the 180s per leg than the German.

With that in mind, Hollywood should be the master of his own destiny in this match but Pietreczko certainly won’t let him off the hook if he can stay within range to give himself enough shots at the double.

Since landing a Players Championship event last month it’s been steady stuff for Dobey but there has been enough 100+ average performances along the way and as a result, Dobey should avoid the upset.

The match prices look about right to me and with Dobey 2/9 to hit most 180s, the minus handicap would be the only way to approach that facet of the game.

Instead, I’ll side with PIETRECZKO in the HIGHEST CHECKOUT market at 6/4 given his year-long checkout percentage exceeds that of Dobey and the expectation that he’ll win seven legs means there’s just enough juice in that price.

Score Prediction: 10-7

Gerwyn Price (1/3) v Daryl Gurney (5/2)

Head-to-head: 13-5
Three-Dart Average (2025): 97.89 – 93.28
180s per leg (Last 12 months): 0.30 - 0.22
Checkout % (Last 12 months): 41.18% - 40.76%

Upon seeing the draw, it was hard to not quickly cast one’s mind back to the stunning final of the World Cup seeing Gerwyn Price taking on Daryl Gurney in what is surely one of the ties of the round.

Since that painful reversal, Price has continued the excellent work, winning a World Series of Darts, Players Championship and European Tour events, the last-named gained just a week ago in Germany.

The World Matchplay is the main tournament missing from Price’s decorated CV, with defeat in the 2022 final to MVG the only time he’s reached that stage.

Gurney, meanwhile, is still entitled to be on a high from that career-best third major triumph and while he was quick to praise compatriot Josh Rock, he more than played his part.

The draw hasn’t been kind for Gurney here, though and on the balance of his 2025 form, Price may have too many guns in this first-to-10 encounter against a player he has a very positive head-to-head record against.

Score Prediction 10-6

Michael van Gerwen (4/9) v Raymond van Barneveld (2/1)

Head-to-head: 42-20
Three-Dart Average (2025): 96.84 – 92.59
180s per leg (Last 12 months): 0.27 - 0.23
Checkout % (Last 12 months): 41.99% - 40.14%

Michael van Gerwen against Raymond van Barneveld would historically head the billing as a clash of the former and current pre-eminent Dutch superstars.

Van Gerwen is a three-time winner of this event while surprisingly, van Barneveld has failed to get his hands on the trophy and has just the one final appearance to his name.

It’s fair to say a bit of lustre has been lost in more recent times, the latter obviously not the force of old and the former going under the radar due to a very low-key 2025 so far.

Van Gerwen’s well-documented personal issues are undoubtedly a major contributor to that but a 51% win record in not an insignificant period of time is unchartered waters for MVG.

Upon his return from a break, van Gerwen has failed to average 100 in any of his four matches (two wins and two defeats) and in truth he presents a real conundrum for punters.

On one hand, we have a very vulnerable favourite but on the other, as ever, the negatives in his game at present are very much factored into the market and in truth, I’m not totally convinced that RVB has the tools to capitalise unless MVG is way off it.

Score Prediction 10-7

Josh Rock (4/6) v Ross Smith (11/8)

Head-to-head: 3-2
Three-Dart Average (2025): 98.74 – 96.87
180s per leg (Last 12 months): 0.38 - 0.37
Checkout % (Last 12 months): 40.91% - 40.88%

SELECTION: 1pt over 13.5 Total 180s at 11/10 (Sky Bet)

It’s no exaggeration that pre Luke Littler, Josh Rock was the youngster hailed as the second coming and while he failed to make the same immediate waves on the main tour as Littler, 2025 looks set to be the year in which Rock announces himself as a big player in Majors.

Rock was scintillating when lifting the World Cup for Northern Ireland this summer and in terms of raw averages this year, only Littler and Humphries have exceeded Rock’s three-dart figure.

A third Players Championship title has also been added in 2025 and to give you an indication of how Rock has kicked on since World Cup glory, he’s recorded a three-figure average in 10 of his subsequent 19 matches.

On the subject of heavy scoring, Ross Smith is certainly no slouch in that regard, though his numbers have dropped off in recent months in Players Championship and European Tour events.

In the hope that Smith is back on his usual game, the OVER 13.5 MAXIMUMS in the match at odds-against makes plenty of appeal.

With the two-clear leg ruling if this event, any additional legs really helps this bet and such is the prowess of the pair on the T20, 18+ legs really ought to be enough for this line to be surpassed.

Score Prediction 10-8