Luke Littler and Michael van Gerwen (Picture: Kelly Deckers/PDC)

Premier League Darts 2024: Night seven predictions, betting tips, acca, order of play and Sky Sports TV time

By Chris Hammer

Darts

Thu March 14, 2024 · 2y ago

The Cazoo Premier League Darts regular season concludes in Nottingham on Thursday so check out Chris Hammer's match-by-match guide to the action.

Darts betting tips: Premier League night 7

1pt Luke Humphries (-2.5) to beat Michael Smith at 6/4 (Betway)

1pt Luke Littler to beat Michael van Gerwen and hit most 180s at 7/4 (Sky Bet)

1pt Rob Cross to beat Nathan Aspinall and hit most 180s at 5/2 (Sky Bet)

**SL Acca: 0.5pts Wright (+1.5), Humphries (-1.5), Littler (+1.5) & Cross all to win at 6/1 with Sky Bet * LAST WEEK'S WON AT 11/1!**

Sky Bet odds | Paddy Power | Betfair Sportsbook

Thursday March 14: Night Seven

TV Coverage: Sky Sports (1900 GMT)
Format: Quarter-Finals, best of 11 legs
Venue: Nottingham

Peter Wright (7/4) v Gerwyn Price (2/5)

Head to Head: 23-13, 1 draw (TV: 11-11, 1 draw)
2024 PL Average: 91.66 - 98.00
2024 PL 180s per leg: 0.22 - 0.22
2024 PL checkout percentage: 30.26% - 42.16%
2024 PL legs won with 100+ C/O: 4.34% - 20%

Peter Wright is still without a win but over the past three weeks he's lost a pair of last-leg deciders to Luke Littler and Michael Smith and his other defeat was 6-4 to Nathan Aspinall - so he's certainly getting closer.

His overall form and statistics have improved in recent weeks and he even picked up a victory over Michael van Gerwen during the Belgian Darts Open, where he eventually bowed out in round three with a 100 average.

Gerwyn Price continues to blow hot and cold by his standards right now and while he is playing consistently better than Wright's levels, he's serving up plenty of beatable performances and Snakebite will fancy his chances of inflicting the Iceman's fourth successive quarter-final defeat in this competition.

Verdict: 6-4

CLICK HERE to bet on Peter Wright v Gerwyn Price with Sky Bet

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Luke Humphries (2/5) v Michael Smith (7/4)

Head to Head: 7-6 (TV: 2-3)
2024 PL Average: 102.09 - 96.19
2024 PL 180s per leg: 0.35 - 0.38
2024 PL checkout percentage: 42.10% - 39.56%
2024 PL legs won with 100+ C/O: 10.93% - 9.09%

Luke Humphries is doing staggeringly well to be averaging over 100 after 12 Premier League matches and it was no surprise to see him finally win his first night of the season last week.

Just to put Cool Hand's 102 average into perspective, only six different players have managed to do it over a full season - which of course used to consist of 16 matches prior to the play-offs - and two of those were Phil Taylor and Michael van Gerwen. Unsurprisingly nobody has done in this current format where the title contenders end up playing between 30 and 40 games but at this rate Cool Hand could be the first.

Humphries has averaged over 100 in each of his last five matches in all competitions - including a 113.71 in last week's semi-final against Rob Cross - and in 13 of his previous 17, so on stats alone I doubt many would disagree with him being branded the best player in the world right now even if Luke Littler continues to take all the headlines.

Michael Smith is very much still holding his own this season despite his stats being mediocre by his standards and when he upped his game to a 100 average in last week's final with Humphries, he still fell short in a 6-3 defeat.

I can see a similar scoreline in Thursday's quarter-final will unfold in terms of the result although the 180s battle should be closer when you consider they both hit five apiece, while Bully Boy does have a slightly higher 180 per leg rate this season.

Verdict: 6-3

CLICK HERE to back Luke Humphries (-2.5) to win with Sky Bet

CLICK HERE to bet on Luke Humphries v Michael Smith with Sky Bet

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Michael van Gerwen (11/10) v Luke Littler (8/11)

Head to Head: 3-1 (TV: 3-1)
2024 PL Average: 98.29 - 99.25
2024 PL 180s per leg: 0.33 - 0.32
2024 PL checkout percentage: 45.39% - 37.10%
2024 PL legs won with 100+ C/O: 7.81% - 10.16%

Luke Littler-mania was injected into our veins again this past week as he showed off his magical darting powers that even Eleven would struggle to overcome.

Millie Bobby Brown certainly couldn't stop him on the Jonathan Ross Show, where he continued to make darts cooler than it ever has been, and neither could anyone on his remarkable European Tour debut over the weekend.

Not only did he average over 100 in five of his matches and hit a European Tour record of 30 180s in a single event, but he hit a nine-darter in his final and then held his nerve in a last-leg decider against a phenomenal Rob Cross.

I was going to resist the temptation of saying 'if Carlsberg did European Tour debuts' because quite frankly, not even those would be as good as Littler's.

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Ricardo Pietreczko may harshly call him arrogant, but hopefully nobody else is weighed down by the size of the chip on Pikachu's shoulder and will instead just enjoy the confidence he has on stage to produce such breathtaking darts.

It's not often Michael van Gerwen finds himself priced up as an underdog but he is enduring a wobble following his shoulder troubles and suffered an early exit of the weekend's European Tour event to Peter Wright with fourth successive low 90s average.

I fancy the 17-year-old to brush him aside as well as hitting most maximums despite MVG having the slight edge when it comes to season 180s per leg.

Verdict: 4-6

CLICK HERE to Luke Littler to win and hit most 180s with Sky Bet

CLICK HERE to bet on Michael van Gerwen v Luke Littler with Sky Bet

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Rob Cross (4/7) v Nathan Aspinall (13/10)

Head to Head: 8-7 (TV: 5-5)
2024 PL Average: 97.27 - 94.02
2024 PL 180s per leg: 0.27 - 0.31
2024 PL checkout percentage: 37.58% - 32.65%
2024 PL legs won with 100+ C/O: 16.07% - 12.50%

It's fantastic to see Rob Cross playing explosive darts on a more consistent basis once again and if he carries on like this then he'll be contending for the Premier League title.

His win-rate, averages, 180 hitting and confidence are soaring in a very dangerous direction for everyone else and he probably still can't believe how he lost that thrilling European Tour final against nine-dart hero Luke Littler with a 108 average.

That was the second time he'd recorded exactly 108 in a defeat over the past week having suffered the same fate against Luke Humphries in last Thursday's semi-final, but this shouldn't dent his momentum against Nathan Aspinall.

Since beating Voltage in the night five final at the end of February, the Asp has lost three of his last four matches in all competitions and recorded averages in the high 80s in his most recent two, including last week's 6-3 defeat to Luke Littler.

Despiting usually being so prolific on his 180s, the Stockport ace has managed just three in his last three matches (37 legs) so a rampant Cross count punish him on the maximum count too.

Verdict: 6-2

CLICK HERE to back Rob Cross to win and hit most 180s with Sky Bet

CLICK HERE to bet on Rob Cross v Nathan Aspinall with Sky Bet

Premier League Darts 2024: Averages, 180s and checkout statistics

TOURNAMENT AVERAGE After week 6

Luke Humphries: 102.09
Luke Littler: 99.25
Michael van Gerwen: 98.29
Gerwyn Price: 98.00
Rob Cross: 97.27
Michael Smith: 96.19
Nathan Aspinall: 94.02
Peter Wright: 91.66

MOST 180s & 180s PER LEG After week 6

Michael Smith: 42 (110 legs, 0.38 per leg)
Luke Humphries: 40 (115 legs, 0.35)
Michael van Gerwen: 40 (120 legs, 0.33)
Luke Littler: 38 (120 legs, 0.32)
Rob Cross: 30 (110 legs, 0.27)
Nathan Aspinall: 30 (98 legs, 0.31)
Gerwyn Price: 18 (82 legs, 0.22)
Peter Wright: 13 (59 legs, 0.22)

DOUBLES AND CHECKOUT PERCENTAGE After week 6

Michael van Gerwen: 45.39% (64/141)
Luke Humphries: 42.10% (64/152)
Gerwyn Price: 42.16% (35/83)
Michael Smith: 39.56% (55/139)
Rob Cross: 37.58% (56/149)
Luke Littler: 37.10% (59/159)
Nathan Aspinall: 32.65% (48/147)
Peter Wright: 30.26% (23/76)

100+ CHECKOUTS, HIGHEST CHECKOUTS & % LEGS WON WITH 100+ CHECKOUT After week 6

Rob Cross: 9 (16.07% legs won with 100+ checkout)
100+ Checkouts: 144x2, 132, 129, 121, 116, 110, 109, 100
Gerwyn Price: 7 (20%)
100+ Checkouts: 170, 160, 124, 120, 117x2, 100
Luke Humphries: 7 (10.93%)
100+ Checkouts: 143, 130, 121, 117, 116, 108, 105
Nathan Aspinall: 6 (12.50%)
100+ Checkouts: 170, 160x2, 144, 100x2
Luke Littler: 6 (10.16%)
100+ Checkouts: 170, 140, 138, 130, 103, 100
Michael Smith: 5 (9.09% )
100+ Checkouts: 170, 120x3, 107
Michael van Gerwen: 5 (7.81%)
100+ Checkouts: 136, 127, 120, 110, 107
Peter Wright: 1 (4.34%)
100+ Checkouts: 156,