Premier League Darts: Night 11 predictions, stats, betting tips, accas, order of play in Liverpool & TV time
The Premier League Darts season heads to Liverpool on Thursday night and we have match-by-match predictions, best bets and suggested accas.
- 2019 Premier League fixtures, results & standings
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The race for the top-four heats up at the M&S Bank Arena, where Michael Smith faces the man who beat him in last year's Premier League final, the World Championship final and the opening night of this season.
It's a match Bully Boy really needs at least a point out of in a bid to boost his fading play-off hopes while table-topper Rob Cross faces Peter Wright, Gerwyn Price takes on Mensur Suljovic and James Wade is in action against Daryl Gurney.
Oh, and if you're hoping for a nine-dart finish, the omens are pretty good. Adrian Lewis hit the eighth - and most recent - in Premier League history when Liverpool hosted week 11 of the 2017 season!
On night 11 of the 2017 Premier League season in Liverpool, Adrian Lewis hit the eighth - and most recent - nine-dart finish in the tournament's history.
— Chris Hammer (@ChrisHammer180) April 10, 2019
This Thursday, it's also night 11 in Liverpool. 🤞pic.twitter.com/6G2YvncCaU
Here I'lI run through all five fixtures, complete with head-to-head records, season stats so far, match verdicts, suggested bets and accas - plus a reminder of how the table looks.
Premier League Night 11: Thursday April 11
Click on the odds for more Sky Bet match markets
- TV Coverage: Sky Sports (1900 GMT)
- Format: Maximum of 14 legs
Accumulators
Treble: Cross, Price and Wade at 7.32/1
Four Fold: Cross, Price, Wade & Smith at 48/1
Draw no bet accas: The above two accas at 3.66/1 and (27/1 respectively
Rob Cross (4/5) v Peter Wright (9/4), draw (7/2)
Tournament Average: 100.31 - 95.91
Best Average: 104.71 - 106.64
Tournament 180s: 32 - 28
Checkout %: 42.86% (63/147) - 42.31% (55/130)
High Checkout: 164 - 160
Head-to-head: 8-5 (2 draws)
Meetings since start of 2018: 6-2 (2 draws)
PDC Titles Since Start of 2018: 2-2
Career Titles: 7-22
Rob Cross is riding high again on top of the table after silencing home crowds in his last two fixtures - first against Jeffrey de Zwaan in Rotterdam and then when facing the in-form Daryl Gurney in Belfast.
These occasions underlined how much mentally tougher he's become this year after a difficult 2018 while he's consistently reminded everyone of his star quality this season - albeit without winning a title despite reaching two finals.
The average of 104.71 Cross managed in the 8-4 triumph over Gurney was the seventh occasion he's posted a mark of 100+ during this Premier League season, with Peter Wright only doing so three times.
He defeated Snakebite in their last meeting in the European Darts Open semi-finals but the inconsistent Scotsman did hold him to a 6-6 draw in their previous Premier League encounter.
That was one of five draws Wright has managed from his 10 matches, including a scrambling 7-7 with Michael Smith last Thursday in which he averaged 10 points less than Bully Boy.
The dangerous Snakebite can appear without any warning - and there certainly wasn't any signs at the weekend with two first-round exits in the Players Championship events, averaging in the late 80s in both.
Cross lost early on Saturday but missed Sunday's event due to illness. Assuming he's feeling back to full health, I've got to side with him.
Scoreline Prediction: 8-5
Suggested Bet: Cross to win with most 180s at 2/1
Gerwyn Price (6/5) v Mensur Suljovic (6/4), draw (3/1)
Tournament Average: 96.52 - 96.22
Best Average: 104.11 - 101.38
Tournament 180s: 35 - 27
Checkout %: 41.30% (57/138) - 43.51% (57/131)
High Checkout: 147 - 136
Head-to-head: 10-4
Meetings since start of 2018: 3-2
PDC Titles Since Start of 2018: 4-2
Career Titles: 6-5
Gerwyn Price is probably still kicking himself about his failure to defeat Michael van Gerwen for the first time last Thursday as he squandered a 5-1 lead and missed two match darts in the deciding leg.
Nevertheless a draw was still his best result in his 16 meetings with the world number one and, more importantly, the point keeps him well in touch of the top four.
On Thursday night he faces Mensur Suljovic, who has soared into third place thanks to a run of four wins in his last five games, including that comeback victory over Rob Cross in Rotterdam.
That said, he's only averaged above 100 once in that run you could argue that Cross, Michael Smith and James Wade all underperformed in three of those fixtures.
Sure, Price hasn't been firing on all cylinders as consistently as he was earlier in the campaign but on last week's evidence, he might be heading back to that level.
The Grand Slam of Darts champion has a good record against the Gentle and I'll back him to edge this one.
Scoreline Prediction: 8-6
Suggested Bet: Price to win, score over 3.5 180s and checkout over 107.5 at 6/1
James Wade (11/10) v Daryl Gurney (13/8), draw (3/1)
Tournament Average: 99.62 - 96.05
Best Average: 109.59 - 100.05
Tournament 180s: 34 - 23
Checkout %: 46.09% (59/128) - 38.17% (50/131)
High Checkout: 158 - 140
Head-to-head: 5-4
Meetings since start of 2018: 2-1
PDC Titles Since Start of 2018: 3-2
Career Titles: 31-4
James Wade recorded just the 10th Premier League whitewash in history when he last met Daryl Gurney earlier this season but I think we're all expecting it to be a lot closer this time.
The Machine is looking to bounce back after producing his worst performance of the season last week from a stats perspective, with his poor average of 85 bringing his tournament mark down below 100.
That said, he still only just lost 8-6 to Mensur Suljovic and at the weekend he claimed his first title of the season by triumphing at Players Championship 9, defeating Michael Smith in the final.
Daryl Gurney, who won a maiden European Tour title a fortnight ago, saw his hot streak of form ended by Rob Cross last Thursday and didn't play in either Players Championship events so he'll be itching to get back into the thick of the action.
This is a crucial fixture as both players have 11 points, with Wade just ahead in fourth place virtue of leg difference.
Overall I've been more impressed with the Machine this season and I think he'll come through this clash to consolidate his top four spot.
Scoreline Prediction: 8-5
Suggested Bet: Wade to win, score over 2.5 180s and a checkout over 84.5 at 11/4
Michael Smith (5/1) v Michael van Gerwen (3/1), draw (5/1)
Tournament Average: 95.84 - 100.34
Best Average: 100.78 - 104.98
Tournament 180s: 31 - 30
Checkout %: 41.73% (53/127) - 42.86% (63/147)
High Checkout: 150 - 132
Head-to-head: 6-27
Meetings since start of 2018: 2-9
PDC Titles Since Start of 2018: 3-23
Career Titles: 11-121
Michael Smith has it all to do if he's to reach the play-offs for the second year running and his task isn't going to get any easier as he prepares to face Michael van Gerwen.
Bully Boy is rock bottom on eight points and desperately needs a seventh career win over Dutchman to ensure he doesn't get cut adrift.
Smith has struggled to find the same kind of consistency and momentum that helped him finish runner-up to MVG last season in both the regular season and the final, but you do sense he's on the brink of getting it right.
Last week was a prime example of him playing well enough but squandering his chances as he averaged 100 compared to Peter Wright's 90 yet still only managed a frustrating 7-7 draw.
On Saturday the St Helens man reached his first PDC final since the World Championship, albeit finishing runner-up to James Wade at Players Championship Nine, while he'll surely be inspired by the support in Liverpool, where he whitewashed Raymond van Barneveld last season.
Not for the first time in 2019, van Gerwen showed his vulnerabilities last Thursday when trailing 5-1 and despite fighting back brilliantly, he still should have lost 8-6 only for Gerwyn Price to miss two match darts.
Credit to him for winning the last two legs of that contest in 12 and 11 darts but I think there's value backing Smith in the draw no bet market at 5/1.
If you want a safer option then you can get Smith at 6/5 with a 2.5 legs start on the handicap.
Scoreline Prediction: 8-6
Suggested Bet: Smith to win at 5/1 (draw no bet)
2019 Premier League Darts Table
- Cross P 10 W 7 D 1 L 2 LegD +20 Pts 15
- Van Gerwen P 10 W 6 D 2 L 2 LegD +22 Pts 14
- Suljovic P 10 W 5 D 2 L 3 LegD +4 Pts 12
- Wade P 10 W 4 D 3 L 3 LegD +8 Pts 11
- Gurney P 10 W 5 D 1 L 4 LegD -2 Pts 11
- Price P 10 W 3 D 4 L 3 LegD -1 Pts 10
- Wright P 10 W 2 D 5 L 3 LegD -5 Pts 9
- Smith P 10 W 3 D 2 L 5 LegD -6 Pts 8
- Relegated: Van Barneveld P 9 W 1 D 2 L 6 LegD -22 Pts 4
CLICK HERE FOR FULL SEASON FIXTURES, RESULTS & TABLE
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