Premier League Darts: Judgement Night predictions & betting tips as Gary Anderson faces Rob Cross in Liverpool

The 2018 Premier League Darts reaches Judgement Night in Liverpool, with Mensur Suljovic and Peter Wright hoping to avoid elimination alongside rock-bottom Gerwyn Price.

Three-time world champion John Part is here to give you his expert match-by-match previews & predictions, plus his weekly treble.

You can also listen to the legendary Darth Maple on episode 10 of the Sporting Life Darts Podcast (available for FREE on iTunes and soundcloud) in which he talks about all things darts and practice tips while we also highlight seven darting horses to keep your eyes on this summer!

Click here to listen to episode 10 of the Sporting Life Darts Podcast on iTunes for free(or soundcloud here)

John Part's Premier League Tips

Treble: Simon Whitlock, Gary Anderson & MVG - click here to back it with Sky Bet

• Whitlock to beat Price, hit the most 180s and have the highest checkout - click here to back it at 9/4 with Sky Bet
• Smith to beat Barney, hit the most 180s and have the highest checkout - click here to back it at 5/1 with Sky Bet
• Anderson to beat Cross, score over 2.5 180s and checkout over 81.5 - click here to back it at 5/2 with Sky Bet
• MVG to beat Suljovic, hit the most 180s and have the highest checkout - click here to back it at 11/10 with Sky Bet
• MVG to beat Suljovic, score over 3.5 180s and checkout over 113.5 - click here to back it at 4/1 with Sky Bet
• Daryl Gurney to beat Peter Wright - click here to back it at 7/4 with Sky Bet

Scroll down for his full rundown of each match, helpful stats, bet explanation & latest table

Simon Whitlock (8/11) v Gerwyn Price (11/4), draw 3/1

Head-to-head: 3-3
PL Darts 2018 stats
3-dart Average: 96.24 - 91.54
180s: 24 - 11
100+ checkouts: 6 - 5
Highest checkout: 160 - 148
Checkout %: 43.14% (44/102) - 36.71% (29/79)

Gerwyn Price is now relegated but he’s also liberated. He has nothing on his shoulders now except his self-respect.

However, the most relevant thing in this match is Simon Whitlock because he’s still in the mix for a top four spot and continues to play very well.

I don’t think he’ll miss the chance to get two points against the bottom-of-the-table guy and even if the good Gerwyn Price turns up, I still think he’ll find a way to win.

He’s had all the qualities that Gerwyn has lacked this season and this is in no small part down to his experience of playing in the Premier League before.

I think Simon will be pretty comfortable and I’m happy enough to go for the match treble for him to win, hit the most 180s and have the highest checkout. He’s generally a better finisher and I think in the circumstances he’d end up with most 180s as well.

Raymond van Barneveld (11/8) v Michael Smith (6/4), draw 11/4

Head-to-head: 7-5
PL Darts 2018 stats
3-dart Average: 94.38 - 92.79
180s: 21 - 18
100+ checkouts: 4 - 5
Highest checkout: 167 - 160
Checkout %: 37.17% (42/113) - 39.84% (49/123)

It’s a pretty tough match to call but I’m going to side with Michael here because he keeps finding ways to win and get points despite not playing his best.

He’s become a winner this season – in the Premier League at least – and I’m happy with what he’s done.

I’m a big fan of Raymond’s abilities and he looked so promising early on against MVG last week only to fold up after missing a few doubles. But it’s easy to do that against Michael.

Smith has more positives and confidence going into this match, especially with a higher position in the league table, so I’m going to side with him in the match treble at 5/1.

The only thing that might trip you up is the high checkout because Barney is such a good high finisher but I’m gambling that if he’s going to win then the more legs he takes will give him the greater probability of the higher out.

Gary Anderson (11/8) v Rob Cross (11/8), draw 3/1

Head-to-head: 5-0
PL Darts 2018 stats
3-dart Average: 97.98 - 98.28
180s: 30 - 26
100+ checkouts: 9 - 6
Highest checkout: 170 - 143
Checkout %: 41.96% (47/112) - 49.43% (43/87)

I think this is a much easier match to call than everyone is saying – for me it’s Gary Anderson.

He has the domination factor in his favour of winning all five of their previous games and that is crucial.

In the past couple of European Tour events Rob has had moments of looking his best but also times where he’s been quite the opposite.

He’s quite vulnerable and was lucky to get as far as he did this past weekend before losing to Daryl Gurney – so I think he’s getting worn out.

That said, he has turned up some weeks in the Premier League and showed he can play like he did during the World Championship – but just not consistently enough.

I think Gary has been far more consistent with his level of play and he’ll be eager to catch Rob in the table.

For this match I’m going to back Gary in the low Player Performance market – so he needs to win, over 2.5 180s and over 81.5 checkout, which is 7/4.

He should meet those targets quite easily if he wins.

Mensur Suljovic (8/1) v MVG (1/5), draw 6/1

Head-to-head: 4-8
PL Darts 2018 stats
3-dart Average: 99.55 - 103.25
180s: 11 - 25
100+ checkouts: 6 - 11
Highest checkout: 138 - 170
Checkout %: 45.57% (36/79) - 47.79% (54/113)

Mensur has played a lot better than what is position is saying so the reality is harsh.

He has played well pretty much all the way through but it looks like he’s heading out on Judgement Night because he’s got MVG.

It couldn’t be a tougher match to win to survive and although he did beat MVG in their last meeting, that was back in October last year so doesn’t mean too much.

Despite Mensur’s best intentions it will be quite easy to slip into a defeatist mindset and I sense those demons that tell him it’s OK to bow out here will crawl into the back of his brain.

I’m not putting up much hope of a miraculous result here and considering MVG is red-hot right now, I’m going to back him in the match treble market at 11/10.

If you want more of a price then the medium Player Performance bet is pretty fair – he’d need to win, hit over 3.5 180s and a checkout of more than 113.5 which is 4/1.

Daryl Gurney (7/4) v Peter Wright (11/10), draw 3/1

Head-to-head: 7-11
PL Darts 2018 stats
3-dart Average: 97.24 - 96.06
180s: 37 - 17
100+ checkouts: 4 - 4
Highest checkout: 119 - 120
Checkout %: 31.65% (44/139) - 38.10% (32/84)

They’re both kinda hot at the moment despite largely difficult Premier League campaigns.

Daryl beat Rob Cross last Thursday and did so again at the weekend’s German Darts Grand Prix before losing to MVG in the semis, while Peter is also very happy at how he’s playing having reached the final on Monday.

Snakebite got higher averages than most over the weekend and is playing better now than his league position suggests so it’s a tough call.

I don’t think Peter will get relegated given Mensur is playing MVG but he needs points to have any hope of reaching the top four. He can’t start thinking about that next week – he needs to start doing it now.

However Daryl is enjoying life right now and I’m just learning on him to win the match at 7/4.

Premier League Table

1. MVG P 8 W 7 D 0 L 1 LegD +29 Pts 14
2. Smith P 8 W 6 D 0 L 2 LegD +18 Pts 12
3. Cross P 8 W 5 D 0 L 3 LegD +7 Pts 10
4. Anderson P 8 W 3 D 3 L 2 LegD +3 Pts 9
5. Whitlock P 8 W 3 D 2 L 3 LegD +1 Pts 8
6. Barney P 8 W 3 D 2 L 3 LegD -2 Pts 8
7. Gurney P 8 W 2 D 4 L 2 LegD -2 Pts 8
8. Wright P 8 W 1 D 3 L 4 LegD -19 Pts 5
9. Suljovic P 8 W 2 D 0 L 6 LegD -10 Pts 4
10. Price P 8 W 0 D 2 L 6 LegD -25 Pts 2

Click here for the 2018 Premier League darts fixtures, results & statistics

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• Sporting Life Darts Podcast: Episode 10
• Sporting Life Darts Podcast: Episode Nine
• Sporting Life Darts Podcast: Episode Eight
• Sporting Life Darts Podcast: Episode Seven
• Sporting Life Darts Podcast: Episode Six
• Sporting Life Darts Podcast: Episode Five
• Sporting Life Darts Podcast: Episode Four
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• Sporting Life Darts Podcast: Episode Two
• Sporting Life Darts Podcast: Episode One
• 2018 Premier League darts fixtures
• 2018 PDC event calendar & results
• Sky Bet's darts odds
• 2017 PDC season results