Premier League Darts: Night four predictions, betting tips, accas, order of play & TV time

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Just four weeks into a new season and the Premier League stars are already heading into a fourth country as the awe-inspiring 3Arena hosts a potentially raucous night of action.

Darts fans will be licking their lips at another instalment of the budding Peter Wright v Gerwyn Price rivalry but the partisan locals are preparing to roar on debutant 'Challenger' William O'Connor in his clash against Michael van Gerwen.

Premier League Night Four: Thursday February 27

Click on the odds for more Sky Bet match markets

• TV Coverage: Sky Sports (1900 GMT)
• Format: Maximum of 12 legs
• Sky Bet's Price Boost: van Gerwen, Anderson, Smith all to win WAS 4/1 NOW 6/1
• Chris Hammer's Acca: Aspinall, Gurney and Wright at 12.6/1

Glen Durrant (6/4) v Nathan Aspinall (6/5), draw (10/3)

• Head-to-head: 2-0 (TV: 1-0)
• Meetings since start of 2019: 2-0 (TV: 1-0)
• PDC Titles Since Start of 2019: 2-3 (TV: 0-2)
• Career PDC Titles: 2-4 (TV: 0-2)

If you'd said to Glen Durrant and Nathan Aspinall in January 2019 that in just over a year they'd be playing each other in a top verses third Premier League match, they may have said you were mad.

But that's down to their respective modesty and down to earth attitudes rather than a lack of belief in their own abilities.

After all, they've both worked so unbelievably hard and aspired to climb the PDC ranks, why wouldn't they have got to this point so quickly?

Another reason why this match up is so special is that despite being debutants at the opposite ends of the age spectrum in terms of number, they both share the same youthful excitement and enthusiasm about being on this stage.

Throughout the World Championship, Durrant and Aspinall made no secret of their desire to earn selection and it does make a refreshing change compared to those who take it for granted somewhat.

So Duzza heads into this contest at the top of the table after his superior finishing saw off Gary Anderson last Thursday although he'd be sitting second had it not been for Aspinall's shock triumph over Michael van Gerwen.

The UK Open champion scored consistently, battled brilliantly and finished clinically during that performance and he'll need to be close to those levels again.

It promises to be quite a hard-fought tussle but I'm giving the edge to Aspinall, who has been the sharper player overall this season on the stage and the floor.

Prediction: 4-7

Suggested bet: Over 10.5 legs, a high checkout of over 101.5 and more than 4.5 180s at 6/4

Rob Cross (7/4) v Gary Anderson (11/10), draw (3/1)

• Head-to-head: 1-8 (TV: 1-3)
• Meetings since start of 2019: 0-1
• PDC Titles Since Start of 2019: 2-1 (TV: 2-0)
• Career PDC Titles: 9-47 (TV: 4-19)

Gary Anderson may well be second bottom of this embryonic Premier League table due to his slightly inferior leg difference but he's only two points off top spot as he prepares to face an opponent many will fancy him to beat yet again.

The Flying Scotsman has got quite the formidable record over Rob Cross having won eight of their nine previous meetings, albeit five of those came during his glorious 2018 season.

Anderson also comes into this latest encounter off the back of greater early season form having won the first Players Championship title earlier this month, while Voltage continues to adapt to his dramatic weight loss and is struggling to reach the high levels of performances that we've come to expect of him over the past couple of years.

That said, what Cross is lacking statistically, he's making up with determination and fighting spirit, drawing with Gerwyn Price in week one before beating Nathan Aspinall and almost scrapping an unexpected point against Peter Wright despite being heavily outscored.

The former world champion and current World Matchplay king openly spoke about feeling disrespected by his odds for each match this season and for the fourth week running he goes into a Premier League fixture as the marginal underdog.

At least it gives him the motivation of having a point to prove and so far it's served him well.

Anderson's Premier League stats have hardly been breathtaking - apart from that superb late burst that helped him defeat Daryl Gurney in Aberdeen - and he's lacked consistency on the floor since picking up his title.

Prediction: 7-5

Suggested bet: Rob Cross to win the match, score over 2.5 180s and checkout over 78.5 at 7/2

Daryl Gurney (7/4) v Michael Smith (1/1), draw (7/2)

• Head-to-head: 5-8, 1 draw (TV: 2-4, 1 draw)
• Meetings since start of 2019: 2-2 (TV: 2-2)
• PDC Titles Since Start of 2019: 2-0 (TV: 0-0)
• Career PDC Titles: 5-11 (TV: 2-2)

There's been two versions of Michael Smith by and large this season - the brilliant one on the stage and the not so good one on the floor.

Apart from his disappointing display against Glen Durrant on the opening week of the Premier League season, Bully Boy has reached the final of the Masters - where he spurned three match darts for his maiden major title - and produced two scintillating bursts of legs on the past two Thursday nights.

Last week's 7-1 demolition of Jonny Clayton in Cardiff, where he fired in checkouts of 167 and a victory-sealing 142, should have been his second win of the season but seven days earlier he couldn't finish Gerwyn Price off having raced into a 6-2 lead.

The other Michael Smith hasn't got past the last 16 of any of the six Players Championship events and he's actually lost in the opening round of the last three.

Daryl Gurney, by contrast, has endured consistently poor results both on the floor and the stage, picking up just one point in the Premier League and only reaching the last 16 of a Pro Tour event once this season.

At least his gutsy and unexpected point against Gerwyn Price in Cardiff showed his fighting spirit is still burning inside and it could well help him turn the corner.

Remember last season when he looked in real trouble of elimination after successive 7-1 and 7-0 defeats but he ground out a 6-6 draw with Peter Wright before embarking on a superb run and eventually reached the play-offs.

The Northern Irishman is just that kind of player - a form guide spoiler. He lures you into thinking he's down and out with his negative body language but it just takes a spark of confidence from somewhere and he becomes dangerous again.

Prediction: 7-5

Suggested bet: Gurney to win, score over 2.5 180s and a checkout of over 78.5 at 7/2

William O'Connor (7/1) v Michael van Gerwen (1/4), draw (5/1)

• Head-to-head: 3-10 (TV: 0-1)
• Meetings since start of 2019: 0-1 (TV: 0-0)
• PDC Titles Since Start of 2019: 1-14 (TV: 0-8)
• Career PDC Titles: 1-133 (TV: 0-53)

Since I started writing these Premier League previews many years ago, I've never got to the fourth week in without having to amend Michael van Gerwen's title tally above.

In fact, the last time he got to March without winning a tournament was way back in 2011 and you'll obviously find some fans who think this means he's on the decline.

However, the three main factors behind this are his transitional start to the season due to a change of darts, the significant general rise in standard on the Pro Tour, and Gerwyn Price's astonishing deciding leg against him on Sunday!

He's actually beginning to motor with his new equipment and appears to be on the brink of an explosive hot streak when you consider he averaged over 100 in eight of his 10 matches across the weekend, including the final against Price.

At any other venue I'd expect the defending Premier League champion to cruise past William O'Connor, who has been solid at best since giving Price a huge scare at the World Championship before 'that' costly miscounting blunder.

But this is going to be quite some atmosphere behind the home town Challenger on his debut and remember what happened when van Gerwen came up against huge underdog John Henderson in front of a similarly partisan crowd in Aberdeen last year?

As Paul Nicholson mentioned in this week's column, O'Connor will be relishing - rather than fearing - his opposition because it gives him the opportunity to become the 'Henderson of Dublin' - a status you can only really achieve by playing the very best.

I think it'll be closer than most expect and feel Sky Bet's 4/1 'Match Action' targets of over 10.5 legs, a checkout of over 120.5 and more than 4.5 total 180s are temptingly attainable.

O'Connor at +2.5 legs on the handicap also has some appeal at 6/4.

Prediction: 5-7

Suggested bet: Over 10.5 legs, a checkout of over 120.5 and more than 4.5 total 180s at 4/1

Gerwyn Price (6/4) v Peter Wright (5/4), draw (3/1)

• Head-to-head: 5-15, 1 draw (TV: 4-6, 1 draw)
• Meetings since start of 2019: 3-3 (TV: 3-2)
• PDC Titles Since Start of 2019: 6-8 (TV: 1-3)
• Career PDC Titles: 10-30 (TV: 2-7)

If you're not an avid follower of the Players Championship events on the Pro Tour and you haven't watched Saturday's incredible final between Gerwyn Price and Peter Wright then give it a watch below before reading on. You won't regret it.

Enjoy it? Course you did, daft question.

Two of the game's current 'big three' averaging 109 in a best-of-15 leg match before Snakebite wins it with a 170 checkout. Mesmerising.

Not sure we can expect the same on Thursday night but even if this weekend's title winners don't quite match those levels again, we're still in for a real treat and it's just so hard to call.

Wright is going from strength to strength since becoming world champion and his victory over Price completed one of the finest full-day performances in Players Championship history, averaging 100+ in six of his seven games, including a sizzling mark of 120 against Adrian Gray.

He was actually disappointed not to have hit tops in the final leg to break his own world record for broadcast match which just highlights to standards he's still aspiring to reach at the age of 49.

Although it was 'only' his second title of the season, having also claimed the Masters, he's reached two semi-finals and three quarter-finals in his other five tournaments. How about that for lethal consistency?

Price responded brilliantly to the disappointment - if you can call it that given how well he played - of losing to Wright by defeating Michael van Gerwen in another epic final on Sunday to break his title duck for 2020.

The two-time Grand Slam of Darts champion, who thrashed Snakebite back in November to defend his Wolverhampton crown, has now reached three of this season's six Pro Tour finals and it's hard to argue that the 'big three' have created some clear daylight between themselves and the impressive chasing pack.

The camaraderie between both men at the end of Saturday's final was also of stark contrast to the bad blood of their World Championship semi-final so prepare yourselves for an fantastic sporting match.

I wouldn't put anyone off backing the draw here but if you're leaning that way, how about the 5/1 on it going 12 legs, a high checkout of over 120.5 and over 6.5 total 180s?

The way these two are playing, four or more 100+ checkouts at 12/1 is also worth a small play.

Prediction: 5-7

Suggested bet: Four or more 100+ checkouts at 12/1

Accumulators

Treble: Aspinall, Gurney and Wright at 12.6/1

Alternative acca: Aspinall, Gurney and Wright to win or draw at 8/1

Click here to back these accas with Sky Bet

Click here for full Premier League season guide including fixtures, results, table and history

2020 Premier League Darts Table

1. Durrant P 3 W 2 D 1 L 0 LegD +7 Pts 5
2. Van Gerwen P 3 W 2 D 0 L 1 LegD +6 Pts 4
3. Aspinall P 3 W 2 D 0 L 1 LegD +4 Pts 4
4. Smith P 3 W 1 D 1 L 1 LegD +2 Pts 3
5. Wright P 3 W 2 D 1 L 1 LegD 0 Pts 3
6. Cross P 3 W 1 D 1 L 1 LegD 0 Pts 3
7. Price P 3 W 0 D 3 L 0 LegD 0 Pts 3
8. Anderson P 3 W 1 D 1 L 1 LegD -1 Pts 3
9. Gurney P 3 W 0 D 1 L 2 LegD -8 Pts 1

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