World Darts Championship: Friday preview, predictions, odds, betting tips, order of play & TV times

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There's eight second-round matches at the Ally Pally, with the likes of Peter Wright, Nathan Aspinall and Joe Cullen in action.

I'll continue to preview every match, with the predicted scorelines entered into the free-to-play Fantasy Darts game, so get involved yourself and challenge me!

World Darts Championship: Friday December 20

AFTERNOON SESSION

• TV Coverage: Sky Sports (1230 GMT)
• Second round games: Best of 5 sets
• Full World Championship draw & schedule

Darren Webster (2/9) v Yuki Yamada (10/3)

Head-to-head: 0-0
2019 Meetings: 0-0
PDC Titles this season: 0-0
PDC World Champ appearances: 9-0

Yuki Yamada was a 13/5 outsider before his World Championship debut with world number 70 Ryan Meikle but he'll need to play a lot better if he's to upset the odds again.

The Japanese thrower, who finished fifth on the PDC Asian Tour, averaged just 85.77 in a nervy 3-1 victory as Development Tour star Meikle struggled in all areas of his game.

Darren Webster hasn't exactly had a great season since losing 3-0 to Vincent van der Voort here 12 months ago and his most lengthy runs are two European Tour quarter-finals.

That said the vastly experienced Demolition Man showed encouraging signs of coming back into form at the Grand Slam of Darts, where he beat Gary Anderson en route to the knockout stages, so he should be too strong for Yamada.

Prediction: 3-0

Mervyn King (2/5) v Ciaran Teehan (2/1)

Head-to-head: 0-0
2019 Meetings: 0-0
PDC Titles this season: 0-0
PDC World Champ appearances: 8-0

One of the most experienced players on the World Championship stage takes on one of the youngest in this intriguing battle.

Ciaran Teehan showed no sign of nerves on his Ally Pally debut and proved just why he's being touted as Ireland's next big darting talent with a thumping 3-0 victory over Ross Smith, averaging 90 in the process.

Mervyn King may well be 33 years Teehan's senior but at 53 there's still plenty of fire left in the player who still has the best entrance music in the sport.

The King is gearing up for his 13th PDC World Championship and 24th overall off the back of an impressive season in which he reached the quarter-finals of the World Matchplay, World Grand Prix and Players Championship Finals, beating the likes of Nathan Aspinall, Gary Anderson, James Wade, Dave Chisnall and Rob Cross during those runs.

He also knocked MVG out of the UK Open this season so there's no doubting what a dangerous player and must not be underestimated.

Prediction: 3-0

Jonny Clayton (2/5) v Jan Dekker (2/1)

Head-to-head: 2-0
2019 Meetings: 0-0
PDC Titles this season: 1-0
PDC World Champ appearances: 3-3

Anyone who read my preview of Thursday's action will know I didn't expect Jan Dekker to be here.

The Dutchman has endured a difficult season and had to resort to the West Europe Qualifier in Leeuwarden to book his Ally Pally return, so it wasn't much of a surprise to see him average in the low 80s against Ryan Joyce.

Nevertheless, he still managed to claim a morale boosting 3-2 triumph - albeit after his opponent had missed two match darts - so we may see a more relaxed, improved display against Jonny Clayton.

The Ferret should triumph comfortably but he's coming into this clash cold compared to the Dutchman, who I fancy to nick a set off him.

Clayton, who won a Pro Tour title back in April, may not have dazzled on the TV stages much this season but he's been much stronger on the floor than Dekker.

Prediction: 3-1

Ricky Evans (8/11) v Mark McGeeney (11/10)

Head-to-head: 0-0
2019 Meetings: 0-0
PDC Titles this season: 0-0
PDC World Champ appearances: 4-0

Ricky Evans may not have won a match at last year's World Championship, but he did produce one of its finest moments.

One of the great entertainers in darts - whether it's for his walk-ons or his ridiculously fast throwing - now wants to be taken seriously as a force in the upper echelons of the sport, and he's certainly going the right way about it.

Evans has reached a pair of European Tour finals this season, losing both to Gerwyn Price and Daryl Gurney, while he also beat Glen Durrant en route to the European Championship quarter-finals.

He's climbed into the top 32 to earn an Ally Pally seeding for the first time and will be confident of taking out Mark McGeeney.

The Gladiator overcame Matt Campbell 3-1 on his tournament debut with a respectable average of 93.66 and a similar performance debut and a similar performance will at least earn him a set.

Prediction: 3-1

EVENING SESSION

• TV Coverage: Sky Sports (1230 GMT)
• First/second round games: Best of 5 sets
• Full World Championship draw & schedule

Nathan Aspinall (1/6) v Danny Baggish (4/1)

Head-to-head: 0-0
2019 Meetings: 0-0
PDC Titles this season: 2-0
PDC World Champ appearances: 1-0

This time last year, Nathan Aspinall headed into his debut World Championship ranked 73 in the PDC’s Order of Merit and considered a 500/1 no hoper.

After coming back from the brink of defeat in the second round against Gerwyn Price, he went on to reach the semi-finals and never looked back.

Back in March he won a career-changing UK Open with a 170 checkout and then won the televised US Darts Masters in sensational fashion, while he’s also reached three other finals and beaten MVG twice out of three meetings – including a 6-1 win.

I interviewed the Stockport player before the tournament about his incredible 2019 (click here to read the article) while I also made him the headline selection in my outright betting preview, even though he's in MVG's half of the draw.

This is a soft opener against Danny Baggish, who averaged in the mid 80s during his debut win over Andy Boulton in the opening round, and I can only see a whitewash for Aspinall.

Prediction: 3-0

Joe Cullen (1/2) v Nico Kurz (13/8)

Head-to-head: 0-0
2019 Meetings: 0-0
PDC Titles this season: 1-0
PDC World Champ appearances: 9-0

A day after the darting world was beginning to calm down from Fallon Sherrock's history-making exploits, Nico Kurz so nearly raised the roof again.

The 22-year-old German, who first hit the headlines back in July when knocking Gary Anderson out of the German Darts Masters with the help of a 170 checkout, hit eight perfect darts against James Wade only to fall one short of glory.

Nevertheless, he still went on to win 3-1 with a 95.67 average and almost 50% on his doubles - although he was in debut to Wilson missing 22 of his 26 attempts at doubles.

Joe Cullen has a horrible record at the Ally Pally, managing just one victory in his nine appearances while last year he had an absolute shocker against Brendan Dolan, particularly on his doubles during a 3-0 thumping.

The Rockstar then suffered another embarrassing televised defeat on the second biggest stage of all at the World Matchplay, losing 10-0 to Ian White, but since then he's really turned the corner.

Cullen won his maiden ranking title on a stage environment at the European Darts Matchplay when he held his nerve to beat Michael van Gerwen in a deciding leg while he also hit a 170 checkout.

The Bradford man may have gone off the boil a little since then but this could be the year he finally proves what he can do.

Prediction: 3-1

Max Hopp (4/6) v Benito van de Pas (6/5)

Head-to-head: 4-4
2019 Meetings: 1-1
PDC Titles this season: 0-0
PDC World Champ appearances: 6-5

You could probably count on one hand the number of people who thought Benito van de Pas would beat rising German star Gabriel Clemens on Wednesday.

But the Dutchman, who headed to the Ally Pally in danger of losing his tour card following an alarming slide down to 59 in the rankings, somehow scraped through 3-2 despite averaging five points less with 88.

Clemens missed three match darts when leading 2-1 in the deciding set and another at 2-2 as van de Pas snatched a career lifeline.

Now he'll be desperate to make the most of this opportunity when he comes up against Germany's number one Max Hopp.

It's not been the best of seasons for the 23-year-old with precious little to shout about but it's still been considerably better than van de Pas and this is as good a time as ever to remind everyone of his potential.

Prediction: 3-1

Peter Wright (1/7) v Noel Malicdem (9/2)

Head-to-head: 0-0
2019 Meetings: 0-0
PDC Titles this season: 0-0
PDC World Champ appearances: 10-1

Peter Wright can't afford to be complacent after his shock second-round exit against Toni Alcinas 12 months ago.

If anything, that experience will ensure he's completely switched on for the challenge of dangerous Asian Tour player Noel Malicdem and surely we can expect a routine victory.

Snakebite has won four titles this season, including the televised German Darts Masters, while he also set a new average record for a broadcast match and reached two major finals at the Champions League of Darts and the Grand Slam of Darts.

Malicdem will be feeling in confident mood after his 3-0 victory over Rowby John Rodriguez but he did only average 84 and he was also helped by his opponent hitting just 14% of his doubles.

Prediction: 3-0

SUGGESTED ACCA

• King, Clayton, Evans, Cullen & Hopp at 7.39/1
• Click here to build your acca at Sky Bet

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