The World Matchplay continues in Blackpool on Sunday so here's our match-by-match preview and best bets.
There's a double session of darts at the Winter Gardens on day two, with the likes of Michael Smith and Gary Anderson headlining the afternoon before the blockbuster clash of Michael van Gerwen v Adrian Lewis in the evening.
Here, we look ahead to all four matches with seasonal statistics, predictions, best bets and an acca...
Darts betting tips: World Matchplay day two
1pt Searle to win and van Duijvenbode to hit most 180s at 11/4 (Sky Bet)
1pt over 11.5 180s in Cullen v Heta at 13/10 (Ladbrokes)
1pt Humphries to win, hit most 180s and highest checkout at 3/1 (Sky Bet)
SL Acca: Searle, Gurney and Heta all to win at 13/2 with Sky Bet
Also Watch: World Matchplay tournament predictions
Former major winner and leading pundit Paul Nicholson joins Sporting Life darts expert Chris Hammer and show host Dom Newton to run through each quarter of the draw with statistics and facts to predict who will reach the semi-finals and then the eventual finalists and champion.
World Matchplay: Sunday July 17
- Venue: Winter Gardens, Blackpool
- TV Coverage: Sky Sports (1300 & 1930 BST)
- Format: Best of 19 legs. Each game must be won by two clear legs, with up to a maximum of five additional legs being played before the sixth additional leg is sudden-death
AFTERNOON SESSION (1300 BST)
Dirk van Duijvenbode (4/7) v Ryan Searle (5/4)
- Overall H2H: 3-1 (TV: 0-0)
2022: 1-0 (TV: 0-0) - Seasonal Average
DVD: 96.91
Searle: 96.11 - 180s per leg in 2022
DVD: 0.39
Searle: 0.24 - Checkout % in 2022 (Stage events only)
DVD: 38.41%
Searle: 39.85% - 100+ checkouts per leg won
DVD: 12.03%
Searle: 15.34% - Match Treble % in all comps (Win, most 180s, highest checkout)
DVD: 43.33%
Searle: 20%
Dirk van Duijvenbode is the perfect choice to get the crowd pumped up at the start of a Sunday afternoon session - not just for his entrance music but the staggering rate he fires in the 180s.
Aubergenius has been hitting 0.39 maximums per leg this season which is significantly higher than anyone else (for context, Michael Smith comes next at 0.34) while the highly entertaining Ryan Searle has a ratio of 0.24.
Van Duijvenbode played breathtakingly well at the first of four Players Championship events last week as he won the title with five 100+ averages in his seven matches, including an 8-0 victory over Gabriel Clemens in the final.
The Dutchman, who also reached the Dutch Darts Masters final in June, didn't bother with the other three tournaments so he arrives in Blackpool with an ultimate winning feeling and is a warm favourite to progress.
At the start of April, van Duijvenbode denied Searle back-to-back PDC titles when beating him 8-7 in the Players Championship 12 final but since then Heavy Metal hadn't really made that much of a noise until a semi-final run last week that was ended in a deciding leg by form player Andrew Gilding.
Average-wise there really isn't much between them this season and I think Searle could spring a very minor surprise. Whichever player you pick, however, double up with van Duijvenbode hitting the most 180s to get a slight boost on the price.
Scoreline prediction: 8-10
Danny Noppert (4/11) v Brendan Dolan (2/1)
- Overall H2H: 0-1 (TV: 0-0)
2022: 0-1 (TV: 0-0) - Seasonal Average
Noppert: 94.85
Dolan: 93.12 - 180s per leg in 2022
Noppert: 0.28
Dolan: 0.14 - Checkout % in 2022 (Stage events only)
Noppert: 38.49%
Dolan: 32.68% - 100+ checkouts per leg won
Noppert: 12.33%
Dolan: 13.54% - Match Treble % in all comps (Win, most 180s, highest checkout)
Noppert: 27.66%
Dolan: 11.76%
Danny Noppert showed nerves of steel to become a major-winning dart player this year when overcoming Michael Smith in a deciding leg at the UK Open and he couldn't be much more confident than he is right now of bagging his first victory on the Winter Gardens stage.
He's bowed out in the first round of both his previous appearances here, while his only World Matchplay win came when it was behind closed doors at Milton Keynes.
Since his UK Open triumph, Noppert has reached two European Tour finals - which he narrowly lost to MVG and Smith - while he also picked up his third PDC ranking title earlier this month when beating Andrew Gilding in the Players Championship 19 final.
He was 6-3 down before winning five legs on the spin, once again highlighting that what he sometimes lacks in breathtaking averages, he more than makes up with fighting spirit and character.
His only meeting with Dolan actually came during the Northern Irishman's run to winning the last event before the World Matchplay.
Afterwards Dolan said: "I've had a really bad year, to be fair. I've possibly put myself under too much pressure and not even been able to qualify for European Tours. Today I just wanted to win one game. I never felt like I was playing well enough to win it, I got lucky today at times. There were moments of good darts but there wasn't enough consistency so I'm not going to get too excited about this win. But, in the context of my year, this is massive."
If he can't get too excited about it then I'm not going to read too much into it and instead side with the player that's been one of the most consistent operators around. His 180s per leg is far superior too so I'm throwing that into the mix as well.
Scoreline prediction: 10-6
Gary Anderson (4/6) v Daryl Gurney (11/10)
- Overall H2H: 10-9, 1 draw (TV: 4-6, 1 draw)
2022: 0-1 (TV: 0-0) - Seasonal Average
Anderson: 95.61
Gurney: 93.04 - 180s per leg in 2022
Anderson: 0.27
Gurney: 0.28 - Checkout % in 2022 (Stage events only)
Anderson: 38.18%
Gurney: 37.95% - 100+ checkouts per leg won
Anderson: 8.85%
Gurney: 9.83% - Match Treble % in all comps (Win, most 180s, highest checkout)
Anderson: 15.09%
Gurney: 23.33%
Gary Anderson faces another slide down the world rankings if he's unable to go on a lengthy run in Blackpool.
The Flying Scotsman is defending £70,000 from reaching the final two years ago but there's precious little evidence from 2022 to suggest he can repeat a similar feat or even go one better.
A nightmare Premier League campaign saw him finish bottom of the table with just five match wins from 19 games although he did play fantastically well on one night to pick up a title and also reached the Nordic Darts Masters final last month.
Daryl Gurney's season has been quiet to say the least so this draw could have been much worse for Anderson, although he does have a decent TV record against the 2018 World Matchplay champion.
SuperChin has beaten him six times on the big stages, including the 2017 World Matchplay, so a high-profile clash like this might be what he needs to breathe life into his season.
Scoreline prediction: 10-7
Michael Smith (2/5) v Andrew Gilding (7/4)
- Overall H2H: 5-4 (TV: 0-0)
2022: 2-0 (TV: 0-0) - Seasonal Average
Smith: 96.61
Gilding: 95.64 - 180s per leg in 2022
Smith: 0.34
Gilding: 0.22 - Checkout % in 2022 (Stage events only)
Smith: 39.93%
Gilding: 33.79% - 100+ checkouts per leg won
Smith: 10.85%
Gilding: 13.53% - Match Treble % in all comps (Win, most 180s, highest checkout)
Smith: 28.46%
Gilding: 26.19%
Michael Smith's quest to finally win his first major trophy begins against a player who wouldn't have been described as dangerous draw until recently.
Andrew Gilding has shot up the rankings since reaching his first PDC ranking final since 2014 back in April, when he lost to rising star Danny Jansen, and he added another to his collection earlier this month only to lose 8-6 to Danny Noppert.
He's regularly averaging above 100 and even posted efforts of 118, 111, 109 and 106 during the most recent four Players Championship events in July.
However, repeating high quality performances on a stage like the Winter Gardens is a completely different challenge - and one that Bully Boy certainly knows how to achieve.
Smith is still seeking his maiden major trophy having come so agonisingly close at the UK Open back in March but after a frustrating Premier League campaign, Bully Boy found a purple patch of form that will fill him with renewed belief heading to Blackpool.
As well as winning the last regular season night of the Premier League when it looked as though he'd be the only player to end the campaign empty handed, Smith picked up five titles including the prestigious US Darts Masters and a European Tour crown in the Netherlands.
That was made more impressive by edging out home favourite Danny Noppert 8-7 in a repeat of the UK Open final so I do expect him to blast out of the blocks against Gilding.
Scoreline prediction: 10-6
EVENING SESSION (1930 BST)
Joe Cullen (5/4) v Damon Heta (4/7)
- Overall H2H: 2-2 (TV: 0-0)
2022: 1-1 (TV: 0-0) - Seasonal Average
Cullen: 94.78
Heta: 97.99 - 180s per leg in 2022
Cullen: 0.30
Heta: 0.32 - Checkout % in 2022 (Stage events only)
Cullen: 37.84%
Heta: 41.09% - 100+ checkouts per leg won
Cullen: 12.86%
Heta: 12.30% - Match Treble % in all comps (Win, most 180s, highest checkout)
Cullen: 27.88%
Heta: 33.04%
Damon Heta is the only unseeded player in the entire World Matchplay draw who finds himself favourite heading into his first-round tie - a fact made more incredible by the fact Joe Cullen has won three titles this year, including the Masters, and reached the Premier League final on debut!
One of his two Players Championship titles back in February - when everything was going so well - came against Heta but the Australian opened his account for the season a month later before getting a taste of televised glory when teaming up with Simon Whitlock to win the World Cup last month.
They overcame Belgium, England and tournament favourites Wales in a gripping final and this could have the same impact on Heta's career as it did for Clayton from 2020 onwards.
Heta's seasonal average of 97.99 is second only to Michael van Gerwen and that's a statistic made more impressive by the fact he's played more games than anyone outside of the Premier League eight. To be that consistent for over six months of the season is very special, and it's down to scoring power and clinical finishing in equal measure.
He must hit the ground running against Cullen, who can't be underestimated despite a recent run of poor results and a rather disappointing seasonal average - by his standards - of 94.78. After all, his Premier League average of 92.14 was comfortably the worst and even two points lower than Gary Anderson but that didn't stop him reaching the final.
The maximum battle will be very interesting in this match and both players are priced up at 11/10 to hit the most. I think we can get over 11.5 for the match at odds of around 13/10.
Scoreline prediction: 7-10
James Wade (2/5) v Martin Lukeman (7/4)
- Overall H2H: 2-1 (TV: 0-0)
2022: 1-1 (TV: 0-0) - Seasonal Average
Wade: 93.69
Lukeman: 92.27 - 180s per leg in 2022
Wade: 0.16
Lukeman: 0.20 - Checkout % in 2022 (Stage events only)
Wade: 44.19%
Lukeman: 41.13% - 100+ checkouts per leg won
Wade: 14.59%
Lukeman: 12.10% - Match Treble % in all comps (Win, most 180s, highest checkout)
Wade: 15.24%
Lukeman: 25.27%
Talk about a baptism of fire for Martin Lukeman.
The unheralded Englishman has done tremendously well to qualify for his first World Matchplay but then ends up in an absolute quarter of death with seven players who have won 18 titles between them this season.
He did get drawn against the only other player in this section who hasn't won a title in 2022 but that happens to be James Wade.
The Machine prioritised the Premier League during what has been a hectic season and his decision paid off by reaching the Play-Offs and proving to many doubters why he should never be written off among the world's elite.
There's not much between them when it comes to seasonal averages and Wade will see this as a steady opener to warm himself up for much tougher ties that lie ahead.
Scoreline prediction: 10-6
Michael van Gerwen (1/3) v Adrian Lewis (9/4)
- Overall H2H: 43-15, 3 draws (TV: 23-5, 3 draws)
2022: 1-0 (TV: 0-0) - Seasonal Average
MVG: 98.48
Lewis: 94.61 - 180s per leg in 2022
MVG: 0.26
Lewis: 0.28 - Checkout % in 2022 (Stage events only)
MVG: 38.29%
Lewis: 39.51% - 100+ checkouts per leg won
MVG: 13.46%
Lewis: 7.86% - Match Treble % in all comps (Win, most 180s, highest checkout)
MVG: 29.36%
Lewis: 29.27%
Undoubtedly the most eye-catching tie of the round.
Michael van Gerwen has won 43 of their 61 matches - which include three Premier League draws - and 23 of those have come in their 31 televised meetings. Twice they've come up against each other on this famous Winter Gardens stage in the semi-finals, with Lewis winning 17-15 in a 2013 epic before MVG got his revenge three years later via a 17-9 scoreline.
The two-time champion heads into this encounter having enjoyed a revitalising season thanks to winning more titles than anyone in 2022 with six and there was a sense that his Premier League success - his first major trophy since the 2020 Players Championship Finals - could drive him closer to the kind of form that helped him dominate several years ago.
His seasonal average tops the charts but he's only played once since he dramatically survived a match dart against Joe Cullen in the Premier League final due to surgery on his injured throwing arm and that was a 6-4 defeat to Danny Noppert in the Dutch Darts Masters, averaging a steady 96.78.
He didn't play in any of the four recent Players Championship tournaments so it'll be interesting to see what kind of shape he's in against Jackpot, who will be in confident mood after winning his first PDC title since 2019 at the weekend.
It would be hugely crowd-pleasing to see Lewis roll back the years and give MVG a scare at the very least but it could be naive to read too much into a couple of superb days he enjoyed at the recent round of Players Championship events.
That said he's been firing 180s at a higher rate than MVG this season and with the Winter Gardens fans roaring him on like the good old days, I can see him edging that particular part of an enthralling battle rather than the most important bit.
Scoreline prediction: 10-8
Luke Humphries (8/15) v Nathan Aspinall (11/8)
- Overall H2H: 2-1 (TV: 0-0)
2022: 1-1 (TV: 0-0) - Seasonal Average
Humphries: 97.30
Aspinall: 95.68 - 180s per leg in 2022
Humphries: 0.34
Aspinall: 0.27 - Checkout % in 2022 (Stage events only)
Humphries: 42.51%
Aspinall: 44.08% - 100+ checkouts per leg won
Humphries: 12.05%
Aspinall: 14.86% - Match Treble % in all comps (Win, most 180s, highest checkout)
Humphries: 33.01%
Aspinall: 24.36%
Luke Humphries has been widely backed to win his maiden major title and these incredible statistics below explain why.
The Newbury ace hadn't won a senior title before 2022 but he's now won five of them including three on the stage of the European Tour.
He's pretty much turned into a darting beast this year and ranks in the top three for titles won, seasonal average, 180s per leg and checkout percentage in stage events.
Anyone who has watched his performances on the European Tour this season will see just how much he's grown in confidence while his stage presence looks unbreakable at the moment - so he'll be relishing the prospect of a Winter Gardens battle with Nathan Aspinall.
One other big statistic to notice is that Humphries has brought up the 'Match Treble' (win, most 180s and highest checkout) in over 33% of his matches this season and that's fourth highest behind Dirk van Duijvenbode (43.33), Jose de Sousa (33.33) and Damon Heta (33.04).
Although Aspinall boasts a healthy 180 per leg ratio of 0.27 in what has been a pretty encouraging season, I am going to back Humphries to boss him on both scoreline and maximums. A healthy victory margin will also give him a great chance of having the highest checkout too.
Scoreline prediction: 10-4
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