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Boxing Premier League Darts Best Bet: Night 11, April 21st
The Premier League Darts travels north of the border to Aberdeen this Thursday, with Michael Smith now the only player yet to be victorious in the newly formatted 2022 tournament.
Last week James Wade finally crossed the finishing post at the fourth time of asking, as he defeated Joe Cullen 6-5 in front of a record-breaking crowd of 12,000 fans at the AO Arena.
The Machine conquered both Gary Anderson and Gerwyn Price – who’s new walkout song Roar failed to tame the rampant Englishman – before scooping up the £10,000 prize pot and moving into the playoff spots.
This week my best bet will look for Wade to continue this fine form against Michael Smith, who has struggled in recent weeks and lies just a point off the bottom of the table.
Wade’s confidence has been slowly growing in this year’s competition, and although he’s doesn’t have a flashy game, he’s pragmatic and has proven a consistent player in this year’s competition.
This culminated in a sparkling display in last week’s final, where he averaged a mammoth 105.48, and hit 66% of his doubles.
He fired in a further three 100+ checkouts during his 6-2 victory over Price, and again averaged over 100 in his quarter-final triumph over Anderson, highlighting the all-round strength his game is currently in.
Wade said the standard he reached was “close to my best form”, and it is hard to argue with this statement after three quarter-final victories in a row.
He also possesses a staggering head-to-head record over Smith, with 15 victories in their last 19 encounters, so Wade clearly holds all the aces in this regard.
Smith has also flattered to deceive in recent weeks with four losses on the trot, and the shorter format doesn’t seem to be aiding his streaky scoring ability.
The Bully Boy couldn’t find his finishing boots in his 6-2 defeat to Joe Cullen, hitting just 14% of his attempts on the outer ring, whilst averaging a modest 89.65 in a disappointing display.
- Selection: James Wade to win match (vs Michael Smith)
- Best Odds: 1.90 (Betfair)
- Stake: 7/10
