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Rod’s Odds: Premier League Week 5

Night five of the Premier League is already upon us and it's starting to get a bit edgy as there are now some match-ups where the loser could be finding himself in a relegation battle. With Smith and Whitlock playing so well early on it has thrown some of the well-fancied players, who we thought might make the top four, now trying to survive.

GARY ANDERSON V ROB CROSS.

This could be exactly one of those matches because whoever loses, and other results go against them, then they could be in a real battle.

Because Cross is one point ahead of Ando he possibly would settle for the draw, however Ando has got to be aggressive and get the win.

Cross has finally got his form back after a bit of a lean spell while trying to get his head round being the William Hill World Champion. He now seems to be focused and has got his practice regime back on track. Rob does seem to have a very solid all round game backed up with plenty of bottle in front of the big noisy PL crowds.

Ando is playing so well now his back is OK. He is having over the 100 average in most games but is just being beaten by outstanding performances from his opponents at the moment. There is no-one better on the treble twenty then this man, however, he does miss the odd dart at the double that has proven very costly. At other times he might get away with it but that's not happening right now.

This is going to be a great game and the draw is the obvious outcome but if Ando can get into his game quicker then he wins it for me.

Anderson win. Over on legs and 180s.

PETER WRIGHT V DARYL GURNEY.

Wright played brilliantly last week in his draw against Anderson and perhaps he should have got the win. A change of darts and a solid performance will give him a lot of confidence going into this game.

When on form he is one of the hardest players to beat as he matches most players on the scoring and knows how to take checkouts out under pressure.

Gurney has found it hard to get his A-game going. He relies so much on his scoring power - which is a little off at the moment - that it puts more pressure on those doubles - which he is not hitting with regularity. If he can get out of the gate quickly and get some confidence then he could win this, however that will be a hard thing to do in this match.

Going with the consistent game of Wright. Under on legs.

MENSUR SULJOVIC V MICHAEL VAN GERWEN.

Mensur had a great win last week, and had the highest average on the night. To be fair, he has been playing well for all four games but has missed doubles that have been costly, something we do not see him do very often. He will need to keep that 105 plus average going as he did last week and not miss any doubles.

MVG seems to be on auto-pilot, when he needs to pull a shot out of the bag. He has an all round game that is sometimes impossible to beat. If there’s anything, he can take his opponents too lightly, and that causes then odd upset, but he will give Mensur the utmost respect.

MVG win and most 180s.

RAYMOND VAN BARNEVELD V MICHAEL SMITH.

Before last week I thought that Barney was going to make the top four for the O2, however, after last week’s performance I might have to change my mind. He looked very lack lustre and when behind the old head sways were going. To be fair, if he can get into this game quickly then he will certainly have a major chance of winning it.

Smith sits at the top of the table and, although his averages have not been the best, he is taking his chances when they arise. He seems to have some maturity in his play now and does not waste too many darts by just throwing them thinking they have a right to go in.

This game is all about the start from Barney. If he can get into his game early then he wins it, however, that is a big if.

Going with a Barney win. Over on the checkout for Barney.

GERWYN PRICE V SIMON WHITLOCK.

Price is finding this a grind, as we though he would. He just lacks that extra scoring consistency you need in the PL. He certainly has the fight and determination and knows how to grind a result out and he will fancy his chances here but will have to get a lead early.

Whitlock did not find his game at all last week. So many of his his first darts were going low that he struggled from there to get any scoring power going at all and made it quite easy for Smith to beat him.

I'm going for another draw here as I believe both players will be edgy on there doubles.

Rod’s Odds: Premier League Week 4

This year’s Premier League was always expected to be the closest and, even after week three, that is exactly what it's looking like. With the two leaders going head-to-head in Berlin this week it will close the table up even more.

MICHAEL SMITH V SIMON WHITLOCK.

Smith is showing maturity and confidence in his game now. He does not seem to rush his darts too much, especially his third one, and that has put him level top of the table. He has great scoring power and if he can keep his double percentage over the 60, as he did against Suljovic last week, then he will be very hard to beat.

Whitlock, it has to be said, is a great come back story and if there was any reward for hard work then Simon would take it. His win over Barney last week was down to hitting good scores at crucial times and then punishing his opponent’s mistakes on doubles. He has started to hit a few 180s now too, followed up with his doubles, and that is why he sits top of the league on legs difference.

This a hard call as Smith will just lead on the big scores but Whitlock will punish him if he misses doubles.

It's the draw for me. Definitely over on legs.

GERWYN PRICE V MENSUR SULJOVIC.

Price has already had two draws from three matches, both times having come back from 5-1 down. His leg-on-leg scoring power might not be as good as the others at the moment, however, when you think he has only been playing at this level for a few years then he should improve year-on-year.

Suljovic has had a rough time of it so far. His first two losses were with over 100 averages and then last week against Smith he missed too many doubles, something that was his best asset. Will this event get to him as it has done to others? He will need to get a win soon or the pressure will compound on him.

If Suljovic can get his game back then he wins this for me. Over on legs.

MICHAEL VAN GERWEN V DARYL GURNEY.

The game between MVG and Gary Anderson last week was one of the best I have ever seen but it was MVG that sealed the tight legs to win. He definitely looked very focused and up for the challenge so perhaps the beating from Peter Wright the week before has woken him up.

Gurney will feel that that the two draws that he has should have been wins. His scoring power put him in a great position in both those matches but he missed too many doubles when in complete control. Now he's walking into MVG and that is not the match he would have liked floundering on two points rather than with four in the bank. This will be a test on his scoring and doubles leg-on-leg as MVG will be throwing everything at him from the start.

MVG win for me. Over on the match 180s.

ROB CROSS V RAYMOND VAN BARNEVELD.

Cross got back to winning ways last week with a convincing defeat of Peter Wright. That would have given him his confidence back and he certainly looked a lot more comfortable with his game. He should feel that he can take the game to Barney and get a quick lead.

Barney has been playing very well for a while now and his attitude has been as good as it has for a long time, however, he missed too many doubles last week which became very costly. He will need to tighten up his game against the William Hill World Champion.

After last week’s games I'm going with a Cross win. Over on the match checkout.

PETER WRIGHT V GARY ANDERSON.

Wright feels he threw the game away last week and will be looking for a mistake free game this week. He will need to find that ultra consistent performance that saw him hold on to his throw brilliantly when beating MVG the week before.

Anderson missed doubles in three legs and they became very costly against MVG last week but every other part of his game was exceptional and vintage Ando. If he keeps the high scoring up then he will be very tough to beat.

I'm with an Anderson win thinking that he will still have that extra scoring power that he possessed last week. Over on legs.

Rod’s Odds: Premier League Week 3

MENSUR SULJOVIC V MICHAEL SMITH.

Suljovic has been very unlucky with both his games. He sits on zero points even though he has had over the 100 average in both of them. His losses are down to a few missed doubles at crucial times and they have been very costly, something that we do not see him do very often. He will need to sharpen up as even with his great mindset another loss could start to get at him.

Smith had a great win, as I predicted, when beating Daryl Gurney last week and he seems to have his confidence back. He had another good run in the three qualifying events over last weekend and seems to have his game well in check. Always great scoring power and now he’s starting to hit doubles - he could be a good outsider to make the O2.

Although I tipped Smith to win last week I feel that Suljovic will again play a solid game and this may just be enough to get his first win. I'm over on legs here as Smith will make this a very close game and might even win it. Smith most 180s.

DARYL GURNEY V GERWYN PRICE.

Gurney is still playing well, however, just a few missed doubles have been very costly over his first two games. He knows that he should lead on the scoring and will feel confident that he can hit the doubles to get his first win.

Price has to up his scoring power as only doing it for a few legs will not be enough in this company. He is a player that learns very quickly and will be doing everything he can to compete consistently at the top level.

I'm with the scoring power of Gurney here but he needs to clean up the legs as missing early on may give Price the confidence he is looking for.

Gurney win and most 180s.

PETER WRIGHT V ROB CROSS.

Wright changed his darts last week and got back to winning ways beating the best at the moment, MVG. On form Peter has everything you need to win majors, perhaps a little bit of luck and just belief in how good he is.

Cross has played terribly over his first two weeks in the Premier League, however, he did play better at the weekend in the UK Open qualifiers - beating Wright in one of the semis - so he should have a lot of his confidence back. He has great scoring power and takes out a lot of big checkouts under pressure.

Could be a close game as Cross did play well at the weekend, however I'm just going with Wright to win a close game.

Wright win. Over on legs.Over on the match checkout.

MICHAEL VAN GERWEN V GARY ANDERSON.

A match that every darts fan will be watching: two of the best treble twenty hitters in the game and the bragging rights will certainly go to the winner.

MVG did not get into his game very quickly last week when losing to Wright. He did not seem focused from the start and then got hit with some great solid legs at crucial times and, before he knew it, he had lost. I don't think that he will take this game too easily as he knows how good Ando is.

Anderson seems to have his back sorted out as his win against Price proved and if you want that backed up he won the UK qualifier on the Friday so if there was a problem then it would have happened then.

Both these players have everything in their locker and, if both play well, then it is hard to separate them.

I don't tip against Ando very often and he could get the draw, however, I can't see MVG losing this one. Over on legs and 180s.

RAYMOND VAN BARNEVELD V SIMON WHITLOCK.

Barney has been playing well for a while now and seems to have his head in the right gear. He looks eager to win now and it will take a good game to get beaten.

Whitlock has had a flying start, getting points on the board early, wonderful to see when you think that only two years ago he had no form at all. His win over Cross last week will give him plenty of confidence but he knows that it will need another quick start to put Barney on the back foot.

I'm with a Barney win as I just feel that he will have the edge on the close legs. Over on the match checkout as both these are quality when it come to that end of legs.

MY DOUBLE FOR NEWCASTLE.

Suljovic v Smith.

Wright v Cross.

Both games over on legs.

Rod’s Odds: Premier League Week 2

MICHAEL SMITH V DARYL GURNEY.

Smith did get a win last week but, it has to be said, he got lucky. He was 5-1 down when Gary Anderson's back went again and it was easy pickings for him from then on. His average of 89 and only 3 x 180s is not the standard that is going to win him many more games in the PL, however, at the weekend we saw the Smith that we all know is there. He won Qualifier Three of the UK Open only dropping five legs and beating MVG 5-1 on the way. Why can't we see more of that talent?

Gurney got the draw with RVB, however, his performance was not top notch - especially his doubles again. We know the talent he has, with exceptional scoring power, but he will need to up his game from now on.

Both players could have had a bit of stage fright being the first night of the PL as the crowd is completely different to the normal TV events. Gurney has the edge on the consistency side of the game but after the weekend I'm going for Smith.

Smith win. Over on legs.

ROB CROSS V SIMON WHITLOCK.

Cross did not play that badly when losing to MVG last week, however, he did not have a great three days at the UK Open qualifiers over the weekend. He has a great all round game and may just have had problems with all the publicity being the World Champion.

Whitlock played exceptionally last week with over 106 average and 76% on his doubles. This is the result of hard work and not giving up when he was in a bad spell. I certainly admire him for his grit and determination to make sure he got himself back at the top.

I think that Cross will up his game here and possibly Whitlock will not play quite as well as he did last week.

Cross win. Over on legs.

Cross to hit the most 180s.

MICHAEL VAN GERWEN V PETER WRIGHT.

MVG was brilliant last week and he followed that up over weekend by winning two UK Open qualifiers. He just is in awesome form at the moment and it will take something extraordinary to beat him.

Wright was trying new darts again last week and for me they did not work. He has lost the bit of consistency that has got him to where he is. He needs the right darts and the right mindset to get close to MVG.

We know he has the game, however, will it be there this Thursday.

MVG on the William Hill Match Treble - to win, most 180s and highest checkout.

GERWYN PRICE V GARY ANDERSON.

Price will know two things in this game: 1) that Anderson has a problem with his back and cannot keep his concentration all the time; 2) his stage presence annoys him.

If both of those happen this week then Price does have a chance of getting the win.

Anderson certainly has a major problem: he pulled out of all the events over the weekend to try and get his back mended; he was 5-1 against Smith and then something happened and from then he could not stick two throws together.

This is a tough call because of Anderson but if he plays then he will feel fit enough to compete properly.

Anderson win and most 180s.

RAYMOND VAN BARNEVELD V MENSUR SULJOVIC.

Barney has been playing well for a while now and even when he has his back against the wall he does not give up anymore. his scoring and doubles are as good as they have been for a long while.

Suljovic played well last week, however, he walked into an exceptional Whitlock. a good solid all round game has put him in the Premier League and he might not make the top four but it will take a brilliant game to beat him.

The draw looks the obvious bet here but I'm going with a Barney win.

Over on legs. Over on the match checkout.

NIGHT TWO TREBLE:

RVB V Suljovic.

Cross v Whitlock.

Gurney v Smith.

All three games over on legs.

Rod’s Odds: Premier League Darts 2018

Former professional, Sky Sports pundit and PDC Director Rod Harrington previews this and every week of the Premier League Darts.

It certainly does not seem a year since the last Premier League but it is upon us already and there has been a big shake up with some of the very big names being left out this year.

Six new faces with four completely new players - how will they react to the most aggressive darts on the planet?

I do think that this will be the closest PL that we have had, not only who will make the play-offs but also who will get relegated. One thing I do know is getting a quick start and points on the board early eases the pressure.

Who going to win is very easy for me as I cannot see anyone outside of MVG.

Although he lost the William Hill World crown, he bounced back in style last week when winning The Masters. His leg-on-leg, game-on-game, event-on-event consistency is just so far above the others that it would take a special performance to knock him off his stride.

Rob Cross should do well in this as he has the endurance to cope with the tight scheduled that the next four months will throw at him. Although he missed doubles against Suljovic last Sunday I just don't think that will affect his mind-set. He has the scoring power to cope with anyone and he is my tip to hit the most 180s over the sixteen nights.

Gary Anderson is suffering with severe back problems which could get worse as the weeks go on. If he can keep it together then he will make the final four as his scoring power is as good as anyone and he knows how to get over the line in tight situations. However, if his back is that bad, then he could well get eliminated after night nine.

RVB has been playing well for a year now and reaching The Masters final last Sunday cemented the strength of his game at the moment. We never doubted his ability, it was always his attitude. That looks to be under control and he will be hard to beat each week.

Peter Wright has lost a little bit of his consistency over the last few months and the bad beating he took at The Masters could have an adverse effect on how he gets on. I do believe he will get his A-game back and be in the mix to make the top four at the O2 finals.

My pick for the top four is quite a hard call. I have MVG making it with no trouble, which leaves me three from four.

I like the look of Barney and Cross so I feel they might make it.

Is Anderson going to be fit enough?

Will Wright get his game back?

If they both do then certainly they will be playing for the spots in the last couple of weeks. so plenty of questions to answered.

The 9 dart leg. Yes, I know I keep banging on about it but it's got to happen soon and the PL is the perfect place do get it.

180s for the whole event has got to go with Rob Cross. He hits more than everyone else at the moment and, as Chisnall is not in the event, then I make him the favourite.

William Hill will be offering plenty of markets, not only for the overall tournament but loads for each game so make sure you follow me to get the inside track and, if I am on form as I was in the William Hill World Championship, then you should see a nice profit coming your way.

Rod’s Odds: The Masters Final Session

MVG again put is a blistering performance when beating James Wade 10-2. His average of 110.9 and 75% on doubles was up there with one of the best games ever played in the Masters. He seems so focused that it's hard to look outside of him who is going to win this event.

RVB v MENSUR SULJOVIC.

Barney’s game against Peter Wright, when winning 10-2, is about as good as we have seen him for a while. The 102 average and 63% on doubles was right up there and a sign that his mind set is in the right place. If there is a problem in this game it could be getting up for it after playing very well this afternoon.

Suljovic showed the game which has got him in the top eight of the rankings when beating the William Hill World Champion Rob Cross. He scores solidly and then punishes his opponents for errors and that's why he is in a semi final again.

I'm going for a Barney win, however, it will not be a pushover as his quarter final was.

Over on the match 180s.

Over on both their individual checkouts.

MVG v GARY ANDERSON.

MVG was unbelievable when beating James Wade and although Anderson has equal scoring power I feel that his over all game will just be too strong for the Flying Scotsman.

Anderson, although he beat Gerwyn Price, is suffering with severe back pains and just seems to off his A-game at the moment and MVG is not someone that you want to play with out all your guns blazing.

I wish Anderson was fully fit as this would be a cracker, however with playing this afternoon and then tonight it may be just a bit too much for his back to cope with.

MVG win.

Over on the match 180s.

Over on the match checkout.

Rod’s Odds: The Masters Final Day

Sunday will be a long day for the players that make the final, the quarters are this afternoon and the semi's and final this evening. Days like this is cause problems for some players. They seem to play well in the afternoon session but they seem to be dull and get beaten easily by the evening. Mind you there are other players that relish this format, MVG being one of those.

In the last sixteen round the two favourites, MVG and Rob Cross, showed their class with convincing wins, also posting great stats, both having over the 100 average. The only other player to do that was Barney, coming through a last leg decider against Dave Chisnall. There were some good performances from the others, however, you feel that averages under the 100 may not be enough to lift this title.

PETER WRIGHT V RVB.

Wright made easy work of Alan Norris in his first game, however, Norris certainly was not on his game and did not push Wright at all. Snakebite has not been as consistent over the last few months as he can be. That leg on leg solid game that he had has just come off the mark a bit and he will need to get that back for this game.

Barney has started where he left off last year, which was in some good form. His defeat of Chisnall was Barney of old as he did not falter when he got everything chucked at him. I expected Chizzy to throw the kitchen sink in as well as that's the best he has played for quite a while.

The only fear in this game for Barney is if Wright gets into him early. That will have a two-fold effect: Wright will have the confidence to realise that his A-game is back and Barney will be on his back foot, which is something that could have a dramatic effect on his performance.

This is a tough call, however I'm going with Barney here. I feel that he will be buzzing after his previous win.

The match may be hard to call but the over 16.5 legs is not.

Barney checkout set at 110.5 is something to jump on, he always helps us out in this market.

Also over 9.5 x 180s in the match.

MENSUR SULJOVIC V ROB CROSS.

Suljovic had dropped his form towards the end of last year, however he got it back when beating Michael Smith. An average of just under the 100 and checkout at over 40% is a pretty solid game but he will need to pick it up here or be lucky enough to play the right legs at crucial times, which he is very good at.

If there were any doubts that Cross may be still dazed at what he did in the William Hill World Championships then he soon put that to rest. An average of over the 100 and checkouts at over 55% and backed up with 7 x 180s proves that he intends to carry on where he left off lifting the World crown.

I feel Cross will be too consistent over this distance and will win this one.

Going over 8.5 on the match 180s.

Cross to hit the most in the match.

Both players to be over their match checkouts, especially Mensur, which is set very low at 105.5.

GARY ANDERSON V GERWYN PRICE.

Anderson certainly did not set the world on fire with his last performance. I have to say it's possibly one of the worst games of his I’ve seen, especially the opening legs. However, he still won very easily due to a poor display by Van De Pas.

One thing we do know about Ando is that he will not worry about his last game and could turn up with all the fire power that made him a World champion.

Price played a brilliant game when beating Daryl Gurney. The stats were very good and he certainly has a very good stage presence, which may just get Anderson angry. Price will know about this and possible do it even more.

This game is all about which Anderson turns up. If the right one does then there is only one winner as his scoring power will dominate the game. It took him eight legs before he hit his first 180 in Round 1 and if that happens here then he will have one big fight on his hands as Price is a very tough fighter.

Going with an Anderson win, hoping the right one turns up.

Over 9.5 x 180s.

Over 108.5 on the checkout for Price.

MVG V JAMES WADE.

MVG is so up for this event. He wants to get the year off to a flying start and make sure that people don't think that he is on the drift. His first match was brilliant his average was over the 110 for the best part of the game and he did look unstoppable. A brilliant all round player that will win many tournaments again this year.

There is no question that Wade is the best player I have ever known for knowing how to get over the line. His bottle is exceptional and he certainly knows how to find great scores at crucial times in legs. He will know that he needs to up his scoring game and take out quite a few 100 plus checkouts to beat MVG, however, if there is one player that can beat him if given the chance, then Wade is the man.

I’ve got to go with MVG here, however the odds are very tight at 1/20 so it's the William Hill Match Treble for him to win, hit most 180s and the highest checkout for me.

Wade will win legs so over 93.5 on his checkout, also, it might be worth a couple of quid on the handicap as he only needs to win four legs.

QUARTER FINAL BETS:

Treble:

Wright v Barney.

Suljovic v Cross.

Anderson v Price.

All over there match 180s.

Treble:

Barney, Suljovic and Price over on their individual checkouts.

Rod’s Odds: The Masters Round 1 - Saturday’s matches

SIMON WHITLOCK V JAMES WADE.

Whitlock has been improving over the last eighteen months and that's down to hard work. He has got a good scoring game, however, it’s not as consistent as he would want it. He still loses games that perhaps he should not, mainly down to missed doubles. he will need to be focused here and on his game.

Wade has possibly had the worst year since he became a top sixteen player. He is normally renowned with being ultra consistent, especially on his checkouts, however, a drop in form and confidence has seen him slide. A good performance here could see him start his climb back up the rankings.

This game is all about the start for both players, they need to get their confidence going early.

A really tough call, however over 16.5 legs is not at 4/6.

DARYL GURNEY V GERWYN PRICE.

Gurney has got one of the best scoring games but his consistency can be a problem and he does miss doubles at times, something he will need to tighten up on.

Price’s asset is that he does have a good all round game. He might not quite have the scoring power leg on leg that other players have but he does know how to get over the line and he is a player that is getting better event on event.

Another close game, I'm just leaning towards Gurney though.

Going over 9.5 on the match 180s.

Over 16.5 legs in the match.

GARY ANDERSON V BENITO VAN DE PAS.

Anderson has not been playing at the top of his form. His consistency has dipped a bit over the last year and he needs to put that right from the start of the year. He did have a lot going on last year and hopefully that has all been sorted out. When on form there are not many players that are better.

Benito has played some outstanding games over the last few years, however his consistency game on game is not quite there at the moment. He will need his A-game here, or hope that Anderson misses doubles.

Anderson on the William Hill Match Treble: to win, hit most 180s and highest checkout.

MICHAEL VAN GERWEN V KIM HUYBRECHTS.

MVG will want to stamp his mark as soon as possible after losing the Worlds. He did not play badly when losing to Cross but it was those doubles that became the problem. I have no doubt that he will play a very solid game with an average of over the 100.

Huybrechts can beat the best of them on his day, as he has proved by beating MVG on a few occasions, however his game is not quite where he would like it at the moment. If he can get out of the gate quickly then he might have a chance, however he will need a few big checkouts if he is to do that.

MVG win.

Huybrechts over 92.5 on his checkout.

Legs 1 and 2 both to be over 40.5 on the checkout.

SATURDAY NIGHT’S DOUBLE

Whitlock v Wade

Gurney v Price.

Both games over 16.5 legs.

Rod’s Odds: The Masters Round 1 - Friday’s matches

DAVE CHISNALL V RAYMOND VAN BARNEVELD

This is a very hard game to call because we know that Barney will play a solid game as he did all last year, however the question is over Chizzy. On form he is a match for anyone and hits more 180s than most, however, his form last year was not good and that flaw in his throw is sneaking into darts one and two now which is very worrying.

I'm going with a Barney win.

Although Chizzy has not been playing well I feel he will hit more 180s than Barney.

The match checkout is set at 126.5 and we can almost guarantee that Barney will help us out there.

MENSUR SULJOVIC V MICHAEL SMITH.

Suljovic has just come off the top of his form and for the first time for three years he is not as solid as he was. He will need to get that game back because Smith has been getting better over the past six months and his Premier League place has proved that.

The scoring power is just with Smith here and, although it's hard to tip him over the past few years, perhaps he has just turned the corner with keeping focused all the time.

Smith win.

One of my favourite tips has to come up here over 16.5 legs because no-one will run away with this game.

Both players to be over on their individual checkouts.

ROB CROSS V IAN WHITE.

Cross will be on such a high after his performance at Christmas but sometimes that can take a short while to get over. He has been under the spotlight so much over the last three weeks that it might take a few legs to get going. I personally don't think that will happen but we have seen that plenty of times over the years.

We know White will put in a solid performance and certainly will not worry that he is playing the William Hill World Champion, however, it is those missed doubles under pressure that have been costly over the years.

Cross win, however at 1/8 there is no value but +4.5 for White at 4/5 does look some value so that is the tip for me. Just to sneak a little bit more value go for over 15.5 legs at 10/11.

Cross hit loads of 180s in the Worlds and at this distance over 4.5 looks a great bet as does him to hit the most in this game.

White over 98.5 on his checkout.

PETER WRIGHT V ALAN NORRIS.

Wright did have a small drop in form at the back end of last year. He just lost a little bit of consistency leg on leg and that is a little bit worrying for him if he is to go on and win this event. We do know one thing though: he would have identified the problem and been on the board to straighten that out. On form a match for anyone and capable of winning this event.

Norris is a tough cookie to beat. He has great scoring power and does take out a lot of high checkouts, however he does not always get his A-game in sync and against Wright it will have to be.

Wright win.

Both players over on their individual checkouts.

FRIDAY NIGHT DOUBLE

Suljovic v Smith over 16.5 legs at 4/6

Cross v White over 15.5 legs at 10/11

Rod’s Odds: The Masters tournament preview

After a short break following the William Hill World Championship the top sixteen players are back in action at The Masters in Milton Keynes. Sixteen players will compete for the trophy over three days where every game can be seen live on ITV.

Although Rob Cross won the Worlds it is still MVG (8/11) who comes into this odds-on favourite and I'm with the odds. I feel that Mighty Mike will want to strike hard in the event after the disappointment over Christmas. He has had a break away, however, he has been been wearing the dartboard out to make sure he starts the year off in dominant form.

Cross (4/1) will feel very confident of carrying on his great form and will take some stopping, however everyone who plays him now will want his scalp - that is added pressure that only time will tell if he can cope with; I feel he can.

Gary Anderson (6/1) is third favourite and will need to up his consistency if he is to start the year off on an high. He did have a lot going on towards the back end of the year so he was not as focused as he should have been but with this man’s ability he can never be counted out.

Peter Wright (8/1) is the fourth favourite and will also need to up his consistency from last year. There were little signs early on that he had lost a bit of that scoring power and that's something he needs to get right from the start of this year.

Out of the others RVB (33/1) could be some value as he did play quite well last year as did Daryl Gurney (also 33/1). Dave Chisnall might want to try and prove that being left out of the Premier League was a mistake, the same could also be said about James Wade, however both will have to make a marked improvement to do that. Mensur Suljovic is always going to be tough to beat as will Gerwyn Price but it is MVG for me to win this this one.

Rod’s Odds: #WHDarts 2018 Final

Rob Cross ended Michael van Gerwen's reign as William Hill World Darts Champion in an epic 11-set semi-final on Saturday as he set up a decider with Phil Taylor, whose dream finale continued with a 6-1 defeat of Jamie Lewis at Alexandra Palace.

That unforgettable clash had come after Phil Taylor's amazing last tournament continued as the 57-year-old's bid to win a 17th World Championship saw him power past Jamie Lewis 6-1 in their last four tie.

Taylor maintained his proud record of having never lost a World Championship semi-final as he made it into the final for the 21st and final time, although his win was harder than the scoreline suggested.

Rod’s Odds: #WHDarts Semi-finals

Phil Taylor is now just two wins away from claiming a 17th and final William Hill World Darts Championship after disposing of Gary Anderson in Friday's quarter-finals, where Michael van Gerwen won a thriller and Rob Cross and Jamie Lewis secured last-four spots.

Van Gerwen is now the 8/15 tournament favourite with sponsors William Hill, with Taylor 3/1, Cross 8/1 and Lewis the 12/1 outsider after starting the event at 500/1 to claim the title.

PHIL TAYLOR V JAMIE LEWIS.

Taylor is the red hot favourite here. His stats of 102 average, 12 x 180s and 50% doubles means that, if he can keep that standard up, then he is going to be very hard to beat.

Lewis is playing like a seasoned professional and I keep looking for him to realise where he is and what he has done. However, there are no signs of a dip in form as yet. His first dart is the key to his form; if he can carry on getting that in the right place then the 180s will follow and, if that happens, then he has the game to have a right go at Taylor.

I'm with a Taylor win here, I just think that those checkouts at around the 50% mark will be the key.

Taylor highest checkout.

Lewis most 180s.

MICHAEL VAN GERWEN V ROB CROSS.

MVG has run the gauntlet a bit in his last two matches and last night Barney perhaps should have done the job. Missed opportunities at crucial times cost him the match.

When you are No.1 then you get those runs of luck. He has never lost to Cross on the big stage and he will certainly be looking to up his game a touch to try and take Cross completely out of the game early.

Cross will need to keep his focus for the whole part of this game as he has been going to sleep at times and doing this against MVG means you will not get away with those legs and sets. He does have a great game in him with plenty of bottle, however I feel he will need to be at his very best tonight.

MVG win.

Over 8.5 sets..

Both players to have over 120 checkout.

Rod’s Odds: #WHDarts Quarter Finals

JAMIE LEWIS V DARREN WEBSTER

Lewis is playing the darts of his life and the way he dug in deep against Richardson, when things were not going quite going right, was encouraging for a young man. He does seem to be the whole package at the moment, however, it is the first time in a major quarter-final so will that have an effect.

Webster has improved so much over the last eighteen months. He now hits the doubles under pressure and, while he might not have the scoring power of Lewis at the moment, he will not give up and if Lewis has dull spells then he will clean up.

The form line is with Lewis, however I see a very close game.

Over 7.5 sets.

Lewis most 180s.

DIMITRI VAN DEN BERGH V ROB CROSS

Van Den Burgh is showing a lot of maturity in his game and that was very evident when beating his close friend Suljovic. He does have a good scoring game and is hitting his doubles, however, like Lewis, this is the first time he has made the quarter finals of any event and may start thinking about better things. this could be the problem; if he can shut it off he will still have to find his A game here.

Cross is becoming a complete package: his scoring power is matching anyone’s now and the rest of his game is not far behind the best. A very hard player to beat.

Going with a Cross win as I just think his overall game will be to strong for Dimi.

Cross on the William Hill Match Treble, to win, most 180s and highest checkout.

PHIL TAYLOR V GARY ANDERSON

Taylor's match last night saw him more relaxed and it showed in his darts. I appreciate that Keegan Brown did not put him under any pressure but he did play to over the 100 average the whole game and the 63% on doubles says he is in the mood to go better.

Apart from Anderson's first game, he has not found that power scoring with any consistency. He did struggle a little bit when beating Steve West yet still won 4-2. He will need to up his 180s and 140s in this game - and up his doubling - or Taylor will make him pay for it.

This is a very tough call as for me it's what Gary Anderson turns up. If he get his scoring power going then I feel he will win a close game.

The bet for me is over 7.5 sets @ 5/6 .

Anderson to hit the most 180s.

MICHAEL VAN GERWEN V RAYMOND VAN BARNEVELD

MVG had a big scare against Gerwyn Price. He went 2-0 up then took his foot of the pedal. If Price had won set five then it could have gone all wrong.

However, it did not and I believe that he will now be harder to beat. He knows how good Barney can be and he will not want to lose to him so I see a very solid and animated MVG in this game.

Barney has been casually going along under the radar but he has posted very good averages in his three games. His doubles have also been very good so, all in all, he should be ready for this game, also the set play should help him here.

I do feel that MVG will get out of the gate very quickly and keep the intense pressure going for the whole game.

Over 6.5 sets @ 4/5.

MVG most 180s.

A couple of doubles to have a look at.

1. Anderson and MVG to hit the most 180s in their matches.

2. Over 7.5 sets Anderson v Taylor and over 6.5 sets MVG V RVB.

Rod’s Odds: #WHDarts Day 12

MENSUR SULJOVIC V DIMITRI VAN DEN BERGH

Suljovic just keeps on impressing me. I keep waiting for a dip in form, however it's just not there. He has very good scoring power but his doubling is the best part of his game especially under pressure.

Dimi is one of the brightest young talents in this game. He has come through the PDC structure and is now reaping the benefits of his hard work. He does have scoring power that will match Suljovic but it's the doubles under pressure where he might lose this game.

The experience is with Suljovic and that's where I'm going, however Dimi will win at least two sets so that's the better odds.

JOHN HENDERSON V ROB CROSS

Henderson every now and again shows up with his A-game and can beat most of them. His win over Gurney was textbook: get in quickly and keep the pressure up, taking out doubles when given the chance. Will he have the A-game to beat Cross is another matter?

If anyone doubted whether Cross is good enough to win this event then the win over Smith put that to rest. Great scoring power, hits doubles under pressure and can keep the high performance up leg on leg - a very good professional now.

I think that Cross will just have too much consistency here so it's the William Hill Match treble for him to win, hit most 180s and highest checkout..

PHIL TAYLOR V KEEGAN BROWN

Taylor has not been at his best yet and we are waiting for him to turn up with over the 100 average. I do feel now he can relax a bit and just get on with his game.

Brown played well in his first round match and just got over the line in his second, however he will have to improve a lot to beat the The Power.

Taylor win, however there is not a lot of value @ 1/14 and the William Hill Match treble is not an option because I feel Brown may hit more 180's.

Brown over 103.5 on his checkout and for him to hit the most 180s.

GARY ANDERSON V STEVE WEST

Anderson was a little below par when beating Paul Lim, however, in his first round match his scoring power was brilliant. He will need to get his game in order here and get more consistent because, if he does meet MVG in the final, then he needs to get on a good run before hand.

West knows Gray very well and will not be scared of him. He knows that he does not have the scoring power to match him but he will take chances when given them.

Anderson win and the William Hill Match treble.

West over 104.5 on his checkout.

Rod’s Odds: #WHDarts Day 11 Evening session

PETER WRIGHT V JAMIE LEWIS

Wright is one of the best players in the World and has been for over four years now. His all round game wears players down and then he finishes them off, as he also has plenty of bottle.

Leiws played the best game of his career when beating fellow Welshman Jonny Clayton. His average of just under the 100, 5 x 180s and 50% on doubles is impressive. If he can find that form here then he could give Wright a very good game.

Wright win for me, however at 1/10 is not a lot of value so I'm going with over 20.5 legs as I think that Lewis will get at least one set and get legs in the others.

Lewis over 108.5 on his checkout.

Wright to win the first two legs @ 13/10.

VINCENT VAN DER VOORT V RAYMOND VAN BARNEVELD

Well I'm hoping I get to commentate on this match as it could be a cracker. These are two of my favourite players for different reasons.

Vincent on his day matches anyone for scoring power and his speed always makes him exciting, he has had plenty of back problems, however instead of giving up he has done what it takes to get himself back to playing well.

Barney has one of the best throws in the game and has been using it well this year. He knows better than most how good Vincent can be so a good start will be essential.

Barney win for me, however he needs a good start.

Over 115.5 checkout for Vincent and over 6.5 x 180s.

MICHAEL VAN GERWEN V GERWYN PRICE

MVG for me is unstoppable at the moment - every part of his game is so good. If you see how he looks at players when they win a leg or even hit a 180, it's “how dare you? Well, try following this!”

That’s not arrogance, that's the ultimate confidence in his own ability.

Price will not be a push over here. He does have a good scoring game and will not bottle it at any time. The problem is that he does not have the consistency that MVG has, however the set format will suit him in this game.

MVG @ 1/33 is no value, however over 4.5 sets is as I believe that Price will get at least one set.

Price over 98.5 on his checkout.

Rod’s Odds: #WHDarts Day 11 Afternoon Session

SIMON WHITLOCK V DARREN WEBSTER

Both these players are very evenly matched and have been all year. Out of the two perhaps Whitlock just has a bit more scoring power, they both have a tendency to miss doubles at times so it's the one that can nick the bad legs that win the early sets will win this.

I'm just leaning towards Whitlock, however it is a tough call.

Over 24.5 legs looks a good bet.

Over 5.5 sets, although only 4/7, could be a great bet doubled up with another.

ALAN NORRIS V JAMES RICHARDSON

Norris a a very good player and, if he could just lift the consistency of his form leg on leg then we would see him contesting semi finals quite often. He has good scoring power is a very good at ton plus checkouts.

Richardson beat Barney 3-0 in 2011 and now has beaten Kim Huybrechts by the same score. He will be full of confidence and if he can get a quick start could put Norris under a lot of pressure.

Norris to win and Richardson to get at least two sets @6/4.

KEVIN MUNCH V ANTONIO ALCINAS

William Hill have these two at both 10/11 and I make that right. Out of the two Alcinas should have the better experience and, after beating Reyes, should be full of confidence, however he does tend to miss doubles at crucial times.

Munch beat Adi Lewis in his first round and, although he is the newcomer, he looked very good. His average was over the 93 and he hit 8 x 180s so he has got the better form from the first round matches.

A close call, however I'm going with Munch and for him to hit the most 180s

MY AFTERNOON DOUBLE:

Whitlock v Webster over 24.5 legs and Munch most 180s.

Rod’s Odds: #WHDarts Day 10 Evening

DARYL GURNEY V JOHN HENDERSON.

Gurney does have great scoring power, which can match anyone in the game, and he knows how to play the big stage but he does miss doubles now and again but over this long distance that shouldn’t cause too much of a problem.

Henderson will not be a push over as I have seen him throw some brilliant darts. If his sway is in sync then he will be a problem to Gurney, however, can he keep it going over this longer distance?

Gurney on the William Hill Match Treble: win, most 180s and highest checkout.

RAYMOND VAN BARNEVELD V KYLE ANDERSON.

You will be a brave man to back a winner in this game. Although Barney is the clear favourite, I don't have it that tight and can see Anderson winning this if he gets out of the gate quickly.

I might not fancy an outright here, however over on legs is bang on for me.

Also both these players have a lot of big shots out so over on the match checkout.

PHIL TAYLOR V JUSTIN PIPE.

Although Taylor may not have looked at his best in his first round game the average of around 97 is not that bad. If he throws another one like that then it should be good enough to win this one. He will want to set his stall out with over the 100 which I think we will see.

Pipe will have to find some of that form from a few years ago as his consistency leg on leg will be tested here. He can throw plenty of low legs, however will he throw enough to win?

I feel that Taylor will wear Pipe down and win quite convincingly.

Taylor on the William Hill Match Treble.

Under on legs.

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