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James Wade in fine form and can down Adrian Lewis in Glasgow
Away from the television cameras James Wade had a brilliant weekend in Barnsley, winning one Players Championship event and finishing runner-up in the other. If the Machine can keep that form up this week in the Betway Premier League then he should surge past Adrian Lewis.
The Players Championship events are tough to win and reaching two finals in two days illustrates a man on top of his game. Compared to Lewis’ return of a quarter-final and a last 64, Wade has to be playing the better darts of the two men. Last week in Nottingham was further evidence of this as Wade hammered Raymond van Barneveld whilst Lewis was thrashed by Gary Anderson.
The Machine has won five of the last six contests between the two in this event and he should be backed with confidence at 11/8 this week.
Michael van Gerwen is usually a man to back with confidence as well but he had a troubled weekend in South Yorkshire. He played on Saturday but lost in round one to Kyle Anderson and then withdrew from Sunday’s event through illness. It is not clear how under the weather the Dutchman is but it has not been a good few days for him. MVG meets Dave Chisnall on Thursday and the Englishman should be capable of capitalising on a chink in the world number one’s armour.
Chizzy may have lost last week to Stephen Bunting but he is playing well on the whole and still sits second in the Betway Premier League table. If Mighty Mike is not on full power then Chisnall to win looks tremendous value at 7/2.
Peter Wright looks a very decent price to beat Stephen Bunting this week seen as last time they met Snakebite won 10-0! That whitewash in the UK Open semi-finals does not look to have seriously affected Bunting as he won last week, but you have to back the man who did not drop a leg last time these two players met. Wright also proved his good form on Sunday by reaching the second Players Championship final. With this in mind, Wright is a great offer at 11/10.
The other two games do not provide brilliant value but look better when placed as a double on Gary Anderson and Phil Taylor to win. The Flying Scotsman meets Kim Huybrechts whilst the Power plays Van Barneveld and there is not much of a case to be made for the Belgian or the Dutchman.
Barney and Kim make up the relegation spots in the Betway Premier League table at the moment whilst the two world finalists are in the play-offs and performing consistently well. The two strugglers have won just two games between them in the campaign to date and they could scarcely have tougher competition this time out. The Anderson-Taylor double is well worth backing at 2.33.
James Wade to beat Adrian Lewis @ 11/8
Dave Chisnall to beat Michael van Gerwen @ 7/2
Peter Wright to beat Stephen Bunting @ 11/10
Gary Anderson – Phil Taylor Double @ 2.33
