Follow @SBTSportBetting [Get Exclusive Tips on our Patreon, Ad-Free]
World Matchplay 2012 Day Six Premium Picks
More winners, more profit for the Premium Picks, AGAIN going 3-1, taking us to 14-6 and we have a profit after five days of the World Matchplay of 23.25 units.
Day Five of the World Matchplay was fantastic, with Michael van Gerwen and Steve Beaton lighting up the stage in the first match of the night. The cover shots of Michael van Gerwen helping us net a nice profit in the first match. Then the REAL James Wade showed up to destroy Mark Walsh. Terry Jenkins did us a nice turn, taking out Barney, and Adrian Lewis finished the night off with a decent performance against Andy Smith. Yes, it was close, but we got there on the handicap… just!
Betfair are the new sponsors of the PDC World Matchplay, and they’re doing more for darts than ever before – a lot of their markets have more liquidity than ever and no is a great time to sign up there if you haven’t done so already. Plus, what’s better than trading darts matches in-play? Sign up now, get a free £20 bet and up to £1,000 cashback:
Andy Hamilton versus Mark Webster:
Two men face off whose performances in the first round were no indication of what they can do, and Andy Hamilton’s performance was no indication of where his season is at right now.
Andy Hamilton’s game has come on leaps and bounds since this time last year, and he’s now regularly competing with the big guns. Mark Webster, as I mentioned before his first round match, hasn’t been firing on all cylinders for quite some time now. His 86.59 average in the first round sums that up. Not that Hamilton was much better, but at least he scraped his average above 90 (90.42).
What this comes down to, for me, is both men’s seasons, and Hamilton’s has been a revelation, especially in the Premier League, while Webster hasn’t done much at all. When you add in the fact Hamilton leads the head-to-head 6-2, it’s baffling as to why Hamilton is as big as 4/5 to win this encounter. It’s a big price for me, so we’ll be heading there for our first bet of the night.
Andy Hamilton to beat Mark Webster: 4.5 @ Stan James.
Recommend: 2.5 units.
Wes Newton versus Justin Pipe:
Like James Wade versus Mark Walsh, this is deja vu, as this pair squared off on the oche at the same stage last year, with Wes Newton coming out a 13-8 winner. Both men have continued their upward climb in the PDC since then, with Pipe actually winning their last televised match 4-3 at the World Championship.
Since then, Newton has won their last two matches on the floor, and he’s now seen as a legitimate threat to the top four in the PDC rankings. The fact he put in an average of 98.23 in the first round shows he’s here to cause an upset, and he’s rightly the favourite here.
Justin Pipe’s performance was solid, with a 95.15 average, and he was able to just play his solid game and pick up a solid win. It was the type of performance Pipe shows on TV, slow and steady, grinding his opponents down.
This match is obviously going to be close, as there was little between them in their two televised meetings, and on the TV stage, the fact it’s 1-1 shows how close it’s going to be. And with three points between their first round averages, it’s not as open-and-shut as Adrian Lewis versus Andy Smith, for example.
The outright prices look about right, with Newton around the 4/7 mark and Pipe around 11/8. So I don’t think there’s much value to be had there However, Pipe to score the most 180s is interesting, as he did score more than Newton in the first round, and he played one leg less. So I think we need to have a nibble on that, especially as Pipe’s style will disrupt Newton’s rhythm.
Justin Pipe to score more 180s than Wes Newton: 11/8 @ Stan James.
Recommend: 2 units.
Phil Taylor versus Ian White:
1/16 for Taylor? Sounds fair. The pair have met twice in the last year-and-a-half, with Taylor dropping one leg. The two times before that were back in the ’90s, and Taylor won 2-1 and 2-0 in the News of the World (which was a fantastic tournament, to be fair).
So it looks ominous for White, even though he’s playing some decent darts. The handicap line is -6.5 and if the floor tournaments are anything to go by, White might just not be able to get the 7 legs he needs to beat the line, considering he’s taken 1 leg off Taylor in their last two meetings. We’ve got to take The Power on the handicap, as I think we’re looking at a generous line.
Phil Taylor -6.5 legs to beat Ian White: 5/6 @ 888sport.
Recommend: 2 units.
Dean Winstanley versus Ronnie Baxter:
Two great first rounds, both causing upsets (although, we WERE on Winstanley at a nice price) and firing in 14 maximums between them (Winstanley’s 8 to Baxter’s 6), with averages around the mid 90s. So, on paper not much between them after their first round.
They’ve not met each other since Winstanley made the jump to the PDC in January, so we’ve only got old form to go off, and the fact is that Winstanley has pedigree on the big stage much more recently than Baxter, who hasn’t got back to his best on TV. Winstanley will also be wanting to get the big win here to help him in his quest to qualify for the World Championship, so there’s some desire there.
The only thing going against Winstanley is the fact this is Baxter’s home tournament, and he does go well here. But I think Winstanley’s consistency in his scoring will get him over the line against a player who blows hot and cold on the stage, and he can’t afford to do that against Winstanley, as Gary Anderson fond out earlier in the week.
Dean Winstanley to beat Ronnie Baxter: 10/11 @ Betfair.
Recommend: 3 unit.
Four good bets for tonight, and we’re placing our faith in Dean Winstanley again, as he’s a player I can see big things happening for in the PDC. I think Taylor is going to be tough to beat this week, so Ian White has his hands full. Then we have the match of the PDC form boys, which could go either way, and we start with what I perceive to be a great draw for Andy Hamilton, and if he can get us off to a good start, I’ll be happy.
Enjoy the darts, as ever, forget the Olympics (until the World Matchplay is over, at least) and happy betting!
