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Six matches last night, five of them finish with a 3-0 scoreline. A very one-sided day of darts yesterday, with England Captain Martin Adams starting the defence of his title with a 3-0 win over Scott Mitchell. The shock of the round coming when Gary Robson lost to Steve Douglas, which was tipped here at 7/4.
More big names take to the stage today, with Ted “The Count” Hankey, Scott Waites and Martin Phillips all in action, as well as John Walton and Jan Dekker. So, without further ado, let’s get onto the tips.
John Walton versus Martin Atkins.
The 2001 World Champion, John Walton, takes to the stage first against the experienced Martin Atkins. Both men have had distinctly average years, with Walton getting some good runs behind him, but taking down only one significant title. The bookies have Walton in at 8/13, which looks a little short, but there’s no doubt his experience should carry him through. I think Walton at -1.5 on the handicap looks a good bet here, as although Atkins should be good enough to get on the board, I can’t see him taking more than one set.
John Walton -1.5 sets to beat Mark Atkins: 11/8 @ Betfair.
Recommend: 2 units.
Willy van de Wiel versus Dave Prins.
Dave Prins came through the qualifiers here and is taking on BDO No.10 Willy van de Wiel. There’s no denying Prins’ experience, and Van de Wiel looks a bit short given that he’s only had one great result this year, reaching the final of the British Open, where he lost to Scott Waites 3-1. Prins might just be worth a small wager here at the prices, as his experience will stand him in good stead.
Dave Prins to beat Willy van de Wiel: 2/1 @ Betfair.
Recommend: 0.5 unit.
Scott Waites versus Andy Boulton.
The man with the form, Scott Waites, has a tricky first round match against Andy “X-Factor” Boulton, who is known to BDO and PDC fans alike, with his karaoke walk-ons. Waites should have no trouble here, but he’s no price at 2/11. Boulton had a good run at the PDC UK Open, getting to the last 16, before losing to Mark Webster 9-4. Taking vincent van der Voort’s scalp along the way showed Boulton is a player to be reckoned with.
But I can’t see past Waites, who is coming into this tournament in excellent form, winning in Zuideruin, winning the World Cup and the World Masters in the space of a few months. 3-0 looks good here.
Scott Waites to beat Andy Boulton 3-0: 11/8 @ 888.com.
Recommend: 1.5 units.
Paul Jennings versus Garry Thompson.
A big match here, with Paul Jennings having had a good year, picking up some lower tier tournaments throughout Europe, earning a nice wedge of money and propelling him through the rankings at a rate of knots. Garry Thompson hasn’t been playing badly, either, with Alan Norris seeming to be his nemesis when it comes to finals. Jennings has been playing some good darts, but I can see Thompson’s experience being key here, as he’s done it before on this stage, while Jennings is making his Lakeside debut. The bookies favour Jennings, but I think Thompson should be favourite here.
Garry Thompson to beat Paul Jennings: Evens @ Betfair.
Recommend: 1.5 units.
Trina Gulliver versus Lisa Ashton.
As I mentioned yesterday, I won’t be tipping the women’s matches. But you all probably know what Trina Gulliver is capable of, and why she’s 4/11 to win this match.
Recommend: No bet.
Jan Dekker versus Christian Kist.
An all-Dutch battle in the first round, with last year’s semi-finalist Jan Dekker hoping to get antoher big run going. Not a bad year for Jan Dekker, but he didn’t capitalise on his run here last year as much as he would have hoped. Still, he wasn’t bad at the grand Slam of Darts, beating Arron Monk, losing to Mark Webster and John Part, but not disgracing himself. He should have too much for his opponent here. What I like the look of is the highest checkout market. Dekker has never impressed me with his finishing, and Kist is a bit of an unknown to me, so I think the under 119.5 line is a bit of value.
Highest checkout in Jan Dekker versus Christian Kist match under 119.5: 5/6 @ 888.com.
Recommend: 1.5 units.
Ted Hankey versus Clive Barden.
I’l say it now that I was disappointed Ted Hankey wasn’t invited to the PDC Premier League. His performance at the GSOD, getting the crowd behind him like that, showed he’s great for the game. Barden is a qualifier for the World Championship, and since a run to the final of the Scottish Open in February, he hasn’t been up to much. I think The Count will have far too much for him here, even though 2011 wasn’t a spectacular year for him. I just think Hankey’s experience will be too much, and he’ll be looking to impress on the back of a brilliant GSOD run. He’s 1/5, which is no price. However, he should be able to keep the 3-0 trend going, so a little dabble is worthwhile.
Ted Hankey to beat Clive Barden 3-0: 6/4 @ 888.com.
Recommend: 1 unit.
Martin Phillips versus Wesley Harms.
Wales versus Holland here, and the Dutchman is actually the seeded player here. It’s been a quiet year for Phillips, while Harms has picked up a big win at the BDO International Open. Phillips loves the Lakeside, but maybe he’s starting to feel his age. He didn’t look bad at the GSOD, but Harms is a bit of a prospect, and might just be worth a dabble at a very tasty price.
Wesley Harms to bear Martin Phillips: 2/1 @ 888.com.
Recommend: 0.5 unit.
And that’s all for the second day of the BDO 2012 World Championship. We’re back tomorrow for Day Three. See you tomorrow!
Until then, remember our good friends that are offering £50 of free bets to their new customers. Don’t forget to head over to 888.com.