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PDC UK Open 2012 Day Two Premium Picks
Well, we had a great night last night, we ended up with a profit of +4.44 units, and we came agonisingly close with a couple more. The fact Johnny Haines had a match dart against Mark Webster sums up how close our upset was to coming off.
There were shocks on the night, with Tony West leaving the UK Open in the first match of the night. Mark Walsh wasn’t far behind him, while Wayne Jones ended the night with a loss on Board Eight. And hopefully you all got on the opponents of the Speedy Hire employees I listed last night, as they all lost 4-0 and paid a handsome price on the accumulator!
The bookies have been hilariously bad pricing up the third round of the UK Open, with prices just going up around 11am. Still, there’s quite a few matches I like the look of, not just for the betting, but for the potentially great encounter it could be.
Scott Rand to beat Andy Smith: 10/11 @ 888.com.
Recommend: 2.5 units
These two met in the World Championship, when Rand was on a bit of a hot streak. Rand run out a very, very comfortable 3-0 winner in that meeting. So for him to be a shade of an outsider here baffles me. Rand played on the stage last night, so he’s had a bit of a feel for the Reebok, while Smith is coming in cold. I just feel Rand could excel here and really kick-start a distinctly average year for him.
Dennis Smith to beat Mark Jones: 8/13 @ 888.com.
Recommend: 2.5 units.
Dennis Smith has the edge with experience here. He shouldn’t have a problem in the atmosphere, while Mark Jones is a little too inexperienced for my liking and his price.
Kevin Dowling to beat Dennis Priestley: 6/4 @ 888.com.
Recommend: 2 units
A tale of two years here. While Dowling has had an improving year by his standards, Priestley’s is winding down. The Menace is already playing less tournaments and I think it’s safe to say he’s on the road to retirement. While it would be nice for one last hurrah, Dowling is a fair price here to end the UK Open hopes of the fan favourite Priestley.
Devon Petersen to beat Ronnie Baxter: 11/10 @ 888.com.
Recommend: 1.5 units
It’s going to be a close one here, with Devon Petersen playing some excellent darts when he’s been on the TV stage – yes, on the floor he’s been average, but he does seem to shine in the more important tuornaments, and loves hitting a few maximums. Ronnie Baxter isn’t playing anywhere near his best darts, and the fact Petersen has been on the stage already during this tournament might just give him a slight edge. The price is nice enough, and I like the young South African to cause a slight upset here.
Michael Smith to beat Darren Webster: 4/7 @ 888.com.
Recommend:3.5 units.
Simply put, Michael Smith has a bright future in the game of darts. He won his first Players Championship floor tournament this year, and he’s plying his trade on the PDC Youth Tour with some success. He’s also picking up some big wins in the floor tournaments over some of the established names in the game. He’s a nice price, and he’s going to go far if the draw goes his way.
Stuart Kellett to beat Mark Hylton: 11/10 @ 888.com.
Recommend: 2.5 units
The big stage is where many thought Stuart Kellett belonged, but after a promising start to his BDO career, Kellett floundered. But now he’s made the big move to the PDC, and he’s had a few decent results on the floor. Hylton’s a dangerous opponent, but he’s been floundering on the floor, and he’s not had many big results recently. Kellett’s got a lot to prove, and I fancy him to take a notable scalp.
Peter Wright to beat John Part: 5/6 @ 888.com.
Recommend: 3 units
Wright seems to thrive in the big events. He’s gave Phil Taylor some great games in the TV tournaments over recent years. He’s playing solid darts on the floor, which puts him in a good place here. John Part’s been doing a lot of travelling to get into the UK Open, and he’s not even had one four-figure return to show for it, so his floor form isn’t what you would expect from a former World Champion. Part’s come in from Canada for the tournament, while Wright’s not had too far a journey in comparison. Wright’s a big scorer, if patchy, but he’s got the game to send the Canadian back home.
Mark Barilli to beat Brendan Dolan: 7/4 @ 888.com.
Recommend: 1 units
Barilli’s had a decent time of it in the BDO, he’s a handy player and has make a couple of appearances at the Lakeside. Brendan Dolan, we all know, and we all know he can play the game well, but he’s Mr Inconsistency. Barilli’s a handy price, and he’s going to be underestimated in some quarters, which is why I think this price is extremely generous considering Dolan isn’t the world class player the bookies seem to be rating him as.
That’s all the Premium Tips for the third round of the UK Open. Hopefully we’ll keep the winning going, get some more money in the account and keep it going until the final, where we’ll have our spending money for a summer in the sun!
