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PDC UK Open 2013 Day Four Premium Picks.
Such a frustrating day yesterday, with Wes Newton hitting a 9-darter, but just falling short against Adrian Lewis. We also had some other heartbreaking loses, but also some good wins, so it was swings and roundabouts, really. We’ve got 8 great players left in the tournament, and no real shocks, considering the way the draw has gone. Peter Wright might be considered by some to be a shock, but he’s had a good draw and he’s also played some fantastic darts over the past couple of days. He’s actually just showing what he’s capable of when he avoids the elite PDC players. And the same can be said of Ronnie Baxter. The rest of the field, they were expected to get this far and they haven’t disappointed, although Phil Taylor almost did against Brendan Dolan. And if the Northern Irishman had hit one of those match doubles, Michael van Gerwen would be looking as close to a sure thing as possible at this stage of the tournament. But, as it stands, the tournament is still wide open and the quarter-final between Taylor and Van Gerwen means it’s anybody’s to win.
So the four matches we’ve got for the quarter-finals start off with Andy Hamilton taking on James Wade in a match we’ve already seen twice on TV this year in the Premier League. Then we have Peter Wright taking on Adrian Lewis in a battle of the 180s. Phil Taylor takes on Michael van Gerwen in the match everyone wants to see, and then we round it out with Ronnie Baxter renewing an old rivalry with Raymond van Barneveld.
The Premium Picks went 3-4 yesterday, taking us to a profit of +8.69 units after three days of competition. So it was all down to Wes Newton’s result for a winning afternoon, and it just wasn’t meant to be. However, we’ve got a nice profit going into the final day of the UK Open.
Andy Hamilton Vs James Wade
The first of the quarter-finals is a match we’re seeing a lot more of now that Andy Hamilton is fulfilling his potential in the PDC and getting going in the Premier League, as well as getting an invite to Dubai along with the rest of the PDC elite. Hamilton won both Premier League encounters between the two and has shown some good form over the past couple of days. Although, to be fair, Wade’s form has been exceptional and he’s never looked in danger, so it could be a close one. But the value definitely lies with The Hammer, and he’s going to be full of confidence given the form he’s been in for the first half of the year.
Andy Hamilton to beat James Wade: 7/4 @
Recommend: 1 unit.
Peter Wright Vs Adrian Lewis.
This is going to be one of those “blink and you’ll miss it” matches. Both men are power scorers, and they can also throw in some shockers. The match could be won on the doubling, and neither man instills confidence on the finishes, yet they can both hit big combinations. I like Peter Wright, I think he’s exciting to watch and he was unlucky being near the bottom of the top 32 for so long meaning he would draw the likes of Taylor/Van Barneveld/Wade early on in floor tournaments so he could never get into his stride and climb the rankings. But he’s had a successful 2013 already and he played unbelievable darts yesterday. Adrian Lewis played solid darts, too, and he’s getting over his shocking Premier League Darts campaign. But I can’t look past the value of Wright, as he’s a man full of confidence and averaging over or near to 100. Lewis still has to show that he’s worth being such a short price against better competition, and there’s just a huge question mark over him right now.
Peter Wright to beat Adrian Lewis: 7/4 @
Recommend: 2 units.
Phil Taylor Vs Michael van Gerwen.
Another chapter in the sport’s newest rivalry, and it’s a shame it’s not the final. However, that’s the way this tournament goes, and I’m still excited by it. Both men have played well to get here, but the advantage is definitely with the youngster, as he’s on a winning run that Taylor in his prime would have been proud of – no-one can get near to him. Taylor has done his part over the past few days, though, with a 9-0 win over Ronny Huybrechts and the surviving a huge scare against Brendan Dolan to get through 9-8 with a couple of wins in between giving us a glimpse of a man playing great darts. But I can’t look past the confidence of Van Gerwen. He’s just not scared of anyone and that’s the difference between him and Raymond van Barneveld when it comes to facing Taylor; Taylor is in Barney’s, head, but MVG doesn’t seem to care.
Michael van Gerwen -1.5 legs to beat Phil Taylor: 10/11 @
Recommend: 2 units.
Raymond van Barneveld Vs Ronnie Baxter.
This is a rivalry that goes a long way back, all the way back to the 90s, truth be told. The 1999 BDO World Championship Final was a classic which went the way of the Dutchman. A lot of water has gone under the bridge since then, and Barney holds a huge 19-2 advantage on the head-to-head, with Baxter’s last win coming in the Premier League in 2010. But Baxter has been playing solid darts and he’ll be confident of causing an upset against his in-form opponent. However, I can’t see it. Barney is confident, he’s playing great darts again and Baxter just doesn’t seem to have it in his game to upset the Dutchman. But there’s no value to be had, so we’ll look elsewhere for value.
Highest checkout in Van Barneveld Vs Baxter match over 126.5: 5/6 @
Recommend: 3 unit.
And that’s all the Premium Picks for the 2013 UK Open. Hopefully you’ve enjoyed the darts and the Premium Picks. I’ll be back for the World Matchplay in July. Until then, thanks for subscribing.
