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Premier League 2012 Week 2 Tips
An inauspicious start to the 2012 Premier League campaign for us, as we went 0-4, and we were on the end of a couple of unlucky results, and a couple of hidings. There was some fantastic darts, most notably Adrian Lewis and Phil Taylor averaging 104.05 and 112.79 respectively in their 7-7 draw.
All that leaves Andy Hamilton and Kevin Painter as the surprise Premier League leaders after the first week of matches, with James Wade and Gary Anderson propping up the table. Simon Whitlock, Raymond van Barneveld and the two Stoke boys, Lewis and Taylor sit mid-table thanks to a couple of draws.
Adrian Lewis versus Raymond van Barneveld.
A great start for both men to their 2012 Premier League Darts campaign. They both got into the 100s with their averages and got a solid point in what could have been a tricky first round match. Lewis’ average of 104.05 included a highest checkout of 138, while Barney’s 102.58 was all down to his power scoring, as his highest checkout was 81. Barney hit 5 maximums to Lewis’ 4, so the stats from last week show that there’s not much to choose between them.
Both men decided against playing in the UK Open qualifiers at the weekend, so the recent form is all about last week’s results. On paper it looks like a close one, and it’s all down to whether Barney can keep up the great form he’s been showing as of late. Can he? I really don’t know, as he’s done a number on us in the past with his inconsistency.
However, there is one stat that doesn’t lie and that’s the highest checkout. While the averages and maximums are close, the highest checkout is nowhere near close. Barney’s in and out with his checkouts, while Lewis is always solid and is good for at least one three-figure checkout. So that’s our play for the first match of Thursday’s Premier League Darts action.
Adrian Lewis to score the highest checkout against Raymond van Barneveld: 4/6 @ 888.com.
Recommend: 3 units.
Gary Anderson versus Andy Hamilton.
Looking at both men’s performance last week, it’s a tale of two matches. Andy Hamilton shone in his Premier League debut, while Gary Anderson was simply shocking. The Hammer’s average of 98.90 trounced Anderson’s abysmal 80.84, his 5 180s crushed Anderson’s 1 and even though his highest checkout was only 93, it makes Anderson’s 56 look like double 1.
So, will the same Gary Anderson turn up? Well, he wasn’t great at the World Cup, and he wasn’t too special in last weekend’s UK Open qualifiers, losing in his first match to Shaun Griffiths on the Saturday, and losing 6-5 to Wes Newton in the third round on the Sunday. So, in short, he’s not had a great start to 2012.
Now, Andy Hamilton is a different kettle of fish. Yes, he lost in the first round of matches on Saturday, but he made a great run to the quarter-finals on Sunday, backing up the form he’s shown over the past couple of months. So there’s clearly form there, and for the bookies to have him at such a big price, it’s very, very tempting.
However, there is one thing that puts me off backing The Hammer – the venue. If this match was in England, The Hammer would be a great shout here, but the partisan crowd is going to make life incredibly difficult for him, and Anderson might just thrive and come back to life with the Scottish fans cheering every dart he throws.
So, instead we’re going to take a look at the 180s market. if Hamilton can hit the same highs as last week, we only need Anderson to hit 3 to make the line of 7.5. Both men are very capable of firing in the 180s, so the line looks low to me if both men are on top form.
Over 7.5 180s in the Gary Anderson versus Andy Hamilton match: 10/11 @ 888.com.
Recommend: 2.5 units.
Phil Taylor versus Kevin Painter.
So, performance of the week last week obviously goes to Phil Taylor, with his unbelievable performance against world champion Adrian Lewis, with an average of 112.79 and 8 maximums. It was a magnificent return to form for The Power and showed us that all is not lost when it comes to his abilities. There’s life in the old dog yet.
Kevin Painter also put in a solid performance, but he got lucky that Gary Anderson was nothing short of terrible. The stats don’t lie and an average of 82.67 wouldn’t get many legs off of Phil Taylor, but it was enough to beat Anderson. The highlights of Painter’s win were his checkouts – 134, 128, 114. And he’ll need them if he’s to even get close to Taylor.
The long and short of is that Taylor averaged 30 points more than Painter last week, and I can’t see Painter performing much better this week, while we all know Taylor is capable of the same 110-plus average. But the handicap line of -3.5 is where we’re going to look, as I can’t see Painter taking more than 4 legs off of the legend known as Phil “The Power” Taylor.
Phil Taylor -3.5 legs to beat Kevin Painter: 5/6 @ 888.com.
Recommend: 3 units.
Simon Whitlock versus James Wade.
An interesting match to finish the second night of Premier League Darts action, with the in-form Simon Whitlock taking on The Machine James Wade.
Whitlock had a great weekend, taking two semi-final places, which caps off a good 7 days for the Aussie. Whitlock’s draw was a great performance, in which he was unlucky to lose. He had chances to win, but just got pegged back at the death. But he was playing well, finishing reasonably well and it’s good to see Whitlock back in this kind of form.
James Wade, on the other hand, just hasn’t looked in solid form at all. He didn’t stand a chance against Andy Hamilton last week, as he just didn’t look at the races, and his form at the UK Open qualifiers over the weekend were of a man that isn’t playing his greatest darts at the moment.
The bookies have Whitlock a marginal favourite here, and I can see why. I think the Aussie is looking good and has been since the World Championship. His opponent seems to be going through his yearly crisis of confidence, and I think Whitlock has the goods to deal out a heavy defeat to Wade here. The price is right for us, so let’s fill our boots and get a good end to our evening.
Simon Whitlock to beat James Wade: 5/6 @ 888.com.
Recommend: 3 units.
And that’s all from Week 2 of the PDC Premier League 2012 Premium Darts Betting Tips. Remember to check back next week for more of the same, and some big wins!
