Premier League Darts 2014 Preview
IN: Dave Chisnall and Peter Wright
OUT: James Wade and Andy Hamilton
The big talking point in the lead up to the 2014 Premier League Darts series is the omission of James Wade from the list of 10 competitors. Its amazing that such a consistently good performer can get left out of this tournament. Whether there is more to the story or not I’m not sure, but there is no doubt that Wade is still in top 6 players in the world. Do players like Thornton and Newton deserve to be there ahead of him?
For one of the first times (if not THE first time) we head into this tournament without having Phil Taylor as the number 1 player in the world. Michael van Gerwen’s World Championship win saw him overtake Taylor on the order of merit. You can be absolutely sure that Taylor will be out to reclaim the top spot and as he strives to topple van Gerwen we will surely see some really special darts.
Adrian Lewis is getting a bit of a reputation for only clocking on for the World Championship these days. He has had poor showings in the Premier League over the past couple of years. Can he show us the darts we know he is capable of, week in, week out?
Can the Snake Bite Peter Wright back up his breakthrough performance in the World Championship? He played out of his skin (ha) – was it a one off or is Wright here to stay at the top of World Darts? If you’re looking for a value bet, Wright at 17.00 for the tournament is a good option.
And our man Simon Whitlock. When will he develop the cool head required to win more big tournaments? Will he leave his reputation for a capitulation behind? After playing so well in the World Championship, confidence will be high. Must get off to a better start than last season.
Week 1 gives us the tantalising match up of Michael van Gerwen vs Phil Taylor.
TC’s tip: van Gerwen to be a bit cold after the elation of the World Championship win. A determined Phil Taylor to win. 2.40 good odds for Taylor
Dave Chisnall vs Robert Thornton
I get the impression that Chisnall seems to slide under the radar a bit sometimes. There’s no where to hide in the Premier League. Thornton would have learnt a lot in his debut year and I expect him to have a better season. Thornton to win.
Peter Wright vs Wes Newton
Wright is on a roll and should be too good for Newton here.
Raymond van Barneveld vs Gary Anderson
Anderson has some form on the board after winning the recent German Championship, but he’s such an inconsistent player. Barney hasn’t been crash hot lately. Draw for this one.
Simon Whitlock vs Adrian Lewis
As mentioned earlier, Lewis has clocked off in the Premier League lately. Whitlock has a good record against Lewis in the Premier League too. The Wizard to win. 3.10 is great value for Whitlock.
Premier League Darts begins this Friday morning, 6:00 AM AEST. You can watch all the action live of Fox Sports 2.
