- Ross Smith – Over 11.5 180s vs James Wade - 6/5 with Betfred
- Luke Humphries -5.5 legs handicap vs Dimitri van den Bergh - 11/10 with Betfred
The quarter-finals get up and running inside the Winter Gardens on Thursday night, and all four players involved have got experience in landing major TV titles…
Ross Smith and James Wade go toe-to-toe in the opener, before world number one Luke Humphries looks to continue his imperious form against Dimitri van den Bergh.
And there may be a little bit of spice on the oche.
“He is the world champion but still living in the shadow of Luke Littler,” is what van den Bergh said of Humphries in his post-match press conference on Tuesday night, sparking what could be a new rivalry between the two players.
Let’s take a look at the best tips for Thursday night’s action, plus the best darts betting offers from the top betting sites.
World Matchplay Darts Betting Tips
Ross Smith – Over 11.5 180s vs James Wade
James Wade is going to have to be sharp as a tack on his doubles tonight if he is going to stop Ross Smith.
Smith smashed home a whopping 13 maximums en route to knocking out former world champion Gerwyn Price in the second round, and with Wade not known for his relentless maximum hitting, he’ll have to take any opportunity he gets if he arrives at a double first.
But Wade has made a career out of doing just that.
Wade is a former winner of the Matchplay and a five-time losing finalist, so there is no doubt that this format suits the “Machine”, but with his opponent averaging 99 for the tournament, Wade will need to tap into all of his experience.
We think he’s got the minerals to take this match long, which then opens up the overs market for Smith’s 180 hitting. Over 11.5 maximums for Smith looks good, especially in a match that could push 30 legs.
Luke Humphries -5.5 legs handicap vs Dimitri van den Bergh
Don’t poke the bear. Especially a bear that isn’t losing matches on the PDC Tour.
Since going out of the Matchplay in the semi-finals last year, Luke Humphries has lost just five games in major events – ignoring the Premier League.
He has carried this form into this year’s event averaging 109 and 102 in two wins that have seen him go 21-11 on leg aggregate.
Dimitri van den Bergh is in fighting spirits.
The Belgian is averaging around 97 for the tournament, and having won this tournament, finished runner-up and lost in the semis across his last four entries, he won’t fear the world number one on Thursday night.
Humphries leads their head-to-head 4-1, but DvdB has the recent edge having handed Humphries one of his five previously mentioned losses in major events (losing 11-10 at the UK Open).
We smell revenge here… as a dish served very cold. 16-10 or better in favour of Humphries.
Top Darts Betting Offers & Free Bets
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