A Michael will soon have his hands on the Sid Waddell trophy.
Michael van Gerwen returns to the Alexandra Palace on Tuesday night looking to bag his fourth World Championship, whilst Michael Smith will have grand plans of his own…
Michael Smith v Michael van Gerwen Free Bets
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The “Bully Boy” will play in his third final at the Ally Pally and is hoping that it’s third-time lucky following previous defeats to MVG and Peter Wright.
Van Gerwen and Smith’s career head-to-head of 37-12 is misleading considering how far back it dates. Across the last 13 meetings the Dutchman leads just 7-6 with a majority of these clashes going down to the wire. You would struggle to argue the case for a better pair in Tuesday’s final with both van Gerwen and Smith showing imperious form over the past fortnight.
Let’s get stuck into some tips for the final:
Michael Smith vs Michael van Gerwen Betting Tips
- Match Double – Michael van Gerwen win/Michael Smith most 180s at 13/10 with bet365
Firstly, let’s deal with the match winner: Michael van Gerwen. As good as Smith has been playing in 2022, MVG looks back to his dominant best, and when the Dutchman is firing on all cylinders, he is near impossible to live with.
“Mighty Mike” has dropped just three sets all tournament, sweeping Chris Dobey and Dimitri van den Bergh by an aggregate score of 11-0 in the quarter-finals and semi-finals, and comes into the final as a rightful 3/10 (with bet365) FAV.
Michael Smith may well have gotten over the finish line in 2022 by scooping the Grand Slam of Darts, but van Gerwen is a serial winner on the oche and will be tough to budge.
But the 180 race should be Smith’s. “Bully Boy” is a maximum machine and van Gerwen’s preference to move down to the 19s bed should open the door for the St. Helens man.
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Match Double: Van Gerwen Win / Smith Most 180s - 13/10
Our main tip on the game is a van Gerwen win with Smith hitting most 180s
- 170 finish in match – 4/1 with bet365
Both guys have already bagged 170 finishes in the 2023 tournament and another on Tuesday night wouldn’t be a surprise.
If we go the distance inside the Ally Pally, we could see over 65 legs thrown, so the chance of a “big fish” finish is certainly worth a punt at 4/1.
170 finish in the match
A big finish could come here and both have hit already
- Over 31.5 180s at 10/11 with bet365
30 180s were thrown in Smith’s 6-2 win over Gabriel Clemens but just 15 in van Gerwen’s 6-0 romp of Dimitri van den Bergh.
But that’s heavily reliant on the number of legs and sets that are played.
Van Gerwen and Smith enjoy playing each other due to their similar speeds and rhythm on the oche, so there is a real chance it could rain 180s on Tuesday night.
27 180s were thrown in the 2019 final between these two with only 10 sets contested – we’re expecting Tuesday’s final to be a lot closer opening the door to 27+.
Over 31.5 180s in the match - 10/11
It looks like it could rain 180s here
Betfred Sports
GET £60 In Bonuses when you stake £10
Terms & Conditions Apply- Special bets and promotions as their popular double delight offers
- Strong emphasis on UK and Irish markets
- Daily Odds Boosts and special prices
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