2024 Baltic Sea Darts R2 Preview & Tips – JP
2024 Baltic Sea Darts R2 Preview
Now, it is time for James Punt’s 2024 Baltic Sea Darts R2 match previews. James fired in three winners from four bets this afternoon, he’s hoping to cause the bookies more headaches tonight.
Jonny Clayton vs. Ritchie Edhouse
The Bank of Edhouse paid out again yesterday as he averaged 106.46 in a 6-2 demolition of Nathan Aspinall. The Asp averaged 99.31 so it wasn’t all one way traffic, but Edhouse is just such a beast at the moment.
Jonny Clayton is showing some signs of a return to form. He has won six of his last ten matches and we are seeing more big averages again. The consistency is not quite where he wants it, but he is pointing in the right direction.
Edhouse has won eight of his last ten matches and he reached the semi-final of PC9 on Monday, but it is on the Euro Tour where he has really shone. He has won eight of his eleven matches and hit five ton plus averages. He is just loving playing these events. Madhouse is also playing himself into the Matchplay, the World Grand Prix and European Championship. Mucho dinero is coming his way.
Clayton Dominates H2H
Clayton is 3-0 against Edhouse, all those matches played on the floor, including a 6-5 in PC8 last month. Both players averaged under 86 in that match. I doubt that will happen tonight.
Clayton will never have played against Edhouse Version 2.0, and like Aspinall last night, he may be left shaking his head, thinking, where did that come from?
Edhouse is the 1.91 favourite, so the bookies have started to pay attention. Clayton has won three of his five round two matches in Europe and won those with good performances. This could be tricky for our man Edhouse, but he owes us nothing and he is worth backing again.
2024 Baltic Sea Darts R2 Tip: 1 point Ritchie Edhouse to win @ 1.91 with Ladbrokes, Betfred, Unibet
Danny Noppert vs. Raymond van Barneveld
Barney beat Daniel Larsson 6-1 and averaged 99.33, all good stuff. He has won six of his last ten matches and he is playing with a good deal of consistency. He has not got beyond the second round on the Euro Tour so far this year, despite a couple of good performances.
Danny Noppert has won six of his last ten matches, he won PC8 last month and he has reached three Euro Tour quarter finals, so he is good form. His record against Barney is 3-4 but Noppert did win their only match in 2024, 6-3 in February.
Three of their five best of eleven leg matches have been over 9.5 legs and the way both are playing another close match looks possible.
2024 Baltic Sea Darts R2 Tip: 1 point over 9.5 legs @ 2.10 with Betfair, Betvictor
Peter Wright vs. Andrew Gilding
Peter Wright, as an odds on favourite? Really?
I have had a look at Gilding’s form and he has won seven of his last ten matches, but seven have seen sub 90 averages. He is playing every bit as badly as Peter Wright. They could get together and be the worst pairs team in professional darts.
The temptation is to back Gilding, but this is a rare match where Wright may win. No bet.
2024 Baltic Sea Darts R2 Tip: No Bet
Luke Humphries vs. Sebastian Bialecki
Humphries is the massive 1.11 favourite and after the way he played on Thursday night, deservedly so. He has won six of his last ten matches and I think by missing ET5 and PC 9 & 10, he recharged the batteries. He had been looking a bit weary.
Bialecki won us the money yesterday, beating the out of form Jose De Sousa 6-5. It wasn’t a great overall performance, but Bialecki played well in spells and hit four 180s.
This is not really a betting match. No bet.
2024 Baltic Sea Darts R2 Tip: No Bet
Michael van Gerwen vs. Wessel Nijman
Nijman did his job against a clearly weary Luke Littler, and the plan came together. It was a good bet landed.
This match is a different kettle of fish. Nijman has the ability to beat MVG, especially as the 2024 version of MVG is far from a good vintage.
However, these Dutch youngsters can be guilty of giving MVG too much respect. They still see him as the best player in the world and some sort of mythical figure. They cannot take it as just another darts match.
MVG Vulnerable
Van Gerwen has lost six of his last ten matches, so he is there for the taking. His 2024 win rate of 65% is his lowest ever and somebody needs to tell his fellow Dutchies that. He is putting in a lot of very ordinary performances. Six of his last ten matches saw sub 94 averages, and that is close to the tour average.
There is no H2H record, which is a shame. I would like to have seen how Nijman stood up to Mighty Mike.
MVG is the 1.44 favourite and Nijman 2.90. I am tempted by the 2.90, but I fear that Nijman might expect to lose and won’t play his best.
Over 9.5 legs is 2.20, again tempting, but I just have the feeling that MVG will be able to impose himself on the youngster. No bet.
2024 Baltic Sea Darts R2 Tip: No Bet
Krzysztof Ratajski vs. Mike de Decker
De Decker knocked out our 51.00 shot Martin Schindler last night, winning 6-3 with a 96.44 average. He has now won six of his last ten matches but it was only his third on the Euro Tour in 2024. He is a frustrating player, very talented, but lacks consistency.
Ratajski has hit a good run of form. Back to back Players Championship semi-finals will have given his year a huge boost as he had looked pretty ropey earlier in the season. He has only won a single match on the Euro Tour this season, but if he can bring that form he showed on Monday and Tuesday, he can improve on that.
Their H2H record is 3-1 to Ratajski, but they haven’t met since 2022. Their first match was way back in 2016, which shows you just how long De Decker has been around without realising his potential.
Ratajski is the 1.91 favourite, De Decker is being backed, into 2.00. We are on Ratajski outright and that is enough interest in the match for me. It is a potential banana skin for Ratajski, but fingers crossed.
2024 Baltic Sea Darts R2 Tip: No Bet
Stephen Bunting vs. Andy Baetens
Baetens beat Gabriel Clemens 6-5 last night. It was a decent performance and he is a highly rated player in his first season on tour. He won the WDF World Championship last year, and he now faces the former BDO World Champion.
He has won seven of his last ten matches, but he has been hitting a lot of low 90s averages and that might not be enough against Bunting.
Bunting has won eight of his last ten matches, reaching two quarter finals earlier this week. He lost both to Ratajski, despite averaging about 102 across the two matches.
Bunting is the heavier hitter and is a much more confident player, until he gets to the business end of events. He has reached a Euro Tour quarter final and two semi-finals in 2024, which underlines that point.
Bunting is the 1.40 favourite but I’ll take him on the handicap.
2024 Baltic Sea Darts R2 Tip: 1 point Stephen Bunting to win -1.5 legs @ 1.70 with Livescorebet
Dave Chisnall vs. Madars Razma
Razma beating Chris Dobey was a bigger surprise than Nijman beating Littler in my book. It looked like he dragged Dobey down to his level. Dobey likes a quick pace of play and you don’t get that with Razma.
Chizzy may have the same problem, but he has coped well with the Latvian in their previous two matches, winning 6-2 and 6-3.
Chisnall played some fantastic darts in the Players Championship events at the start of the week. He averaged 100.18 in PC9 and 101.75 in PC10, reaching the fourth round of both. He looked back to absolute top form.
I think Razma could be on the wrong end of a hiding tonight. He is the 1.34 favourite but I’ll take him to cover a -2.5 leg handicap.
