2024 WC Darts Saturday Afternoon Tips – JP
2024 WC Darts Saturday Afternoon Preview & Tips
Chris Dobey ensured we finished with at least one winner on Friday night. Not many could have predicted a 4-0 scoreline in the two big games last night but Dobey and MVG dominated. We go again today, check out James Punt’s 2024 WC Darts Saturday Afternoon previews and tips below.
Scott Williams vs. Damon Heta
Williams has got here largely unnoticed. He beat the Japanese Qualifier Haruki Muramatsu 3-1 in the first round, an underprepared Danny Noppert in the second and then required extra time to beat Martin Schindler.
It was after that match when he made some ill-judged comments about the war and ended up having to apologise and kept a low profile ever since.
Williams has played OK, above his seasonal average of 91.39, but we have only seen flashes of his A game. He is the 2.90 outsider, but he is not without a chance. He has won five of his last ten matches and while I can’t see him going much further, but he is a live chance here.
Another Quarter Final Exit?
Damon Heta will be aiming to make his fourth ranking major quarter final of the year, to go along with four Euro Tour quarter finals and four semi-finals. You just expect him to get to the quarter final, but no further.
His scoring has dropped in 2023 with his seasonal average down over 3 points, but his win rate has remained at 69%. Heta has won seven of his last ten matches.
He didn’t have to do much to beat Martin Lukeman 3-1, but he needed all seven sets to beat the unseeded Berry van Peer. That match could have gone either way and it will have taken something out of Heta’s tank. Van Peer was 2-0 up and Heta looked like heading out but he stuck in and got the result.
These two have never played each other so we have no H2H form as a guide.
Heta The Fav
Heta is the 1.50 favourite. He is the higher ranked player, in better form and is used to playing big matches on big stages. Williams is in dream land. He has never got beyond the third round of any major and his best result was a Euro Tour semi-final in September.
He said that he was exhausted after his marathon match with Schindler but he has had two days off to recover while Heta is straight back into the ring after his long match yesterday.
I expected Heta to make the quarter finals and he is favourite to do so, but with a hard match yesterday, he might not have things all his own way. This is the biggest match of Williams’ career, so he could freeze, but he is a bit of a character who strikes me as someone who will relish the occasion.
Williams is 1.95 getting a +1.5 set handicap which makes some appeal, but I’ll have a play in the 180s market. Both have been hitting them well above their seasonal rate with Heta on 0.465 per leg and Williams 0.327.
The bookies are expecting 5-6 sets and that may be a bit conservative. Yes, last night’s fourth round games were all very one sided affairs, but we are due a close one.
2024 WC Darts Saturday Afternoon Tip: 1 point over 15.5 180s @ 2.45 with Unibet
Daryl Gurney vs. Dave Chisnall
Dave Chisnall has won seven of his last ten matches and he is playing well enough without doing anything eye catching here so far. Two easy wins against Menzies and Clemens will have settled him into things, now he needs to start upping his game.
Daryl Gurney was superb in the second round, averaging 100.79 in a 3-1 win over Steve Beaton, but it was a bit of poor match when beating Ricky Evans 4-2 in the third round.
Both players laboured and it wasn’t a great watch with both players missing a lot of doubles. Gurney has won five of his last ten matches and his struggle for consistency continues.
H2H Close
Their H2H record is close, with Chisnall edging it 10-8. They have only played twice in the last two years and Chizzy won both. On TV it is 5-2 to Chisnall.
Both players are a bit too inconsistent right now. It is hard to say what we are going to get. Gurney has played two last 16 matches here and won both, Chizzy has played six and won three, his last three.
Chisnall is the 1.67 favourite, with Gurney 2.50. Both players are scoring about the same over the last twelve months, but it is Gurney who is the better finisher. His checkout rate of 42.25% is the sixth best in the world.
If he can score well, he should win, but as I said, you just can’t tell. Odds of 2.50 are just not big enough to take a punt of him having an on day, or Chizzy an off day. No bet.
2024 WC Darts Saturday Afternoon Tip: No Bet
Rob Cross vs. Jonny Clayton
Our bet on Ratajski to beat The Ferret was a loser but it was a match low on quality and Clayton averaged just 91.55. That means he has averaged just 90 across his two matches so far.
A win is a win, as he said afterwards, but he remains a long way from his best. Six of his last ten matches have seen sub 92 averages and his struggle for form continues.
Rob Cross was poor in the first round win over Tricole but he picked things up with a 101 when beating Jeffery de Graaf 4-2. That was welcome after three matches where he had struggled with his scoring.
Hopefully that is Cross back to his usual scoring rate of around 96. That should be enough to see off the struggling Clayton.
Their H2H record is 10-6 to Cross and given Clayton’s struggles with his game, Cross is the favourite to improve on that. Cross is the 1.47 favourite but I’ll back him to cover the handicap.
