2025 PDC WC Monday Afternoon Preview

One from two again last night for James Punt at the Ally Pally. We go again, check out his 2025 PDC WC Monday Afternoon preview and tips below.

Kevin Doets vs. Chris Dobey

Doets was involved in a strange match yesterday. He went 0-2 down very quickly against Ratajski and he didn’t even have a shot at a double in six legs. It wasn’t that Ratajski was on fire, just that Doets was poor, averaging around 80. It looked like we might have had one of the shortest matches of the tournament.

However, he came back from the break and won the next two sets. Ratajski won the fifth set, Doets squared it at 3-3, but not with dazzling darts, and it was another fairly low scoring final set which he won to take the match.

Did Doets win it, or did Ratajski lose it? For me, it was the latter. Doets was winning legs with 18 darters and so on. Ratajski just blew it. He missed too many doubles and Doets was just about able to do the right thing at the right time, but he will need to play a lot better today.

Dobey Beat Rock

Chris Dobey beat Josh Rock 4-2 in the third round and it was a good performance. He averaged 97.29 and hit nine 180s. Rock played well enough and it was a good win. Dobey has won six of his last ten matches and while he hasn’t yet been at his best, he has been solid and hopefully he can keep it going and make the semi-finals and take the pain out of what has been a dire outright betting portfolio so far.

These two have met three times, Dobey winning two, 6-0 and 6-2, Doets their first match in 2022, 6-1. So, nothing approaching a close match. Dobey is the heavier scorer, by some margin, and he is the better player in most of the game’s metrics. Of course it is all about performing on the day, and we know that has been Dobey’s Achilles’ Heel.

Dobey is the 1.33 favourite, Doets 3.80. That is a fair reflection on their chances but makes no betting appeal. Both players have been hitting plenty of 180s but if we get another one sided match, there may not be enough time to hit the over 15.5 threshold for an odds against price. This is a no bet match for me.

2025 PDC WC Monday Afternoon Tip: No bet

Robert Owens vs. Callan Rydz

I have to wonder if it is a case of job done for Owen? He came here to save his tour card, and he has, finally, done that. He put in a good performance to beat Ricky Evans 4-2. It was nothing special scoring wise, but it was a battle, and eventually Owen broke Evans’ resistance.

His mission is accomplished, so Owen can relax and play for fun. There is zero pressure on him. He might feel it if he had darts to win the match, but he goes into this as a free hit. Owen has won six of his last ten matches and he is playing OK, and good at times.

Best Performances

Callan Rydz has put in two of the best performances of the tournament so far. He averaged 107 in his first round win over Grbavac and there was a 105 in his 4-0 thrashing of Van den Bergh yesterday. This is a Championship notable for the lack of ton plus averages, yet Rydz has hit two of the six that have been hit.

He has won just four of his last ten matches, but he has come to Ally Pally in a different frame of mind and is a very different player. The question is, for how long can he keep it going?

These two players have only met once before. That was 6-4 win for Rydz in a Players Championship match in 2023, and it was low scoring affair by both.

Rydz is now the 13.00 fourth favourite to win the Championship, and 1.40 to win this match. Owen is a 3.25 shot. If Rydz can keep his scoring going, he should win this match quite easily, but I am still aware that this is Callan Rydz we are talking about.

Rydz has been hitting the 180s at 0.35 per leg, Owen 0.21. This could be a short match if Rydz keeps going so betting total 180s is risky. I’ll bet a rare double to inject some value into the match.

2025 PDC WC Monday Afternoon Tip: 1 point Rydz to win and hit the most 180s @ 1.73 with Betfair, Skybet

Ricardo Pietreczko vs. Nathan Aspinall

Much like Callan Rydz, Pietreczko came into this tournament in no sort of form, but here he is, in the fourth round and having dropped just two sets. He did nothing of note in his first two wins, but it was a good performance and a 97.00 average when beating Scott Williams 4-1.

Aspinall has done nothing yet. Easy wins over Gates and Gilding, dropping just one set, but his opponents were poor, both averaging under 87. He has won six of his last ten matches but isn’t playing with any great consistency and it is hard to say if he will be able to lift his game. He might not have to, of course.

Their H2H record is sparse, with just the one meeting. That was a 5-4 win for Pietreczko in last year’s Grand Slam. It was a poor match marked by both players missing a combined 34 doubles.

Crowd Behind Aspinall

Neither player is tearing it up. Ricardo will have plenty of German support, but the bulk of the crowd will be rooting for The Asp and his Mr. Brightside walk on. Aspinall needs to get fired up to play his best. Ricardo is not the quickest of players and he might be able to put a lid on Aspinall’s energy levels.

Two players in questionable form, in a big match? It could be a grind. Aspinall is the 1.73 favourite with Pietreczko 2.20. I would agree that Aspinall is the more likely winner, but he is far from banker material.

Riccardo has been a bit light on the 180s, hitting at just 0.19 per leg, while Aspinall has been hitting at 0.33. He is 1.40 to hit the most 180s. There is not a lot in the way of value in this match.

However, the total 180s market does offer a bit. The bookies are not expecting many maximums with good reason, but if we get a long match, which I think looks more than possible, the 10.5 threshold can be passed. Aspinall was saying that he has been smashing them in practice, so hopefully he can kick off in that department.

2025 PDC WC Monday Afternoon Tip: 1 point over 10.5 180s @ 1.91 with Betfair, Betvictor

-JamesPunt