Friday Afternoon UK Open Darts Preview

The UK Open begins today and James Punt has his first preview. He has already penned an ante-post, outright betting preview, check that out here. You can get his Friday Afternoon UK Open darts tips below.

Adam Warner vs. Andy Jenkins

These two met in this year’s Q school and it was Warner who was the comprehensive 6-1 winner. He got his card and in his 13 matches on the Pro Tour he has won six, is averaging 87 and he has beaten Daryl Gurney, Vincent van der Voort and Steve Lennon. It’s not hugely impressive but he is averaging four points better than veteran Jenkins in 2023.

Friday Afternoon UK Open Tip: 0.5 point Jenkins to win @ 1.67 with Hills

Gian van Veen vs. Robert Owen

The young Dutchman Gian van Veen has been playing very well recently. He has won six of his last ten, every one saw 90+ averages and seven 95+. Gian has beaten Jonny Clayton, Callan Rydz and Vincent van der Voort. He looks a very decent prospect and picked up quite a bit of experience in Players Championship events late last year and he has taken some decent scalps.

Robert Owen was a semi-finalist here in 2018 and is vastly more experienced. His A game is good, but no better than Van Veen’s, and he hasn’t been showing the same kind of consistency. He too has won six of his last ten. He had four sub 90 averages but five 95+.

This should be a decent match. Owen is being backed but Van Veen is the favourite at 1.73 and I can see why. So long as he doesn’t get nervous, he can land the spoils.

Friday Afternoon UK Open Tip: 1 point Gian van Veen to win @ 1.73 with SpreadEx, Hills

Dylan Slevin vs. Maik Kuivenhoven

Slevin won his tour card in January won his first Pro Tour match with a 103 average and reached the semi-final of PC1. He has found it tougher since and has lost six of his last ten matches.

Kuivenhoven is a very experienced player and he had a good run on the Pro Tour, reaching the quarter final of PC4. He has won five of his last ten matches.

Both players are averaging 91.5 for the season and a close match looks possible.

Friday Afternoon UK Open Tip: 1 point over 9.5 legs @ 1.91 with Ladbrokes

Thibault Tricole vs. James Richardson

Frenchman Tricole was runner up the 2022 WDF world championship and much was expected of him. He failed to get a tour card at Q school. He got invites to play in all four of the Players Championship events in 2023 and lost all four first round matches. His averages were 87, 77, 90 and 68. His confidence can’t be good.

James Richardson is an ex-tour card holder and very experienced. He isn’t the player he once was but he has the ability to take advantage if Tricole is having another nightmare.

Friday Afternoon UK Open Tip: 0.5 point James Richardson to win @ 2.33 with Unibet

Lukas Wenig vs. Jeffery de Zwaan

After being sidelined by injury, De Zwaan appears to making the long road to a comeback. Step by step. His win rate in 2023 is 70%, his best ever, a fraction higher than it was in 2019 when he was winning titles.

Granted he has only played 30 matches and many of those were at Q school, but on the Pro Tour he has won 10 from 17 or 59%. That is a more realistic picture. His seasonal average is 93.3, some way off his peak form but its 2.60 points up on 2022. He isn’t ready to be challenging for titles or having deep runs, but he is heading in the right direction. His doubling isn’t up to scratch yet and that may allow Wenig to have chances.

Wenig beat Ryan Miekle on the Euro Tour last weekend before losing to Martin Schindler. He is averaging 88 in 2023 and has won six of his last ten. He has his moments, but so does De Zwaan and I’ll go with the better player and hope that he can nail his doubles.

Friday Afternoon UK Open Tip: 1 point Jeffery de Zwaan to win @ 1.70 with Ladbrokes

Luke Littler vs. Nick Fullwell

A televised match and first sight of junior darts sensation, Luke Littler. He has cleaned up at the under 16 level but also won titles in the WDF men’s circuit. The won the Romanian Classic, beating Arron Monk in the semi and Jelle Klassen in the final, 4-1 and 5-1 respectively. He is hitting big ton plus averages regularly, but his seasonal average is 86.8.

Fullwell is in dire form, losing nine of his last ten matches and his seasonal average is just 81.1. The 53 year old is more experienced but his confidence is in tatters and facing a 16 year old wonder kid (who looks like he’s about 30), on a televised stage, is not what he needs.

Littler is the 1.40 favourite and he needs to give up a -2.5 leg handicap before we get to odds against.

Friday Afternoon UK Open Tip: 1 point Littler to win -2.5 legs @ 2.20 with BET365

Florian Hempel vs. Jamie Hughes

Two players with contrasting fortunes in 2023. Hempel has only played seven matches and lost five. One of his two wins was against Nick Fullwell, a 6-0 rout, a form line that backs up the previous bet. His season al average is 87.6.

Hughes has pressed the re-set button for 2023 as he continues his comeback from injury. He was runner up in PC1 and reached the 4th round in PC 2 and 3. He has lost four of his last five however, so he has hit a bump in the road. One of his losses was to…Nick Fullwell. And at this point I am stepping back from what was going to be a 2 pointer on the 1.57 favourite, but Hempel makes zero appeal.

Friday Afternoon UK Open Tip: No Bet

Jamie Clark vs. Richard Veenstra

Jamie Clark is in very poor form, losing eight of his last ten matches and averaging 84.9 in 2023. Veenstra is a new tour card holder but a very experienced and successful player in the BDO/WDF. He has won five of his last ten and while his seasonal average is just 91.6, he has hit six 97+ averages in the last ten. It took some good performances to beat him.

Friday Afternoon UK Open Tip: 1 point Veenstra to win -2.5 legs @ 2.20 with Boylesports

Mike de Decker vs. Ryan Joyce

Two players who have had faltering starts to 2023, both losing five of their last ten, but neither playing badly. The have met four times with Joyce winning three, including a 6-0 win here last year. De Decker is the heavier scorer, Joyce the better finisher.

De Decker is a fine player, they both are, but the Dutchman just cannot convert his talent into wins. His win rate in 2023 is under 50%, as it has been for the last two years.

Friday Afternoon UK Open Tip: 0.5 point Joyce to win @ 1.97 with Unibet

William O’Connor vs. Devon Petersen

It looks like the ever positive Petersen is deluding himself. He has lost eight of his nine matches in 2023. His win rate was 62% in 2020 when he won a Euro Tour event and landed us a nice 67.00 winner, but since then he has fallen down the rankings and his win rate has collapsed, just 34% last year and 11% so far in 2023. No end of positive thinking is covering up that decline.

O’Connor was a semi-finalist here in 2022 but he is in poor form, losing six of his last ten matches but he is still a proper player. This is a great draw for him.

Friday Afternoon UK Open Tip: 2 points O’Connor to win -2.5 legs @ 2.00 with Boylesports

I will have a few more selections for this evening’s matches when the big boys start their campaigns.

-JamesPunt