2023 Friday World Series of Darts Finals Preview – JP
2023 Friday World Series Darts Finals
James Punt has a busy weekend ahead with the Singapore GP and the darts. His outright betting preview for the World Series Finals can be viewed here. His 2023 Friday World Series of Darts preview and tips are below.
Daniel Klose vs. Krzysztof Ratajski
Both players are in good form, winning seven of their last ten matches. Ratajski won the German Darts Open last weekend and Klose was runner up in PC21 ten days ago.
The Polish Eagle is by far the more experienced player at this level and he starts as the 1.40 favourite with Klose the 3.20 outsider. This is a first to six leg match, so short and sweet and a bit of a leveller in that respect.
Ratajski wasn’t hugely impressive in his Euro Tour win, while Klose was when reaching the Players Championship final. He beat Michel Smith 6-5 and averaged 102, he also beat Clemens, Wright and Dobey before losing 6-8 to Price in the final. It is not often you get a big outsider beating two World Champions on the way to his first final.
Floor v Stage
However, Klose did his winning on the floor, Ratajski on a stage. Klose just doesn’t have any experience of these big TV stages in front of a big crowd. How he gets on with that is the key. If he enjoys it and can play his game. He has a decent chance. If he gets too nervous, he could dry up.
It is too much of a gamble to back the German and Ratajski is too short for me. There is no H2H form to go on either and it is a no bet for me.
2023 Friday World Series of Darts Tip: No Bet
Graham Usher vs. Haupai Puha
Graham Usher won his tour card in January and he has picked up wins against Daryl Gurney, Danny Noppert, Gian van Veen and Michael van Gerwen a couple of weeks ago. His seasonal average is a fraction over 90. He is another player with very limited big stage experience.
Kiwi thrower Haupai Puha is a little more experienced on big stages. He played here last year and took Dirk van Duijvenbode to a deciding leg. He doesn’t have a tour card, so his chances to play against top flight opposition week in, week out is not there.
A-Game Required
Puha has played in a World Cup, a World Championship and some World Series events. He beat Dimitri van den Bergh in a World Series match last month. His annual average is 85.7, so he will need to bring something like his A-game or hope that Usher doesn’t perform well on stage.
Usher is the 1.62 favourite and being backed. Hopes is the 2.50 outsider. Any value lies with the Kiwi but the odds are still a bit short for me. No bet.
2023 Friday World Series of Darts Tip: No Bet
Gabriel Clemens vs. William O’Connor
Clemens is in better form than O’Connor, winning seven of his last ten matches, compared to five for O’Connor. They have met on five previous occasions and Clemens has won three, the last three.
Their last match was at the World Championships last December and Clemens won that 3-0 and went on to reach the semi-final. Their only other TV match saw a 10-2 win for O’Connor in the 2019 Players Championship finals.
There is not much between them standard wise, Clemens is slightly better but O’Connor is a very experienced player who can play at a high level. The German Giant is the 1.67 favourite with O’Connor the 2.30 outsider. Once again, the odds look right to me. No bet.
2023 Friday World Series of Darts Tip: No bet
Keegan Brown vs. Simon Whitlock
Neither player is in good form with both losing six of their last ten matches. Brown has hit only three averages over 90 in those last ten and hit two sub 75s. That is very poor form.
Whitlock has only won one of his last six matches, but he has played considerably better than Brown. In his last ten matches he has only had two sub 90 averages, had six 94+ and a ton +. Whitlock is making his eighth appearance in the World Series finals but he has won just four matches.
These two have met seven times and Brown has won four, and four of the last five. Their last meeting was back in 2019, so the form is old.
Given their recent form, Whitlock looks a strong favourite to me. He starts as the 1.50 favourite with Brown 2.75. Again, the odds look about right. But I’ll take a chance with a handicap bet on The Wizard.
2023 Friday World Series of Darts Tip: 1 point Simon Whitlock to win -1.5 legs @ 1.80 with Betvictor
Jonny Clayton vs. Martin Schindler
The Ferret won this title back in 2021, the Year of the Ferret. His more recent form suggests that he will not repeat that feat.
He has lost five of his last ten matches and more than that, he just hasn’t played much competitive darts since being runner up at the World Matchplay.
His father’s illness caused him to pull out of the World Series events last month and he returned to competitive action in the most recent Players Championship events. However, he lost all three first round matches and all with sub 90 averages. The rust had set in and he didn’t get much chance to knock it off.
Schindy In Form
Martin Schindler is in good form, winning seven of his last ten matches. You would have gone broke backing him to win a title of any sort over the years, but he wins his fair share of matches.
His last ten have seen four ton plus averages, and all have been over 92. That is a good level of consistency and Clayton will need to have found his A-game if he is to beat the German tonight, and even then it might not be enough.
Their H2H record is 3-1 to Schindler and he has won both their matches in 2023. Both where on stage with a 10-8 win the UK Open and 6-3 on the Euro Tour. Clayton is the 1.62 favourite, but given recent form, and their H2H record, Schindler has to be the choice.
2023 Friday World Series of Darts Tip: 1 point Martin Schindler to win @ 2.50 with Ladbrokes, SpreadEx, Betfred
Raymond van Barneveld vs. Jeff Smith
Neither player is in good form, both losing six of their last ten matches. This is home turf for Barney and the Barney Army will be rocking the venue.
Barney has played in five World Series finals and won four matches. He has won three of his five opening matches. His recent form sees four sub 90 averages in his last ten, but five 95+. Jeff Smith has averaged below 90 in five of his last ten matches but none over 95.
Neither player is playing with any consistency and that doesn’t make for an attractive betting opportunity. Smith does make some appeal at 3.20 but there has to be better opportunities elsewhere. No bet.
2023 Friday World Series of Darts Tip: No Bet
Dirk van Duijvenbode vs. Danny Noppert
An all Dutch affair between two World Cup teammates. Dirk is in slightly better form, winning eight of his last ten matches, Danny seven. One of Dirk’s losses was to Danny Noppert. That was a 5-6 loss in PC21 just ten days ago. Their H2H record is 8-5 to Noppert. On TV it is 2-2 and in 2023, 2-1 Noppert.
Dirk is the second biggest 180 hitter on tour with a rate of 37% over the last 12 months. That compares to 25% for Noppert. However in their last ten H2H matches it was Noppert who hit the most 180s four times, Dirk three and three were tied. Dirk can be backed at 1.67 to hit the most 180s, Noppert 3.95 and a tie is 5.50.
In their most recent match Noppert hit seven maximums in eleven legs but in his four matches since then he hit just four from thirty seven legs. Noppert can go big on 180s when he gets his range, but usually he is only decent in that department. Dirk is a much more consistent 180 hitter and I’ll take him to assert himself on the treble 20.
2023 Friday World Series of Darts Tip: 1 point Dirk van Duijvenbode to hit the most 180s @ 1.67 with Betfred
Damon Heta vs. Ricky Evans
Heta is not in good form, losing six of his last ten matches. He has usually played better than that sounds, but his consistency has been lacking and he had four sub 90 averages.
Ricky Evans is trying something different to try and get more out of his game. He has slowed down and he has changed his darts.
The slowing down thing is interesting. The ultra-fast players are not particularly successful. Quick players yes, but not the blink and you miss it merchants. However if you have played at pace for years and deliberately try and change that pace, it must feel unusual.
Jury Out
The results of the new approach? The jury is still out on that one. He has lost five of his last ten matches but his seasonal average is on the up. It is too early to say if a corner has been turned, but he hasn’t got any worse.
Their H2H record is 3-2 to Heta but they haven’t played since Evans has modified his style. Heta is the 1.50 favourite with Evans the 3.00 outsider.
With Heta not playing with any great consistency he is worth taking on at the odds.