Saturday Hungarian Darts Trophy Preview – JP
Saturday Hungarian Darts Trophy Betting Preview
James Punt landed two winners from four bets on Friday. He’s hoping to improve on that this afternoon, his Saturday Hungarian Darts Trophy tips are below.
Danny Noppert vs. Anton Östlund
Anton Östlund was very impressive when beating Vladimir Andersen 6-2 yesterday. Yes, Andersen was hopeless but the Swede averaged 97.18. He looked very composed and a bit of a prospect.
However, this is a new experience for him and the crowd will be very big. Nerves may get to him, but as I said, he looked very composed, so maybe he takes it in his stride.
There is little form to go on with Östlund. He plays on the Nordic Baltic Tour and only averages 80.38, so yesterday’s performance was a real outlier. The question is, can he do it again? Or will he revert to his usual standard?
If he can average in the nineties again, he can win legs and keep Noppert honest. If he averages in the 80s, he could get thrashed.
Noppert is a top 10 ten player and should be expected to win this. He is the 1.22 favourite with Östlund 4.50. I’ll give the Swede some sort of chance. Noppert is blowing hot and cold at the moment with his last ten matches seeing seven wins but also hitting four sub 90 averages.
Saturday Hungarian Darts Trophy Tip: 1 point Anton Östlund to win +2.5 legs @ 2.10 with SpreadEx, Fitzdares
Josh Rock vs. Mike de Decker
De Decker was decent when beating Andrew Gilding 6-4 yesterday. He will need to up his game if he is to progress any further.
These two have met twice and it is one win apiece. De Decker beat Rock 6-2 on the pro tour this year, Rock beat De Decker 6-2 last year.
The Belgian has a good A game, a game that can compete with Rock, but Rock is a more consistent player and operates at a higher level more often than De Decker. He has won seven of his last ten matches and deserves to be the favourite. Odds of 1.40 are not giving much away.
De Decker is ranked eighth for 180s per leg (0.32) and Rock sixteenth (0.30) and we could see a few maximums if they can both find their range. He only hit the one yesterday, but hopefully he can do better than that today.
In their two previous matches, both on the floor, they have hit a total of eleven 180s in sixteen legs. Sadly the bookies are wise to the 180 threat and odds of just 1.70 for over 5.5 maximums is poor value. No bet.
Saturday Hungarian Darts Trophy Tip: No Bet
Rob Cross vs. Luke Woodhouse
Cross is 4-3 against Woodhouse and he is the 1.36 favourite to improve on that. He is in reasonable form, winning six of his last ten matches.
When he beats Woodhouse, he has done so easily and Woody was far from impressive yesterday. He was playing a poor player and that can drag a match down, but he made hard work of things, especially on the doubles.
They have met twice on the Euro Tour and Cross won both 6-3. Can he make that three 6-3s?
Saturday Hungarian Darts Trophy Tip: 0.5 point Cross to win 6-3 @ 5.50 with SpreadEx
Damon Heta vs. Nandor Major
Major became the first Hungarian player to win a Euro Tour match when he beat Pietreczko 6-4 last night. I say beat, perhaps gifted the win would be more accurate. Pietreczko was very aware that his qualifying for the European Championship and Grand Prix was on the line and he choked.
It is safe to say that while Heta isn’t in top form, Major will be the first Hungarian to lose a second round Euro Tour match. He only averages 81.4 and Heta should win this at a canter, hostile crowd or not.
Saturday Hungarian Darts Trophy Tip: 1 point Damon Heta to win -3.5 legs @ 2.00 with Boylesports
Joe Cullen vs. James Wade
Wade won a poor match vs. William O’Connor last night. Both only averaged 85 but Wade was 54% on the doubles, O’Connor just 20%.
Wade will have to find his scoring boots if he is to progress any further. He is 9-6 vs. Cullen but on the Euro Tour, it is 3-0 to Cullen. They played four times last year and it was 2-2.
Cullen is in decent form, winning six of his last ten, Wade has also won six of his last ten but his consistency has been poor, hitting four sub 90 averages. I just find matches with Wade playing too hard to predict. No bet.
Saturday Hungarian Darts Trophy Tip: No bet
Evening Session
Nathan Aspinall vs. Gian van Veen
Van Veen beat Brendan Dolan 6-2 yesterday but he was far from his best and it was a win down to Dolan playing poorly. Van Veen’s strength is his power scoring and that was not much in evidence. He was struggling on the trebles and getting frustrated.
Van Veen needs to win this in order to qualify for the Grand Prix. He is just £250 shy of Pietreczko in the final qualifying place, so he is under extra pressure to win. He will also be aware that he faced Aspinall in the last Euro Tour event and lost that 3-6.
The Asp has won six of his last ten matches and is playing with confidence. He has his second major under his belt and there is a bit more swagger about him. He will want to put the young hotshot in his place, again.
Aspinall is the 1.67 favourite, Van Veen 2.20.
The value looks to be with Aspinall here. He is under no pressure, is playing well and beat Van Veen easily two weeks ago. Van Veen is under real pressure and has that recent loss to Aspinall fresh in his mind.
Saturday Hungarian Darts Trophy Tip: 1 point Nathan Aspinall to win @ 1.67 with Ladbrokes, Boylesports
Gerwyn Price vs. Nathan Rafferty
Price is 3-0 against Rafferty and is the 1.14 favourite to make it 4-0. Rafferty averaged 99 in his 6-4 win over the in-form Stephen Bunting. It was good match and a good win.
Rafferty has a very strong A game and he is still very much an improving player, still physically growing and we haven’t seen the best of him yet. He gave Price a real scare in the 2021 Grand Slam, taking him to a deciding leg.
Rafferty has always raised his game when playing Price, he has had to, and always averaged 95 or more. He is under no pressure and he can have a free hit at the best player in the world. I suspect he will give him a proper game once again.
Saturday Hungarian Darts Trophy Tip: 1 point Nathan Rafferty to win +3.5 legs @ 1.72 with Fitzdares
Michael Smith vs. Jose de Sousa
The Special One was taken to a deciding leg by a not so Super Superchin last night. The Northern Irishman could only average 85 despite being 50% on his doubles.
It was a match there for the taking as De Sousa couldn’t hit a cow’s arse with a banjo when it came to the doubles. He scored well, hitting five 180s, but was just 23% on the doubles.
Gurney was scoring so poorly that De Sousa was allowed the luxury of missing twenty doubles and still won. I doubt he will have that same luxury tonight.
Smith has won six of his last ten matches and is 6-3 vs. De Sousa. He is the 1.44 favourite.
Both players are in the top 11 for 180s per leg and they usually produce plenty of maximums. Jose at least had that part of his game sorted last night and I fancy he might well hit more than Smith tonight. Smith just seems to have lost a bit of performance since switching equipment manufacturers in the summer.
Saturday Hungarian Darts Trophy Tip: 1 point Jose de Sousa to hit the most 180s @ 2.20 with Ladbrokes, Boylesports
Michael van Gerwen vs. Ross Smith
MVG is 7-2 vs. Smudger but Smith has won two of their last five and no longer sees beating Van Gerwen as a dream.
He averaged 100 in his 6-2 win over Robert Owen last night and scoring like that means he can put pressure on Van Gerwen and under pressure, MVG can crack, especially on the doubles.
If Smith finds his range on the treble 20, he is a very dangerous player and I expect he can make MVG’s life very tough this evening.
