2024 World Series Darts R1 Preview

Now, it is time for James Punt’s 2024 World Series Darts R1 preview. It was a tricky start for us on Friday but hopefully we can bounce back in style. 

Keane Barry vs. Kevin Doets

These two have played each other a lot on the Development Tour. The overall H2H record is 4-3 to Doets and he won their only match at senior level, a 6-3 win a year ago. Both players have a 12 month average of just over 90, their checkout rates are very close and they are hard to separate.

Barry has won six of his last ten matches and Doets five. The market has Doets as the 1.91 favourite, which looks about right, but this makes no appeal betting wise.

2024 World Series Darts R1 Tip: No Bet

Rhys Griffin vs. Jeff Smith

I’ll pass on this one. Both players are averaging sub 90 in 2024 and I haven’t seen Griffin play before and I haven’t seen Smith for a while since he lost his tour card.

2024 World Series Darts R1 Tip: No Bet

Daryl Gurney vs. Dirk van Duijvenbode

A tough draw for both players. They both have been in good form coming into this, Gurney winning seven of his last ten matches and playing with a good deal of consistency. Dirk has also won seven of his last ten matches but has not been as consistent as Superchin.

The Northern Irishman is 5-3 up in the H2H record and he has won three of their last four. It has to be said that Dirk would not have been fully fit for the last three meetings.

This looks like a close one on paper. They are averaging much the same, but Gurney is better on the doubles. Dirk hits more 180s than anyone else, while Gurney has lost that real power scoring that took him to two majors.

They have played seven best of eleven leg matches since 2016, and not one has gone beyond nine legs. The other was a Players Championship semi-final in March which Van Duijvenbode edged 7-6.

Dirk van Duijvenbode has home advantage but Gurney is very experienced in these big stage matches and is unlikely to be fazed by a hostile crowd.

Dirk is the 1.80 favourite, Gurney 2.15. It is very hard to pick a winner but I would say there is a little bit of value in Gurney’s odds. Dirk may be under a bit more pressure to perform for the home crowd, while this is just a chance to win a bit of cash for Gurney.

2024 World Series Darts R1 Tip: 1 point Daryl Gurney to win @ 2.10 with Ladbrokes

Gerwyn Price vs. Cameron Menzies

This could be good. I like the way Menzies is playing these days, scoring strongly and consistently. Price is still a heavy scorer, but he just doesn’t seem that bothered anymore. His greatest strength was his competitive nature. It went too far at times, but now he isn’t that bothered, win or lose. Too much money?

Menzies has won 72% of his matches in 2024, which is right up there with the top players. He has won eight of his last ten matches, half of which saw ton plus averages and only one less than 95.

Price has a win rate of 58%, well shy of Menzies. He has lost four of his last ten and lacks the consistency of the Scotsman. Price is a two time winner of this tournament, and maybe the £80k first prize will get his juices flowing.

Their H2H record is 3-2 to Price and it was Menzies who won their last match, just last month, 6-2. Both averaged over a ton in that one. They have never met on the big stage before, and Price is much more experienced in this environment.

Price is the 1.61 favourite, with Menzies 2.38. I will back Menzies as he is the better player right now, but Price remains a dangerous opponent, if he is up for it.

2024 World Series Darts R1 Tip: 1 point Cameron Menzies to win @ 2.38 with SpreadEx

Peter Wright vs. Dave Chisnall

A month ago and this would have been a virtual bye into the next round for Chizzy, but Snakebite has rediscovered his form. Maybe not yet his top form, but his confidence has been restored and that makes him a very different player to the one who was struggling for such a long time.

Chisnall is also in great form and like Wright, is a recent Euro Tour winner. They have met twice on the Euro Tour in the last two weeks. Chisnall beat Wright 6-5 in the quarter-final of the Flanders Darts Trophy last Sunday, on the way to winning the title. Wright beat Chizzy 7-5 in the semi-final of the German Darts Championship, on the way to winning the title.

Their H2H record is 22-16 to Wright and he has won four of their last five matches. So even during his slump, he was getting the better of Dave.

With both players full of confidence, I would expect a very close match, and probably Wright to win.

2024 World Series Darts R1 Tip: 1 point over 9.5 legs @ 1.91 with Ladbrokes

Rob Cross vs. Simon Whitlock

Cross comes here after a month off and before that he had lost six of his last ten matches, so it is very hard to know what form he is in. Clearly, he doesn’t hold this event in much esteem, otherwise he would have come back earlier to try and get some match fitness back into his game.

Whitlock doesn’t get many chances to play on TV these days and he will be giving it his best shot, non-ranking or not. However, his win rate these days is just 40% and most recently, he has lost eight of his last ten.

Their H2H record is 8-4 to Cross, but Whitlock did win their only match last year, 6-4.

Cross is the 1.30 favourite and he should justify those odds and be thankful for a kind draw. No bet.

2024 World Series Darts R1 Tip: No Bet

Wessel Nijman vs. Andrew Gilding

We have backed Nijman to win the quarter, so this is a must win. He has won seven of his last ten matches, been a bit inconsistent, but largely good.

Gilding got a late call up after Nathan Aspinall withdrew, so he is picking up at least £5000 he wasn’t expecting. Goldfinger has lost four of his last ten matches with seven sub 93 averages.

They have met once, a Players Championship match back in May, and Gilding won 6-5. Nijman missed 18 doubles that day and he is unlikely to be so generous in front of a home crowd.

Nijman is the 1.65 favourite to win, Gilding 2.34. It could be that Gilding’s slow pace could put Nijman off, but hopefully he comes through. He can be backed at 2.05 with a -1.5 handicap, but I am happy to watch this one and just hope he moves forward.

2024 World Series Darts R1 Tip: No Bet

Michael Smith vs. Jose de Sousa

If de Sousa was in any sort of form, he would be worth backing against a rusty Smith. Bullyboy has been on holiday and not played for a month. Like Rob Cross, he wasn’t in great form before his break, and it is impossible to say what kind of form he will be in.

The Special One has lost his confidence in the last couple of years and is not the player he once was. He has won five of his last ten matches, better than his seasonal win rate of 41%, but he only averaged over 90 in three of those matches.

Their H2H record is 7-3 to Smith, but they have only met once in the last three years, and Jose is a shadow of the player he was then. I can’t back De Sousa and won’t back Smith after a long layoff. No bet.

2024 World Series Darts R1 Tip: No Bet

-JamesPunt