Sunday Afternoon PDC World Championship Tips – JP
Sunday Afternoon PDC World Championship Preview
Well, that was quite a profitable evening of darts last night. James Punt went 3/3 with winners at 1.80, 2.28 and he also advised Van Gerwen to win 3-1 at 4.50. Let’s hope for more bookie bashing today, check out James’ Sunday Afternoon PDC World Championship darts preview and tips below.
Maik Kuivenhoven vs. Ky Smith
Dutchman Kuivenhoven has lost six of his last ten matches, but his scoring has been decent and around his seasonal average of 91.5. He is a useful player but unlikely to have any great run.
Ky Smith is the second Australian qualifier, and he will have been boosted to see his father winning his first-round match in yesterday’s opener. Ky Smith qualified by winning the Oceanic Masters, his only title to date. His seasonal average is just 70.7 but he played well above that to win the Oceanic Masters and peaked in the final with a 94 average. He doesn’t have the same kind of experience as his Dad who had played in World Series events and had been to Ally Pally in the past.
It is hard to say how well Smith will play. If he can find the form that helped him win the Oceanic Masters, we could have a game but if he is scoring in the seventies then Kuivenhoven wins.
The bookmakers have Kuivenhoven as the 1.29 favourite and Smith at 4.50. It is too much of a shot in the dark to be betting on this match.
Jason Heaver vs. Gordon Mathers
Both these players won a tour card at Q school this year, despite neither being a spring chicken. Heavers has enjoyed more success, reaching 91 in the OOM with Mathers 101st. They have met once with Heaver winning 6-4. Heaver has won five of his last ten matches and his annual average is 90.18. Aussie Mathers has had the added burden of having to up sticks and relocate to the UK.
Mathers has lost nine of his last twelve matches and only got here as second reserve when the Chinese qualifier withdrew. He does have the advantage of playing in two previous World Championships but lost both, barely averaging over 80.
Heaver’s recent form is better than Mathers’ and so long as he doesn’t get stage fright, he should be good enough to win this.
Sunday Afternoon PDC World Championship Tip: 1 point Jason Heaver to win @ 1.67 generally available
Alan Soutar vs. Diogo Portela
Portela gets his annual run out at Ally Pally thanks to being the only South American who plays darts. He played six matches to win the South and Central American qualifier. He won five 6-0 but the final was much closer, and he scraped a 6-2 win. This will be his fifth World Championship and he gets another £7500 Christmas bonus.
He finally got a win last year, beating Steve Beaton 3-0 in the first round, before losing 0-3 to Glen Durrant. Portela plays on the Challenge tour, but his form has taken a substantial dip in 2021 and his season average has dropped 5 points to just 80. He usually gets his average up to about 90 for first round matches at the Palace.
This will be Soutar’s first visit to Ally Pally so Diogo gets him on experience but not on quality. This is Soutar’s first season on the pro tour and he has reached 71st on the OOM. A win here and he is comfortably into the top 64 and the comfort zone. He has lost five of his last ten, but those defeats were to Gurney, Cross, Anderson, Barney and Michael Smith. His seasonal average is 93.1 and he is a class or three above Portela.
Soots is the 1.20 favourite and he should be winning this to nil.
Sunday Afternoon PDC World Championship Tip: 1 point Alan Soutar to win 3-0 @ 2.50 with William Hill
Stephen Bunting vs. Ross Smith
Ross Smith was frustrated with his performance when beating Jeff Smith 3-0 in the first round. He only averaged 85 and was well short of the sort of form he has been in recently, which is electric. It was just one of those shit matches where neither player fires and one of them muddles through. Hopefully he will let the win settle him and he can get back to his usual self.
Their H2H record is 6-2 to Bunting but most of that form is more than two years old and Smith is a better player nowadays. Bunting has won six of his last ten and is playing pretty well, but no better than Smith has been.
Smith has yet to win back-to-back matches at the World Championship and he will need to keep his chin up and play his best if he is to do so. He can get down on himself too quickly at times.
Bunting is the 1.80 favourite but since the start of October, Smith has been top 10 for averages, checkout % and 180s per leg.
