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Premier League Darts 2024: Night eight predictions, betting tips, acca, order of play and Sky Sports TV time
The BetMGM Premier League Darts regular season continues in Dublin on Thursday so check out Chris Hammer's match-by-match guide to the action.
Darts betting tips: Premier League Night 8
1pt Humphries to win, hit most 180s and high checkout at 5/2 (Ladbrokes)
1pt Littler to win and Smith hit most 180s at 4/1 (Sky Bet)
1pt Cross to win and Aspinall hit most 180s at 7/2 (Sky Bet)
SL Acca: 1pt Humphries (-1.5), Littler, Cross & Price (+1.5) all to win at 9/2 with Sky Bet
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Thursday March 21: Night Eight
TV Coverage: Sky Sports (1900 GMT)
Format: Quarter-Finals, best of 11 legs
Venue: Dublin
Luke Humphries (2/9) v Peter Wright (3/1)
Head to Head: 5-6 (TV: 3-1)
2024 PL Average: 101.96 - 92.95
2024 PL 180s per leg: 0.37 - 0.26
2024 PL checkout percentage: 43.15% - 29.12%
2024 PL legs won with 100+ C/O: 8.53% - 3.33%
I do hear people say they 'feel sorry' for Luke Humphries because his incredible standard and consistency over the past few months isn't getting the electrifying reaction it deserves - and he has Luke Littler to thank for that.
But there's absolutely no reason to feel sorry for him - if you told any sports person they'd win this many titles and earn so much money under the radar, they'd snap your hand off!
Cool Hand is averaging almost 102 across 15 matches in the Premier League and managed to surpass a ton six times in a row prior to last week's drab final victory against Nathan Aspinall, so the lack of attention is clearly not bothering him too much.
Humphries is expertly managing his schedule to remain in peak condition for this tiring campaign and once again missed this week's Players Championship action to prepare for a trip to Dublin, where he faces rock-bottom Peter Wright.
I've backed Snakebite the past few weeks off the back of his clear improvement and he eventually battled his way to a first win of the campaign against Gerwyn Price in Nottingham before running into Humphries, who averaged 106 against him in a 6-1 win.
Wright actually managed a respectable 99 himself but this will probably be another one-sided affair, with Humphries firing in most 180s as well. If he wins the lion's share of legs it could be one of those occasions to back the match treble.
Verdict: 6-2
CLICK HERE to bet on Luke Humphries v Peter Wright with Sky Bet
CLICK HERE to back Humphries to win, hit most 180s and high checkout with Sky Bet
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Nathan Aspinall (11/10) v Rob Cross (8/11)
Head to Head: 8-8 (TV: 6-5)
2024 PL Average: 95.05 - 97.41
2024 PL 180s per leg: 0.28 - 0.26
2024 PL checkout percentage: 32.98% - 39.10%
2024 PL legs won with 100+ C/O: 12.69% - 14.75%
Nathan Aspinall nicked a last-leg decider against Rob Cross in last week's quarter-final in Nottingham so Voltage is out for revenge as he bids to force his way back into the top four.
The Asp produced one of his best performances of the season to sink Cross with an average 102.6 but he then eclipsed it with a superb 6-3 triumph over Luke Littler in which he averaged 104.4 only to run out of steam against Luke Humphries.
He still goes into this rematch as underdog given their respective overall form lines and I too expect Cross to bounce back.
He's averaged so consistently in the high 90s this season and has also chunked in plenty of big ones - including two 108s in all competitions over the past couple of weeks.
The Asp tends to hit more 180s despite the fact Cross won that battle 2-0 last week, so I'll add that to my selection.
Verdict: 4-6
CLICK HERE to bet on Nathan Aspinall v Rob Cross with Sky Bet
CLICK HERE to back Cross to win and Aspinall hit most 180s with Sky Bet
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Michael van Gerwen (8/11) v Gerwyn Price (11/10)
Head to Head: 31-14, 1 draw (TV: 23-8, 1 draw)
2024 PL Average: 98.99 - 98.64
2024 PL 180s per leg: 0.32 - 0.25
2024 PL checkout percentage: 45.20% - 37.38%
2024 PL legs won with 100+ C/O: 7.75% - 17.5%
These two players have pretty much the same average this season but that's where the similarities end.
Despite an injury-troubled past few weeks, Michael van Gerwen is still sitting comfortably in second place thanks to those three nightly successes while Gerwyn Price is at the other end of the table with just three match wins to his name - and two of those were on opening night.
The Iceman hasn't really played all that badly at all - he just tends to run into people at the wrong time. For example, in four of his five quarter-final defeats, his opponents have averaged 101.4, 107.3, 109.7 and 105.5 while Peter Wright managed to defy his 103.3 last Thursday to pick up his first win of the campaign.
Unfortunately for Price, MVG is showing signs of returning to form having averaged 110 in an astonishing 6-2 defeat to Luke Littler last Thursday before picking up six morale-boosting wins during this week's Players Championship double-header.
However, there were also a couple of sub-90 averages in there against Peter Wright and Daryl Gurney so if Price can produce something close to his A-game then he could well start to turn his campaign around.
Verdict: 4-6
CLICK HERE to bet on Michael van Gerwen v Gerwyn Price with Sky Bet
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Luke Littler (4/11) v Michael Smith (2/1)
Head to Head: 1-2 (TV: 1-2)
2024 PL Average: 99.90 - 95.70
2024 PL 180s per leg: 0.34 - 0.37
2024 PL checkout percentage: 35.67% - 38.81%
2024 PL legs won with 100+ C/O: 8.45% - 10.16%
If the Premier League format was like it was in the 'good old days' when everyone played one match each per night, Luke Littler would have taken 12 points from a possible 14 and sitting top of the table with a seasonal average of well above 100.
He'd have completely stolen the show - and been the best player. As it is, he's still stolen the show from an attention point of view yet instead sits third without a nightly 'title' to his name.
Don't tweet me to say I've forgotten about the old format being best of 14 legs with the possibility of draws. I haven't. I'm just trying to make an overly long-winded point about him being absolutely lethal in quarter-finals but fades when stepping back on the oche. In fact he's only appeared in one final.
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Two of his five semi-final defeats have come at the hands of Michael Smith although he did thrash Bully Boy 6-2 with a 106.97 average when they met in a quarter-final at the end of February.
Littler's astonishing 6-2 victory over Michael van Gerwen last week in which he averaged 114 was the performance of the season and Smith needs to be at his very best if he's to stop the 17-year-old lighting up Dublin.
The pair have combined for a ridiculous 91 180s, with Smith actually averaging slightly higher at 0.37 per leg compared to Littler's 0.34, so don't be surprised to see the former world champion win this part of the match.
Verdict: 6-3
CLICK HERE to bet on Luke Littler v Michael Smith with Sky Bet
CLICK HERE to back Littler to win and Smith hit most 180s with Sky Bet
Premier League Darts 2024: Averages, 180s and checkout statistics
TOURNAMENT AVERAGE After week 7
Luke Humphries: 101.96
Luke Littler: 99.90
Michael van Gerwen: 98.99
Gerwyn Price: 98.64
Rob Cross: 97.41
Michael Smith: 95.70
Nathan Aspinall: 95.05
Peter Wright: 92.95
MOST 180s & 180s PER LEG After week 7
Luke Humphries: 52 (141 legs, 0.37)
Luke Littler: 47 (137 legs, 0.34)
Michael Smith: 44 (120 legs, 0.37 per leg)
Michael van Gerwen: 41 (128 legs, 0.32)
Nathan Aspinall: 36 (127 legs, 0.28)
Rob Cross: 32 (121 legs, 0.26)
Gerwyn Price: 23 (93 legs, 0.25)
Peter Wright: 20 (77 legs, 0.26)
DOUBLES AND CHECKOUT PERCENTAGE After week 7
Michael van Gerwen: 45.20% (66/146)
Luke Humphries: 43.15% (82/190)
Rob Cross: 39.10% (61/156)
Michael Smith: 38.81% (59/152)
Gerwyn Price: 37.38% (40/107)
Luke Littler: 35.67% (71/199)
Nathan Aspinall: 32.98% (63/191)
Peter Wright: 29.12% (30/103)
100+ CHECKOUTS, HIGHEST CHECKOUTS & % LEGS WON WITH 100+ CHECKOUT After week 7
Rob Cross: 9 (14.75% legs won with 100+ checkout)
100+ Checkouts: 144x2, 132, 129, 121, 116, 110, 109, 100
Nathan Aspinall: 8 (12.69%)
100+ Checkouts: 170, 160x2, 144, 120, 104, 100x2
Gerwyn Price: 7 (17.5%)
100+ Checkouts: 170, 160, 124, 120, 117x2, 100
Luke Humphries: 7 (8.53%)
100+ Checkouts: 143, 130, 121, 117, 116, 108, 105
Michael Smith: 6 (10.16% )
100+ Checkouts: 170, 146, 120x3, 107
Luke Littler: 6 (8.45%)
100+ Checkouts: 170, 140, 138, 130, 103, 100
Michael van Gerwen: 5 (7.75%)
100+ Checkouts: 136, 127, 120, 110, 107
Peter Wright: 1 (3.33%)
100+ Checkouts: 156
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