World Darts Championship Day Five predictions & betting tips
However, there could be other upsets on the oche elsewhere this evening as we plough through more first-round encounters.
England’s Steve Beaton takes on Worlds debutant Wessel Nijman, Mike De Decker clashes with seasoned journeyman Dragutin Horvat, and Ricardo Pietreczko – winner of this year’s German Darts Championship – faces two-time BDO Women’s champion Mikuru Suzuki.
The action gets underway at 7:15pm this evening, live on Sky Sports, and Van Gerwen is naturally the star draw. However, darts betting fans looking to craft a multiple on betting sites will need to look further than the Dutchman.
We’ve studied the odds on betting apps and picked out three bets, which can be combined to make a 18/2 treble with 10Bet.
Steve Beaton vs Wessel Nijman predictions
(7.15pm)
In the main, bookmakers have priced up the first-round matches in favour of the Order of Merit player, up against the international qualifiers.
One would therefore expect World No.49 Beaton to lead the betting against Dutch protégée Nijman. However, the odds favour the 23-year-old.
Beaton hasn’t been in great form. He’s won just five Players Championship matches since mid-October. However, he almost upset Gary Anderson in the Players Championship Finals and is playing in the PDC World Championship for the 23rd successive year.
He has the experience over Nijman, who debuts at the Ally Pally tonight. Nijman’s short odds are down to his semi-final appearance at August’s World Youth Championship Finals.
That doesn’t feel like enough to justify his price. While Beaton, 59, may not be in his prime, he is well versed at getting through the first round in London each December.
Ricardo Pietreczko vs Mikuru Suzuki predictions
(9.15pm)
Pietreczko moved into the PDC top 40 last month off the back of a strong second half of the season. The Nuremberg resident beat Van Gerwen in the German Darts Championship semis before nailing Peter Wright 8-4 in the final.
That was Pietreczko’s highest point in his career so far. There’s every chance he could go deep at the Worlds, with Callan Rydz lined up in the second round.
However, two-time women’s BDO champ Suzuki cannot be dismissed here. Suzuki has fared well on the MODUS Super Series recently and has experience playing at the Worlds. She lost 3-2 to James Richardson back in 2020 – an encounter that could have gone either way.
Pietreczko is expected to win this match but there’s cause to believe Suzuki can claim at least one set.
An upset in this first round clash looks unlikely but the match may be closer than one initially suspects and we’re backing over 3.5 sets at 11/10 with bet365.
Michael van Gerwen vs Keane Barry predictions
(10.15pm)
Michael van Gerwen is as short as 1/10 to beat Keane Barry at the Ally Pally tonight and those odds aren’t doing a disservice to Barry, rather they simply reflect the superiority of the three-time world champion.
Anyone creating a darts accumulator is likely to have MVG to win in their selections, but at such short odds, it may be best to look at an alternative Mighty Mike bet.
The big one is the match treble: MVG to win, hit the highest checkout, and get the most 180s.
BetVictor offer Van Gerwen at 5/6 to complete the match treble and start his World Championship campaign in typically dominant fashion.
Grab a free bet on the darts
Should you wish to take any of our darts betting advice, be sure to check out what free bets are available before placing your wager.
The vast majority of new betting sites offer competitive sign-up offers for new customers which often trump those of the more established brands, with BetUK’s ‘Bet £10 Get £30’ promo being a prime example.
BetUK offer the best price on Beaton to defeat Nijman on Tuesday evening and new customers to the bookmaker can also unlock a deposit bonus and free spins with the operator's UK online casino.
Always read the terms and conditions when signing up to a bookmaker site and please remember to gamble responsibly.
Joe Short is a freelance journalist and former editor at the Daily Express, covering politics, football, tennis and darts, among other things. He contributes sports betting tips for The Independent.
