World Darts Championship quarter-final tips

The New Year starts with a bang as the last eight competitors remaining in the World Darts Championship clash at Alexandra Palace. We pick out the best bets from all four matches.

Gerwyn Price v Michael Smith 

Match odds: Price 1.61 | Smith 2.58  

Can Michael Smith reproduce the form he showed in his match of the tournament contender against Jonny Clayton? That’s the big question here as if he can, then defending champion Gerwyn Price could be in for a long night. 

World No.1 Price cruised through his last match before watching Smith average 99.84 in a thrilling 4-3 victory over Clayton – one of the big fancies for the tournament after a stellar year on the PDC Tour. 

‘Bully Boy’ Smith has lost a number of thrillers at Alexandra Palace, so winning that Clayton match could be just the confidence boost he needs as the former finalist undoubtedly has the game to be a world champion. 

We’re into the best of nine set matches in the quarter-finals now, and Price will always be a tough nut to crack in the longer format so is a worthy favourite for this one – but he’s short enough to warn against backing given how well Smith can play. 

Over 7.5 sets seems almost certain at 1.91 given the quality of these two, while both men know where the treble 20 is so over the space of eight or nine sets over 19.5 180s is fully achievable at 1.88. 

Tip: Over 7.5 sets in Price v Smith at 1.91 

Luke Humphries v Gary Anderson 

Match odds: Humphries 2.24 | Anderson 1.72 

Two-time former world champion Gary Anderson is battling his way through this tournament after two 4-3 victories over Ian White and Rob Cross – with seven 180s and a 170 checkout in his last 16 success. 

‘Cool Hand’ Luke Humphries had a shaky hand as he finished off a thrilling 4-3 victory of his own over Chris Dobey and showed that at just 26 he’s got a great future in the game with a third quarter-final appearance. 

His 14 180s and 121 checkout showed that Humphries could even have the scoring edge on a renowned maximum hitter such as Anderson, but the Flying Scotsman can certainly smell a third world title here. 

This is another match that could go the distance as a top young gun faces one of the old guard, and both have been battle tested already and came through the other side, but at his odds, Humphries is worth taking a punt on even against Anderson’s experience. 

Tip: Humphries to win at 2.24  

Peter Wright v Callan Rydz  

Match odds: Wright 1.51 | Rydz 2.78 

Callan Rydz has been a revelation at Alexandra Palace with the 23-year-old dropping just one set so far and spending just under two hours on stage to make it to the quarter-finals of the biggest show in darts. 

It’s the kind of performance that is almost never seen in this event, but he has to make a huge step-up if he is to take out former champion and World No.2 Peter Wright and make the semis. 

Everything has been working out for Rydz but he’s not yet been put under the kind of consistent pressure ‘Snakebite’ can exert over nine sets. This looks a step too far for the young man. 

Tip: Wright -1.5 sets on the handicap at 1.81  

James Wade v Mervyn King 

Match odds: Wade 1.57 | King 2.66 

James Wade certainly lived up to his ‘Machine’ nickname with a clinical 4-0 win over Martijn Kleermaker in the last round – losing just four legs all match despite not throwing a 180 and averaging just over 93. 

Wade, in fact, has managed to reach the last eight without hitting a single maximum in the tournament as yet, which is why he’s a big price at 3.7 to hit more 180s than Mervyn King in this match. 

King came from 3-1 down to beat Raymond Smith but those lulls he had in that match will be severely punished if Wade has his business head on. 

Tip: Wade -1.5 sets on the handicap at 1.91 

Reccomended bets:

Over 7.5 sets in Price v Smith at 1.91

Humphries to win at 2.24

Wright -1.5 sets on the handicap at 1.81

Wade -1.5 sets on the handicap at 1.91