STAR DARTS PREVIEW: Premier League Week 5 + UK Open 1st Round

Welcome to Week 5 of the 2024 Premier League. This week, the 4-month road-show makes a stop in Exeter where Michael van Gerwen bids for a fourth successive weekly win. But all good things must come to an end, and I’m backing someone to put an end to his streak, writes LEWIS WILLIAMS.

The FA Cup style UK Open also takes place from Friday onwards so it really is a feast of darts throughout the next four days. I have my eye on a couple of matches in Minehead’s first round on Friday morning.

Be sure to take advantage of our ‘Hit The Wire’ offer which provides you with 50% of your stake back as a free bet if your Week Five winner selection loses in the final.

WEEK FIVE WINNER

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? Michael van Gerwen
? Luke Littler
? Luke Humphries
? Gerwyn Price
? Michael Smith
? Rob Cross
? Nathan Aspinall
? Peter Wright

? Luke Humphries
? Michael van Gerwen

Luke Humphries is the outsider of the two here despite averaging more than Michael’s 2 out of 3 games last week in his shock 6-5 defeat to Cross when 5-3 up.

In Week 3, Humphries was 10/11 to beat MVG in Glasgow’s final and lost 6-5 despite maintaining an average nearly 8 points higher than his opponent. Impressively, Humphries has consistently had a triple figure average in every Premier League match except his initial loss in week 1.

In contrast, Michael has achieved this feat in only 4 out of his 10 Premier League matches this season, despite his recent triumphant streak over the last three weeks.

These two can beat each other at any point, but there’s no reason to doubt the World Number 1 despite the instant loss last week and at ? he’s a good bet. Cool Hand is the one to upset the van Gerwen train.

I’m also taking him to win Week 5 at ? . The drift in his price week-on-week from 3/1 to 9/2 is too black and white for me and his performances in defeat don’t justify it. Tonight might just be the night for Cool Hand to make his mark in the Premier League.

? Nathan Aspinall
? Peter Wright

Nathan Aspinall is currently enjoying a favourable spell in his performance which bodes well for the UK Open and most recently went down in the Week 4 final to van Gerwen despite averaging more than him. However, we must consider that he barely scraped through the first round match against Michael Smith averaging a below par 87.55. This just shows the volatile nature of his darts.

I favour the ascending Peter Wright, who has been on an impressive upward trajectory lately. Despite a tumultuous period and yet another darts switch, his decision has surprisingly paid off as seen by his 103.37 average in defeat to Littler last week. He also put up a 3 figure average and consistent high 90s outings in PC events in Leicester which indicate a resurgence in form.

As we know, players are constantly dipping in and out of form and I think now is the time to buy the dip on Peter Wright at ? to finally come good after what has been a horrendous few months ever since his European Championship victory.

? Connor Scutt
? Wesley Plaisier

Turning to the UK Open first round fixtures, Connor Scutt has caught my attention with his consistent performance in floor matches.

Now without a tour card, he’s been firing in some respectable numbers on the Challenge Tour and most recently took part in the Modus Super Series double trouble week where he made it to finals night before losing both group games. I wouldn’t read into that form too much with the unique double in format and I believe the 27 year old is more than ready to go in Minehead tomorrow and at ? .

Plaisner, a Modus regular himself, is no superstar and I’m not sure what he’s done to justify favouritisim in this match with inferior form seen in 5 averages lower than 86 in his last 10 games. Connor has only done that twice in the same amount of games with a few matches also near the triple-figure mark.

? Jules van Dongen
? Thibault Tricole

Thibault Tricole embodies a Class 3 handicapper of the darting world. He’s a prevalent yardstick that is always placing 2nd-3rd in his Modus groups and without setting the world on fire, gets the job done and always plays his game. He never puts in a howler and you know where you are with Thibault and with his consistent averages in the mid-high 80s and low 90s. I’m more than happy to take him at ? to resume his reliable nature at these kinds of prices.

Jules van Dongen on the other hand is far from consistent and although he can put on the odd passionate performance on TV, 6 averages below 86 in his last 10 outings is hardly encouraging for a favourite so short in the betting. Two of those averages were a plump 80 which is a place Tricole is very rarely seen in. I don’t understand how the American is priced as the jolly based on recent outings. Tricole my best bet of the UK Open 1st round

LEWIS WILLIAMS

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BACK Luke Humphries to beat Michael van Gerwen 2pts at EVS (⭐ ? CLICK TO BET NOW)
BACK Luke Humphries to win Week 5 1pt at 9/2 (⭐ ? CLICK TO BET NOW)
BACK Peter Wright to beat Nathan Aspinall 2pts at 6/5 (⭐ ? CLICK TO BET NOW)
BACK Connor Scutt to beat Wesley Plaisier 2pts at 20/21 (⭐ ? CLICK TO BET NOW)
BACK Thibault Tricole to beat Jules van Dongen 2pts at 13/10 (⭐ ? CLICK TO BET NOW)