8,000 scousers will fill the Echo Arena on Thursday night as week 11 of the 2010 Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts heads to Liverpool.
Terry Jenkins finally notched that illusive victory in last week’s victory over Adrian Lewis and he takes to the stage as a 17/10 (Bwin) shot to take on Ronnie Baxter (5/4). The latter still harbours real hopes of making the Wembley showpiece in a month’s time and 2 points tonight will put him in the box seat to do so.
James Wade will be kicking himself at not finishing off Phil Taylor last time out as he let slip a 7-4 lead to take just a point. ‘The Machine’ was heavy on the scoring yet again as he registered a ton-plus average coupled with seven 180s for the second consecutive week. He is 9/2 to score most on the night yet again. Raymond van Barneveld was far from being disgraced in almost producing a fantastic fightback in losing to Simon Whitlock a week ago yet Totesport go 13/5 on the Dutchman recording his first win in six weeks in the League with Wade a general 5/6 jolly.
Mervyn King & Adrian Lewis face off in what could be the most explosive game of the night. King has stuttered somewhat in recent weeks having only recorded one victory in four with the averages and 180s slipping to below that of the standard of the opening stages in this year’s Premier League. He is the 5/4 favourite to take two points in a match that could go either way. Lewis (6/4) threw in his obligatory sloppy performance in Birmingham last week but history tells us that he should be back on song tonight.
A repeat of the clash on opening night, which Phil Taylor won at a canter, sees the two most recent PDC Pro Tour winners go head to head. Simon Whitlock blasted his way through the field in Derby on Saturday (including a 6-2 defeat of Taylor en route) to take his second PDC title in as many weeks. Having also stringed two Premier League victories together for the first time during this period also suggests that the Aussie is in white-hot form. It was Taylor who took the honours in Sunday’s tournament, culminating in a 6-2 victory over Peter ‘Snakebite’ Wright in the final. ‘The Power’ has now gone three weeks in the Premier League without hitting a 100 average and Whitlock must fancy his chances tonight at 9/2 (Sportingbet & Ladbrokes).
